Class 6 Social Science Chapter 7 Notes India’s Cultural Roots
→ Spiritual: Concerned with the spirit or: soul (atman in Sanskrit and many Indian languages).
→ Spirituality: Search for a deeper or higher dimension beyond our current personality.
→ Seeker: Someone who seeks the truths of this world. This could be a sage, a saint, a yogi, a; philosopher, etc.
→ Cosmos: The world or the universe as an ordered and harmonious system.
→ Worldview: A certain view or understanding of the world, its origin, or its workings.
→ Healer: Someone who uses traditional practices to relieve or heal diseases.
→ Consciousness: The quality or state of being aware, for instance, of something within oneself.
→ Ascetic: Someone who engages in a rigorous discipline to attain a higher consciousness.
→ Attachment: The condition of having a bond with someone or something, usually through; sentiment or habit.
→ Monk: A man who gives up the usual life in the world, dedicates himself to religious or: spiritual pursuits.
→ Nun: The female equivalent of a monk.
→ Tribe: To be a group of families or clans sharing a tradition of common descent, α ! culture and a language, living as α close: knit community under a chief and holding no: private property.
→ Upanishad: Texts containing a conversation: between teacher and students.
→ Anekantavada means ‘not just one’ aspect! or perspective. That is, the truth has many; aspects and cannot be fully described by any: single statement.
→ Aparigraha means ‘non-possession’ and advises detachment from material possessions, limiting oneself to what is truly necessary in life.
Learning Objectives
- Learn to explore the Vedas and what they tell us.
- Learn the origin and importance of the different religions in India: Buddhism and Jainism.
- Student will be able to explore different traditions and customs associated with the Buddhism and Jainism.
- Understand the life of the Buddhist monks.
Introduction
Indian culture is several millennia old, by any measure. It has many roots and branches, much like any old tree. A shared trunk is nourished by the roots. Additionally, from the trunk several branches that represent distinct expressions of Indian culture, but connected by a single skeleton.
Among these fields are those that deal with literature, science, religion, medicine, art, governance, martial arts, and so forth. Additionally, there are “schools of thought,” which are associations of intellectuals or spiritual aspirants with comparable perspectives on life on Earth, the universe, etc.
What are the Vedas?
The Sanskrit word vid, which meaning “knowledge,” is where the word “Veda” originates. The Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda are the four Vedas. These are among the oldest texts in the world and the oldest texts from India. The thousands of hymns that make up the Vedas are prayers in the form of poems and songs that were chanted orally rather than in writing. The Sapta Sindhava area is where those hymns were written.
The most ancient of the four, the Rig Veda, is difficult to pinpoint exactly when it was written; scholars have suggested dates ranging from the fifth to the second millennium BCE. Thus, via intense training and oral transmission, these texts have been committed to memory for between 100 and 200 generations with very little modification.
The Vedic hymns were written in an early form of Sanskrit by rishis, or male seers or sages, and rishikas, or female seers or sages. They addressed numerous deities (gods or goddesses) in poetic form, including
Sarasvati, Agni, Varuna, Mitra, Indra, and many others. These gods, along with the seers, preserved ritam, or truth and order, in both the “cosmos” and in human existence.
The Vedas and Vedic Culture
Vedic Society
- Larger social groups known as janas, or ‘clans,’ made up the early Vedic society. Over 30 such janas are listed in the Rig Veda alone. Some of these are the Bharatas, Purus, Kurus, Yadus, Turvaśhas, and so on. Every clan had a specific area in the northwest of the subcontinent that they were connected to.
- Numerous rituals dedicated to different deities-gods or goddesses-for the welfare of individuals or the group as a whole, were also developed by the Vedic civilisation.
Traditionally, daily rites consisted of prayers and sacrifices to Agni, the fire deity; however, with time, these rituals grew increasingly intricate.
Upanishads
The ‘Upanişhads,’ a collection of writings, expanded on the ideas found in the Vedas and added new ones, like rebirth and karma. A school of philosophy commonly referred to as ‘Vedanta’ holds that everything, including nature, human existence, and the world, is one divine essence known as brahman (which should not be confused with the divinity Brahma), or occasionally just tat (meaning ‘that’).
The idea of atman, or Self, the divine essence that exists in all beings but is ultimately one with brahman, was also taught by the Upanişhads. This means that everything in the world is interrelated and depends upon everything else. This clarifies the meaning of Sarasvati, Agni, Varuna, Mitra, Indra, and many others. These gods, along with the seers, preserved ritam, or truth and order, in both the “cosmos” and in human existence.
Buddhism
- Other schools of thought formed that challenged the authority of the Vedas and created their own systems. One of these is Buddhism.
- Buddhism was founded by Gautam Buddha around 2500 years ago.
- Gautam Buddha born as a prince named Siddhartha, he left all comforts and wandered for many years, meditating and discussing with other scholars and thinkers, to understand true meaning of life. While meditating under a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya, he attained enlightenment after which, he was known as Buddha, or the Wise One.
- The Buddha started teaching what he had realised, including the idea of ahimsa, which is generally translated as ‘nonviolence’, but originally means ‘non-hurting’ or ‘non-injuring’. He also insisted on a sincere inner discipline.
- The Buddha established the Sangha, a community of monks (and later nuns) who practiced and propagated his teachings. His impact on India and Asia continues to be felt today.
Jainism
- Jainism was founded by the Mahavira, a Kshatriya prince, who belonged to the Lichachhavi clan. He left his home at the age of 30 and went to live in a forest.
- He lived a hard life for 12 years, after which he attained enlightenment.
- Jain teachings encompass ahimsa, anekāntavāda, and aparigraha. Indian culture is heavily influenced by these beliefs, which are also prevalent in Buddhism and the Vedantic philosophy.
- Jainism emphasises the connectivity and interdependence of all species, including people and unseen organisms, as they rely on one another and cannot exist independently. Scientists studying nature, flora and fauna have repeatedly proven this deep reality.
Folk and Tribal Roots
The cultural origins are widely documented in several books. India has a rich oral heritage, where teachings and practices are passed down via daily practice rather than written books (e.g., the Vedas). Folk traditions are passed down by ordinary people, while tribal traditions are passed down by certain tribes.
The Indian subcontinent’s classes and tribes have shared religious ideas and rituals since ancient times. While it is widely acknowledged that Hinduism has affected tribal faiths, Hinduism has also been influenced by tribal religions throughout its history.
In Buddhism and Jainism, monks and nuns travelled to promote their beliefs. Some established new monasteries in remote locations, while others lived ascetic lifestyles in caves in the rock. Archaeological findings have unearthed remains of monasteries, including the names of monks who lived in rock-cut caverns and slept on stone beds.
The ‘Chairvaka’ school (also known as ‘Lokayata’) held that the material world is the only reality and that there is no hereafter.
While the Vedic, Buddhist and Jain schools differed, they shared fundamental principles like dharma, karma, rebirth, and the desire to alleviate suffering and ignorance, as well as significant values.