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INDIA.

of worship.

ples.

simple articles

different deities through the me

The form of worship which prevailed amongst HISTORY OF the Vedic Aryans, throws still further light upon PART I. the simplicity of ancient rites and ideas. Indeed, Child-like form their whole religious system may be regarded as a child-like make-believe. They appear to have had No idols or temno idols and no temples, but either performed their sacrifice in the open air, or else in a sacrificial chamber set apart in each dwelling. The so-called Presentation of sacrifice was nothing more than the preparation of afford to det such simple viands as clarified butter, curds, wine, dium of fire. cakes, and parched grain; and the presentation of such articles to the different deities through the medium of fire. In other words, having deified The gods investcertain abstractions, they personified such abstrac- wants and aspirtions as beings with human wants and aspirations; of food. and then invoked the gods with hymns to attend and partake of the food which had been prepared for them, and made believe that the gods accepted

ed with human

ations, and invoked to partake

the invitation. Moreover, the offerings do not ap- Flesh offerings. pear to have been always of a bloodless character, for Indra is described as rejoicing in roasted buffalo, and it is certain that a horse was occasionally sacrificed either to Indra or the Sun.

connected with

These religious rites were thus intimately con- Religious rites nected with eating and drinking, and appear to have eating and been performed at dawn, noon, and sunset.

Ac

conquest of Canaan; but still it cannot be denied that some of the hymns may be of far earlier date, whilst the composition of others may have belonged to a much later age. The popular appreciation however of the Vedic hymns and the Vedic deities seems to have died away in the subsequent ages of Brahmanism and Buddhism, and later commentators must have proceeded to the task of interpretation with their minds deeply imbued with the religious ideas of the Brahmanic period. The most famous commentator of the Rig-Veda was Sáyana Acharya, who flourished about the fourteenth century of the Christian era, or about three thousand years after the composition of the works upon which he commentated; an interval corresponding to that which separates the books of Joshua and Judges from some of our early English divines.

drinking, and performed at

every meal.

INDIA.

PART I.

cooking with

sacrifice.

HISTORY OF cordingly, it is easy to conceive that they may have formed an accompaniment to every meal, and may have been regarded almost as a part of the cookery. Thus the hymns may have been the expression of the aspirations of a simple people whilst the food was being cooked; and the so-called sacrifice may have been nothing more than the propitiation of the gods by the presentation of a portion of the Connection of victuals and liquors. Indeed, the preparations for cooking and sacrifice would be much the same. A fire would be kindled upon the ground, or upon a raised altar; the food would be either baked, or toasted, or boiled in kettles; bundles of a common but sacred species of grass, known as Kusa grass, would be sprinkled all round the altar for the makebelieve gods to sit upon, and upon which the worshippers also sat themselves; ghee and soma juice would be presented to the fire in ladles; and the god of fire would be invoked in a Vedic hymn, either to accept the offering, or to carry it away in flame to the other gods; after which the worshippers themselves partook of the meal which had been Greatness of the provided. Of course, such preparations would vary ried with the im- with the importance of the occasion. At the daily meal it may have been deemed sufficient to chaunt a few strains, and sprinkle a little ghee on the fire and but on a set occasion, such as a marriage, grass; an installation of a chieftain, or an assertion of sovereignty, the soma juice would be elaborately

preparations va

portance of the
occasion.
Daily meals.

Grand entertainments.

6 Wilson's Rig-Veda, Vol. I. Introduction, p. xxiii. The Soma plant is the acid Asclepias, or Sarcostema viminalis, which yields to expression a copious milky juice of a mild nature and sub-acid taste. It does not appear to have been used in sacrifices until it had gone through the process of fermentation, and had become a strong spirituous beverage. Ib. p. 6, note.

INDIA.
PART I.

