VEDIC PHASE AND BUDDHISM AND JAINISM

• IN EARLY VEDIC PHASE ARYAN WERE NOMADIC AND PASTORAL IN NATURE
• ARYANS WERE IDENTIFIED WITH THEIR TRIBES KNOWN AS JANA.
• BATTLES BETWEEN ARYANS WERE FOR ACQUIRING CATTLES, TERM FOR THE BATTLE IN RIGVEDA IS GAVISTHI WHICH MEANS SEARCH FOR CATTLE.
• MOST IMPORTANT BATTLE IN THIS PHASE IS THE BATTLE OF TEN KINGS OR DASRAJAN ON BANKS OF PARUHNI(RAVI)
• BHARATA TRIBE LEADER SUDAS DEFEATED THE REST OF THE TRIBES . BHARTAVARSHA BECAME NAME OF INDIAN SUBCONTINENT
• TRIBE WAS LEAD BY ELECTED LEADER RAJAN WHO WAS ASSISTED BY 3 ASSEMBLIES- SABHA, SAMITI AND VIDHATA.

  • SABHA AND VIDHATA - WOMEN ALSO ALLOWED
  • SAMITI-MALE ADULTS WHO ELECTED RAJAN
• RAJAN WAS GUIDED BY A CHEIF PRIEST CALLED PUROHIT. PROMINENT ONES WERE- VASHISTHA, VISHWAMITRA, BHARDHAWAJ
• BALI WAS THE VOLUNTARY OFFERING MENTIONED BY THE RIGVEDA GIVEN BY THE PEOPLE
• DAUGHTERS WERE MENTIONED AS DUHITRI AS THEIR MAIN WORK WAS TO MILCH CATTLES.
• SOCIETY WAS DIVIDED INTO 3 SECTIONS- PRIESTLY, WARRIOR, AND COMMON PEOPLE.
• • WOMEN COMPOSED VEDIC HYMNS AND THEY WERE KNOWN AS BRAHMVADINIS. LIKE GARGI AND LOPAMUDRA
  • THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND SACRIFICES
  • FEMALE DIVINITIES WERE WORSHIPPED - ADITI AND USHA
  • NO CHILD MARRAIGE
  • WOMEN COMPOSED VEDIC HYMNS AND THEY WERE KNOWN AS BRAHMVADINIS. LIKE GARGI AND LOPAMUDRA
  • THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND SACRIFICES
  • FEMALE DIVINITIES WERE WORSHIPPED - ADITI AND USHA
  • NO CHILD MARRAIGE
• INDRA WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT GOD OF ARYANS IN E.V.C. AS RAIN GOD / WAR GOD OR PURANDHAR . 250 HYMNS PRESENT IN RIGVEDA FOR INDRA.
• AGNI OR FIRE GOD WAS WORSHIPPED AS INTERMEDIARY GOD . IMPORTANT IMPORTANT FACT REGARDING THIS IS THE FIRE PIT OR AGNIKUND WITH PROPER MEASUREMENT AND GEOMETRIC SCIENCE TO WORSHIP AGNI. 200 HYMNS WERE DEDICATED TO AGNI
• THIRD IMPORTANT DIVINITY WAS VARUNA OR WATER GOD AS ARYANS FAILED TO UNDERSTAND THE PHENOMENA OF FLOOD. HE WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR NATURAL CYCLE OF UNIVERSE
• 4TH IMPORTANT DIVINITY WAS MARUT OR THE STORM GOD OR THE GOD OF WINDS
• SOMA OR GOD OF PLANTS WAS ANOTHER DIVINITY . ARYANS USED TO MAKE INTOXICATING DRINKS FROM PLANTS KNOWN AS SOMRASA
• FEMALE DIVINITY- USHA AND ADITI WERE WORSHIPPED REPRESENTIG DUSK AND DAWN
• WHAT WAS THE GENERAL RELIGIOUS SCENE IN E.V.C.

