Abstract
This paper aims at bringing out, through archaeological evidences and references, the history of the evolution of Hinduism. It attempts to present the features of the religion that have withstood time and continue to be the living thread between antiquity and the present day.
This paper is divided into three parts. The first part would be presenting
the evidences that are available show that the religion is indigenous to the Indian sub-continent and how gradual and natural assimilation of many ideas and ideals have happened here over time.The second part would show evidences of continuity between the pre- and post- Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization and that the Aryan Invasion Theory is not valid on any account. This part would also show with literary evidence that there is no racial reference to the terms Aryan' and Dravidian'.
The third part would be dealing with the beginning and growth of the concept of temples, the architectural science and details involved in temple architecture, temple and icon worship and their significance. This part would also show the troubled history of Hindu temples and the necessity to preserve the shrines from any future attacks or desecration.
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Part - 1
Based on no founder to begin the religion with, reaching to the roots of the origins of Hinduism has always remained a historian's enigma. As now well-known and understood, the word Hindu' in itself did not imply any belief system but merely the inhabitants along the Sindhu river and beyond - over all of the sub-continent. Comprising of loosely held together broad-based syncretised thought paradigms emanated from seers and rishis who are the detached guides of humanity, this religion has never failed to enchant and awe, thereby feeding and nourishing the thinking mind. The most persuasive attraction is that Hinduism has unbounded freedom that is so lacking in founder-grounded religions, extending complete independence to the individual mind.
Among the prominent religions of the world, this is the only one that continues to believe in and follow deity worship making it distinct and somewhat strange (despite it being transparently honest, as will be seen) in the eyes of the others.
In an attempt to map the history of this religion, that originated in this part of the world and has grown to achieve great heights in studying and demystifying the human mind and in presenting the overall picture of the Universe, as perceived by man and beyond, I am presenting philosophical reasoning with archaeological and referential evidences for the origin and growth of this religion.
Human Migrations and Settlements in India
Since very ancient times, humans have lived in almost all regions of the subcontinent. Caves and settlements have yielded tools, art work and other artefacts that belonged to the various evolutionary stages of man. The oldest discovered yet is in Andhra Pradesh. As seen, this settlement's evolution is in tandem with the African Middle Stone Ages traditions pointing to the fact that modern humans migrated out of Africa into India earlier than they did to Europe.
These migratory routes came to be used during waves of influx by groups to reach the subcontinent all through history. They continued to be absorbed over the millennia into the population of the subcontinent both socially and genetically giving rise to what is now the syncretised ethnic composition characteristic of the South Asian subcontinent. Favourable living and geographic conditions caused the population to grow and flourish on the subcontinent.
It is possibly these favourable conditions including, among other things, a vast network of rivers flooding extensive plains, ample natural wealth and regular seasonal rains even in the leeward side of the Southern hills - due to the presence of the magnificent Himalayas far in the North - that the human mind assumed a certain tranquillity and came to accept life as it was and built up the transcendental philosophy supporting and cherishing it. This is the Indian mind.
The remarkable geography of the subcontinent - that both protects and nurtures - has been held in awe since very ancient times, drawing the whole area within the fold of this awe. This is one of the greatest unifying factors causing the syncretic effect' as a seamless and natural consequence across the whole geographic area.
The Indian mind, mentioned above, also led to a very effective way of life' - using the clichéd phrase for want of a better alternative - which is how Hinduism is often described. By this, administrative practices were guided to uphold even the slightest righteousness touching the daily life of every man. This was attractive for even more in-migrations. It is such migrations at much later phases of history - that are yet to become part of the vast melting pot phenomenon - that has resulted in more distinct regional features along the land borders of the subcontinent, including the North-West, North, North-East and East of the subcontinent. Along the coastal areas, ports have genetically visible effects of relationships arising out of trade.
Origin of a Philosophy of Life
Physical assimilation naturally led to an assimilation of ideas and philosophies. These great experiential truths were gradually melded and interpreted to allow leeway for all forms of beliefs and for allowing unique individuality to reign over them.
Hinduism is often categorised as a religion. However, it was not until the compartmentalised definition to religion' belonging to a sphere outside the secular' or the mundane' by the Islamic conquerors and the West, that Hinduism began being considered so. Therefore, it is far from being correct from that point of view.
The philosophies that India propounded brought together all forms of knowledge in a great attempt at defining the whole to which we belong. That Whole which goes by various names as The Universe which is the underlying foundation of Creation, the Supreme Almighty etc., etc...