Exultation of

the worshippers in the gratifica

posed to be at

noise of the mortar and churn

prepared in large quantities, and presented to the HISTORY OF invisible gods with curds, cakes, ghee, and milk; and the so-called sacrifice would be followed by a great feast amongst the guests assembled. In the hymns recited on such festivals, the worshippers would exult in the joy and satisfaction which the tion of the gods. gods would feel in quaffing the soma, or in consuming the choice viands which had been prepared. In one vigorous hymn it is said that the gods, filled with food, are as impatient to enjoy the soma as bridegrooms long for their brides. Sometimes a The deities supdeity is supposed to be attracted by the grateful tracted by the sound of the stone and mortar by which the soma ing sticks. juice was expressed from the plant; or by the musical noise of the churning-sticks by which the wine was apparently stirred up and mixed with curds; and the eager invokers implore the god not to turn aside to the dwelling of any other worshipper, but to come to them only, and drink the libation which they had prepared, and reserve for them all his favours and benefits. Indeed, the relations Relations bebetween the Vedic Aryans and their deities appear to have been of a child-like and filial character; evils which they suffered they ascribed to offence of omission or commission which had been given to a deity; whilst the good which they received was in like manner ascribed to his kindness and favour. In order, however, the more fully to appre- Necessity for a hend the general scope and character of the religious ment of the cha ideas of the Vedic Aryans, it may be advisable to ties.

the

some

7 Rig-Veda, Mand. I. Hymn 83, v. 2. Wilson's Translation. It may here be noted that all references are made to Wilson's translation of the Rig-Veda, unless otherwise stated.

tween the Vedic

Aryans and their bling those be

deities resem

tween children and a father.

further develop

racteristics of the leading dei

INDIA.

HISTORY, OF indicate, with a greater degree of detail, the leading characteristics of those deities who are prominent both in the Epics and the Rig-Veda.

PART I.

Characteristics

of Indra, or the

ment.

The most prominent and popular deity in the god of the firma- Vedic ritual appears to be Indra, the giver of rain, and subsequently regarded as the sovereign of the gods. This deity, more than any of the others, is

Attributes a human hero superadded to

Attiane of

of the firma

ment.

those of the god represented in the character of a human hero, rather than as a spiritual divinity, or, in other words, is more distinctly and intensely personified. It is true that he appears prominently as the god of the firmament, the hurler of the thunderbolt, who smote the rain-cloud and brought down the waters; and his worshippers implore him for blessings, such as robust health and plentiful harvests, long life and numerous progeny, and other good things of this world, which none but deity can bestow. But in many of the hymns he is represented as a warrior chief, endowed perhaps with supernatural strength and energy, but still with more of the human than of the miraculous type, and who especially shielded and protected those who were his friends, and smote Frequently ad- and destroyed those who were his foes. Moreover, he is frequently addressed in familiar terms, and in tones of remonstrance, which are incompatible with the idea of an omniscient and invisible deity. He is supposed to take especial delight in quaffing the soma juice; and his capacity in drinking it is celebrated with all the sympathetic praise and exaggerated description with which the northern bards loved to celebrate the Bacchanalian exploits of their

dressed in familiar terms.

Partiality for strong drink.

8 Comp. Rig-Veda, Mand. I. Hymns 51 and 55, for the human character of Indra.

INDIA.

discoverer of the

of Indra into a

personified idea

ment.

of the Aryans, and foe of the

heroes of the olden time. Indeed, he is hymned as HISTORY OF the discoverer of the soma plant, which was said to PART I. have been brought from heaven, and to have pre- Hymned as the viously lain hidden in a rock like the nestling of a soma plant. bird.9 In many passages however, as already Spiritualization stated, his existence seems to have been spirit- of the firmaualized until he becomes a mere personified idea of the god of the sky or the firmament, and the winds are declared to be his followers, with whom he battles against the clouds in order to release the rain. Even in this capacity the popular imagination still delighted in depicting him in a human form, driving furiously in a chariot drawn by champing and foaming steeds; as the hero and protector Indra the hero of the fair-complexioned Aryans, who worshipped him with acceptable hymns and large oblations, and Character of the the enemy and destroyer of the black-complexioned dressed to Indra. aborigines,—the Rákshasas, the Dasyus, the Asuras, the Krishuas, and the Pisachis,—who neither sung his praises nor offered him the delicious and inebriating soma. He was thus a national deity, showering gifts upon his worshippers, but trampling upon those who gave him no libations, as a strong man tramples upon a coiled-up snake. He slew his enemies by thousands, and destroyed their cities by hundreds; he brought back the spoil, and recovered the cows which they had carried away. His wor- Invocations to shippers called upon him to hasten, assail, subdue; to destroy his enemies with his thunderbolt; to smite the rain-cloud Vritra and bring down the waters.10 "Slayer of Vritra, ascend thy chariot,

Rig-Veda, Mand. I. Hymn 130, v. 3.

10 Rig-Veda, Mand. I. Hymn 80, v. 3.

Vedic hymns ad

Indra in his hu

man capacity.

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