  MODE OF WORSHIPPING WAS PEACEFUL AND FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WERE USED AS OFFERINGS ALONG WITH RECITATION OF HYMNS , OBJECTIVE WAS TO GET MATERIAL GAINS - CATTLE AND CHILDREN
• WHAT CAUSED THE TRANSITION FROM EARLY V.P. TO LATER V.P

  DISCOVERY OF IRON OR SHYAM AYAS OR KRISHNA AYAS. IT WAS 1ST DISCOVERED IN ATRANJIKHERA IN ETAH , WESTERN U.P. IT LED TO CLEARANCE EOF DEEP FORESTS IN GANEGETIC PLAIN AND ARYANS USED THAT FERTILE LAND FOR AGRICULTURE AND THEIR LIFE BECAME SEDANTRY.
• SAMAVEDA WAS A COLLECTION OF SELECTED HYMNS FOR USING IT FOR SINGING PURPOSES, THE MOST POPULAR ONE IS GAYATRI MANTRA
• YAJUR VEDA MENTIONS COMPLEX RITUALS FOLLOWED BY LATER VEDIC PEOPLE. THIS VEDA INCLUDES SULVA SUTRA - BEGINNING OF GEOMETRY AS DIMESNIONS OF FIRE PIT WAS MENTIONED
• ATHARVA VEDA CONTAINS ABOUT FOLK TRADITIONS - WORSHIP OF PHALLUS SYMBOLS AND USE OF AMULETS
• WHAT WAS THE CONTENT OF ATHARVA VEDA

  FOLK TRADITIONS AND USE OF AMULETS ETC
• WHAT POLITICAL CHANGES CAME IN LATER VEDIC PHASE

  POSITION OF RAJAN BECAME HERIFITARY UNLIKE THE ELECTED ONES IN E.V.P.

  THE LAND OR JANAPADA WAS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF BATTLES UNLIKE THE BATTLES FOR CATTLES IN E.V.P

  POLITICAL ASSEMBLIES (SABHA AND SAMITI ) LOST IMPORTANCE - DOMINATION OF BRAHMINS AND NO PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THEM

  VIDHATA DISAPPEARED

  APPEARANCE OF POLITICAL EXERCISES LIKE- ASHVAMEDHA, RAJASUYA AND VAJAPEYA FOR RAJAN
• WHAT WERE THE POLITICAL EXERCISES DONE DURING L.V.P

  1.ASHVAMEDHA - ROYAL HORSE SET FREE TO ADJOOINING AREAS AND ALL THOSE AREA COME UNDER THE RAJAN

  2.RAJASUYA/CORONATION- GRAND CEREMONY - SHOW OFF POWER, WEALTH OF RAJAN

  3.VAJAPEYA- CHARIOT RACE - ROYAL CHARIOT OF RAJAN MADE TO WIN
• WHAT WERE THE ECONOMIC SITUATIONS IN L.V.P.

  1.APART FROM THE VOLUNTARY BALI ADDITIONAL REGULAR TAX CALLED BHAGA WAS COLLECTED AS SHARE OF AGRICULTURE PRODUCE.

  2.SANGRAHATRI - COLLECT BALI AND BHAGA, SEPARATE OFFICERS FOR EACH

  3.REGULAR TAX- MAINTAIN ARMY AND LAW AND ORDER
• SOCIETY IN L.V.P. SAW RADICAL CHANGES . WHAT IS THIS REFERRING TO ?

  1.SOCIETY DIVIDED INTO 4 SECTIONS , MENTIONED IN PURUSHA-SUKTA HYMN (RIGVEDA)

  2. FROM COSMIC MAN OR PURUSHA EMERGED DIFFERNT CLASSES

  3.FROM TONGUE - BRHAMINS-> TRANSFER VEDIC HYMNS ORALLY

  4.SHOULDER- KSHATRIYAS ->POLITICAL STABILITY

  5.ABDOMEN- VAISHYAS->PRODUCING RESOURCES AND PAYING TAXES

  6.FEET- SHYDRAS- SERVE REST THREE SECTIONS
• HOW FOUR FOLD DIVISION ISOLATED SHUDRAS FROM THREE? WHY ITS CALLED VARNA SYSTEM?

  TOP THREE SECTIONS WERE KNOWN AS DWIJA OR TWICE BORN AND WERE ALLOWED TO PERFORM UPANAYANA CEREMONY/THREAD CEREMONY.