It is believed that all thoughts of a Supreme Being began with fear of the unknown. Even so, it is obvious that in India, this fear was overcome by knowledge and knowledge has been held Supreme from times immemorial.
Therein sprung the great ideal of dharma that placed the individual in the realm of the all-encompassing whole. This dharma defined the Philosophy of Life.
The Temple as a Concretised Representation of this Philosophy
Any form of art is a representation of an idea in a concrete form. So it is with temples.
Excepting the material of construction, all over the subcontinent we see that there are certain ideas that are commonly captured in temple building and worship, some of the most prominent ones of which are enumerated here:
- A high tower (Vimanam in the South / Shikhara in the North) that is symbolic of a transcendent power that is far above human strength and is responsible for Creation.
- The bringing together of the elements: the real yet incredibly mysterious coincidence that has caused life with the sensory powers. The temple stands on the Earth and is surrounded by Air and filled with Ether (Light or the subtle element) while the Water tank and the lamp (Fire) represent the other two elements. Every temple must have these. When there is no water tank, water is placed in a purified vessel.
- The sanctum sanctorum is at the innermost part of the structure, representing the core of the heart as the abode of the Supreme Power.
Beyond these there are innumerable practices such as observing hygiene and cleanliness, medicinal values of the ablutions and ointments, purificatory effects of certain smokes and the tranquillizing result of particular smells and sounds. All these bring about a harmony of the human mind with the Universe of which it is a part, but from which it tends to sensorially distinguish itself causing disturbances. In short, the temple is a reflection of the human mind attempting to integrate itself with the Universe. This sums up the foundational philosophy of temple building upon which the distinguished architecture stands as the structure.
{mos_fb_discuss:4}
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written by narensomu, 2008-07-11 23:44:17
I don't think the author would be annoyed -She may be busy right now and would get involved in the discussions soon.Forum idea is good too-we should try that- but it's hard to resist getting in to a well written " article room" where people are discussing something interesting.:-)
Avoiding what seems like a tangent is hard -We are discussing a mighty Ocean here, may be that's the reason.:-)
Regards
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written by dwai, 2008-07-11 21:06:48
Is it for the ritualistic purposes that we need a reference point, where as we could wander off for Dharmic learnings?
It is very important to know the difference between religion and spirituality. Religion is a social phenomenon, Spirituality is an individual endeavor, a realization (or a collection of these).
Dharma is not religion -- Dharma is spirituality, it is the way to systematically bring oneself up to the divine or bring the divine down into oneself (or realize there is no difference between the two). All traditions that align with Dharma do not espouse the institutionalization of it (spirituality). All traditions that espouse institutionalization break away from dharma.
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written by P. Desikan, 2008-07-11 19:44:45
Regards.Partha
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written by Sreeparna, 2008-07-11 18:56:57
Do you think we should continue this discussion of your teachings and my learning on Religion and Dharma through Medhajournal forum? I may be annoying the author by steering away the discussion on a different tangent from the initial topic...
Regards,
Hatimtai
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written by P. Desikan, 2008-07-11 10:33:52
Wander off from where, dear Hatimtai? If you mean from one's inner self, one's conscience, which is one's eternal witness, a firm no is the answer.
Religious references are for one's social interaction with one's society. This is why in modern contexts general dharma can get complex as one's immediate neighbourhood is not necessarily homogeneous. Observing some rituals of one's formal religion provides emotional security coming out of belonging, not getting isolated.
If a person is an open minded questioner as can happen in vedantic enquiry, the security exists without trouble, even if rituals of different religions are accepted by the person, or even if the person keeps his distance from most rituals. Rituals have a cultural content, all their own, which can be enjoyed differently by different persons. Am I getting dense?
Regards. Partha.
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written by Sreeparna, 2008-07-11 09:34:33
I loved Partha's wise answer! However, I keep reading Karigar's comment on how in earlier Indic days, people did not have any one religion, they went from Vedic, to Jainism, Buddhism and so on...And it seemed they did not have any one reference point. Although it may have been easier to move between them, for their same origin? However, if we try to practice similar concept between christianity to hinduism and so on what will happen?
I sent my son to a christian missionary pre-school for two years where they heavily taught about christianity and moral science, and at home he learns about Indian gods and goddesses and some basic hindu dharmic inputs from me, that I learned from my parents and grandparents. So are the case of many of us, when we went to a christian missionary schools in India and then at home we were taken in by Hindu influence and rituals. I also see that many of our scholars on Medhajournal have read and learned about different Dharmas/religions.
Is it for the ritualistic purposes that we need a reference point, where as we could wander off for Dharmic learnings?