  ITS CALLED VARNA SYSTEM AS IT WAS BASED ON SKIN COLOR - SHUDRAS OF DRAKER COMPLEXION WERE PLACED INFERIOR TO REST THREE WHICH WERE FAIR COMPLEXIONED.

  MANY SHUDRAS -> SOUTH INDIA AND CAME TO KNOWN AS DRAVIDIANS
• WHAT WAS THE PLIGHT OF WOMEN IN L.V.P.

  1.BECAME LIABILITIES- AGRICULTURE-> MALE DOMINATED

  2.NOT ALLOWED TO COMPOSE HYMNS

  3.NOT PARTICIPATE IN POLITICAL ASSEMBLIES

  4.MENTION OF CHILD MARRIAGES IN LATER VEDIC TEXT

  5. NO PARTICIPATION IN RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES
• PEOPLE OF COMMON ANCESTRY BEGAN TO BE IDENTIFIED AS GOTRA. MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES - GOTRA EXOGAMY
• WHAT CHANGES TAKE PLACE IN RELIGIOUS SPHERE IN L.V.P

  1.LIFE OF A PERSON- STAGES: BRAHMACHARI - DISCIPLINE LIFE TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE, GRIHASTA STAGE - HOUSEHOLD LIFE , VANAPRASTHA STAGE- MEDITATION IN FOREST , SANYASI STAGE- WANDERER - REAL KNOWLEDGE SEARCH.

  2. PRAJAPATI OR COSMIC MAN - MAJOR DEITY

  3. SACRIFICES OF CATTLES- KNOWN AS GOGHNA. LAETER. CATTLES WERE DECLARED AGHANYA - NOT TO BE KILLED

  4. RELIGION WAS STILL FOR MATERIAL NEEDS

  5. SOME PROGRESSIVE BRAHMINS- SOUL INTEGRATED WITH CRATOR OR BRAHMA THROUGH KARMA.

  6. UPANISHADS / VEDANTA -108 WERE COMPOSED CONTAINING SUCH IDEAS
• JAINISM ESTABLISHED BY VARDHAMAN MAHAVIRA BORN IN VAISHALI. GAINED SUPREME KNOWLEDGE IN KAIVALYA.
• MAHAVIRA WAS PRECEEDED BY 23 OTHER TEACHERS OR TIRTHANKARS. 23RD WAS PRASVANATH AND MAHAVIRA WAS 24TH
• • THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF JAINISM ARE-DON'T COMMIT VIOLENCE, DONT LIE, DONT STEAL, DONT ACQUIRE BY FORCE, TO OBSERVE BRAHMACHARYA
• TRIRATNA OF JAINISM ARE-

  • RIGHT BELIEF
  • '' KNOWLEDEGE
  • '' ACTION
• ULTIMATE GOAL OF JAINISM- MOKSHA , ENDING OF LIFE AFTER REALISATION OF BEING ON PATH OF MOKSH CALLED SANTHARA OR SALLEKHANA
• CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA WAS IMPORTANCE PATRONAGE OF JAINISM. HE MOVED LATER IN HIS LIFE TO SOUTH INDIA WITH SOME JAIN MONKS LED BY BHADRABAHU AND SETTLED AT BEGOLA, KARNATAKA AND ENDED HIS LIFE IN SALLEKHANA
• WHY 1ST JAIN COUNCIL WAS REJECTED BY SOME?

  CUZ SOME MONKS WHOC WENT TO SOUTH INDIA DIDNOT PARTICIPATED IN IT AND THEY ALSO REJECTED THE 14 PURVAS WHICH WERE CODIFIED IN 1ST COUNCIL.
• 2ND COUNCIL OF JAINSIM IN VALLABHI , GUJARAT UNDER PATRON OF CHALUKYAN DYNASTY.

  • TEACHINGS OF TIRTHANKARS IN 12 ANGAS .
  • SPLIT INTO 2 SECT- DIGAMBAR AND SHWETAMBAR
• AJIVIKA SECT ESTABLISHED BY MAKKALI GOSALA. MAIN PHILOSOPHY WAS NIYATI (DESTINY) AND WAS BASED ON PESSIMISM. PATRONISED BY MAURYAN RULER BINDUSARA.