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written by dwai, 2008-07-02 19:43:15
Dharma is the natural extension of Rta
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rta
Religion as nuanced by scripture can be tossed into the gutter if it is not dharmic (or in harmony with the Natural Law of the Order of things).
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written by Riverine, 2008-07-02 19:22:00
Quite an illustrative answer indeed
The predicament one is thrown into when answering'What do you believe in' is to be experienced to be believed..."I dont know...a little of this and that...everything..." is the sort of answer that runs through the head, and how difficult it is to put it in words...
Hatimtai
Shri Desikan has given the answer beautifully...religion provides a reference point while we live our lives by dharma...religion's dictates, when it overrides dharma, would turn out wrong!
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written by Riverine, 2008-07-02 19:16:59
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written by P. Desikan, 2008-07-02 19:04:46
I jump in, while wiser heads ponder your question. If you look at yourself and a lot of us at Medha, you will notice that it is possible to be affiliated to a religion as a reference point for Dharma in general and enjoy the cultural content of the religion. Otherwise one's reference always exists within one for all of Dharma, including special dharma.
Regards.Partha
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written by Sreeparna, 2008-07-02 18:15:08
Prior to the Abrahamic incursions, India lived by Dharma...whether Vedic, Bauddha, Jaina or any other...the 'average joe' did not have to declare loyalty to One (& only one) public expression of Dharma. Dharma (public &/or private) was & is still highly context-based. (my dharma as a son, my dharma as a father, as a neighbor, spouse...all are highly individualized & different, & imposible to go for a 'one size fits all' approach..
Question to the Medhavis, can one live in this world just with Dharma minus Religion? Or will this be impossible as the current society will not allow you to live without a Religion?
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written by karigar, 2008-07-02 12:03:07
I'd only add the following:
that 'religion' is an Abrahamic/Western concept that the rest of the world has internalized. Its practical definition for Abrahamics (Judeo-Christian-Islamic) is like a community/club to which one owes Allegiance. You either Do, or Don't belong to a religion. A religion claims to be (a) Conclusive [Holds a Final Truth] (b)Exclusionary [holds Insider/Outsider distinctions]; and (c) Separative [ life is separated into domains of 'religious' & secular']
The rest of the world has been dragged (kicking & screaming??) into accepting these definitions mapped onto their own thought systems. 'Hinduism' is one such....
Prior to the Abrahamic incursions, India lived by Dharma...whether Vedic, Bauddha, Jaina or any other...the 'average joe' did not have to declare loyalty to One (& only one) public expression of Dharma. Dharma (public &/or private) was & is still highly context-based. (my dharma as a son, my dharma as a father, as a neighbor, spouse...all are highly individualized & different, & imposible to go for a 'one size fits all' approach..
This is such a key difference which takes a long time to grasp & re-internalize when we're living in a world defined by Western categories (everybody & their uncle talks with 'Dharma EQUALS Religion' as a basic assumption)
....This is also (IMO) a key to 'communal harmony' of which traditional India was perhaps the greatest exemplar.....
But, moving with the times, I guess one has to answer the typical question 'What is your religion?' with a specific name, and explain articulately 'What do you believe in?' ...a question that stumps most hindus...('I believe in everything', 'It's a way of life', etc..etc...)
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written by Riverine, 2008-07-01 07:19:18
Shri Rajendra Rajput
Thanks for the input. Yes, I too have come across the historical deduction that the Buddhist Viharas were the precursors to temples. One of the reasons why I think this theory holds is that there is nothing older than the viharas that exist to show the growth of temple archeology.
The east-west Himalayan range is a wonderful gift to mankind if it indeed prevented/lessened the effects of ice-age. It sounds highly probable as we know that the lands to the south of the Himalayas are relatively safe from the harsh northern winds that put the northern world into a cold reel.
Hatimtai
The question pertaining to religion and Dharma has been answered by Shri Desikan and it gives the substance of the answer.
In my words, I would say: religion binds man to think that there are certain "attributes" of the higher order that he is "supposed" to believe in. Laws ensured that personal freedom did not transgress this belief.
Dharma, on the other hand extends the freedom ot believe in the inner self. External laws are merely meant to ensure that this freedom is not transgressed upon (by one individual upon another).
They are 'opposite' in the sense of there being and not being freedom. Obviously, dharma is for each and every individual without there being any 'religion' at all.
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written by P. Desikan, 2008-06-28 18:42:55
Regards. Partha.
Dear Hatimtai, I am sure Riverine will answer your question(s), but let me try some quickfixes.
Looking for truth, finding answers, or learning answers for questions rising in our mind about truth from persons who seem to have found answers would be in the realm of philosophy. Religious philosophy may focus on the place of one in existence or the scheme of things, wonder about one's relation to a defined or indefinable divine principle, one's relation to other human beings, meaning of life, death and the hereafter if any.
Religious way of life, dharma, duty, could be what one's religious tradition requires one to follow in leading his/her life, through a set of rules. Revelations, actual directions from religious leaders could lend variations and interpretations to these rules. In vedantic way of life, there is recourse to one's own sense of fairness, conscience, as a witness in case of doubt on any question of dharma.
Hope to have been of some use.
Regards. Partha.
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written by Raju, 2008-06-28 13:06:35
Hi Partha,
I believe only concept of vihar/temple as a place of preaching and praying was created or started by by Buddhism. Later on Buddhist vihars became Buddhist temples.
My statement has nothing to do with controversy that some people have raised that Buddhist temples were converted into Hindu temples. I hope this clarifies.
Thanks,
Rajendra
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written by P. Desikan, 2008-06-28 08:49:35
You say
I believe temples were first created by Buddhism. Buddhist monks used to stay in places known as vihars to preach their new religion. Some of these vihars later on become permanent structures which were later called temples.
You may mean one of two things:
1. The design for viharas was a precursor to the design of temples in India.
2. If you discount very modern structures, all Hindu temples are more or less modifications of existing viharas.
Which one, dear friend?
Regards. Partha.
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written by Sreeparna, 2008-06-28 02:18:29
You mentioned that Hinduism is a term coined later due to external influence. For an ignorant person like me, I would like to ask how is philosophy of life (dharma) different from Hinduism (religion)? Can we safely say that religion is easier to follow and understand for less knowledgeable person compare to dharma? Do you think Dharma was restricted to certain sect or group of people till religion came into being?
Regards,
Hatimtai
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written by Raju, 2008-06-27 10:57:29
Hi Riverine,
Good article.
I believe temples were first created by Buddhism. Buddhist monks used to stay in places known as vihars to preach their new religion. Some of these vihars later on become permanent structures which were later called temples. These vihars or temples were very useful for a traveling monks as a place to stay, preach etc especially during summer and monsoon in India.
I think Himalayas is the only mountain that runs east-west. I am guessing that this may have shortened or prevented full blown ice age during ancient times.
Regards,
Rajendra Rajput
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written by Riverine, 2008-06-27 06:18:42
Sure, once it was understood that fear was unsubstantiated, the thirst for knowing only kept growing as each veil was removed and the veils are endless until the Absolute is known...this is where the so called 'scientific rationalism' of the west fails as there is the limitation to 'what' is knowledge and what not (in other words, what are the veils and what are not). This limitation of knowledge to the only sensory-observation is what our ancients overcame.
Yes, do post your article -- I am working on the other parts now and would post them soon.
Thanks and Regards...
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written by narensomu, 2008-06-27 01:11:40
Great to see your article here.This is one place where we can discuss ideas that are relevant to articles like this one actively.
It is believed that all thoughts of a Supreme Being began with fear of the unknown. Even so, it is obvious that in India, this fear was overcome by knowledge and knowledge has been held Supreme from times immemorial.
Fear may have been a starting point for some but, we have reasons to believe a thirst to know what lies within has driven the seekers of India more than anything else.
I would even [ un scientifically say it has something to do with the soil]
Well researched , well presented article and in the next few days I 'd also try to post a paper I wrote a few years back, titled, "Symbolism in religious Architecture".It would compliment this article I feel.
Dear Pradip
What you say about the sanctum sanctorum is true. But trust the modern textbooks o Architecture to steer clear of ancient knowledge when they teach History!
Regards
ns
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written by Riverine, 2008-06-26 20:20:54
That is a very valuable comment indeed! Would remember it. Thanks a lot for the appreciation.
Regards...
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written by Riverine, 2008-06-26 20:07:02
Yes, the word 'religion' describes Hinduism as much as the word 'non-violence' would describe 'Ahimsa'. It is narrow and compartment-tight.
I would definitely add in pictures to the following part(s)...
Thank you for all the support!
Regards...
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written by Dr. Pradip Gangopadh, 2008-06-26 12:02:53
This is an excellent article. I would like to make one comment about the temple being a concretized representation of philosophy. The temple is indeed a concretized representation of the human chakra system with the lower 5 chakras representing earth, water, fire, air and ether and the higher chakras representing the mental and higher elements of human nature. The Deity is the Atman usually depicted on the 1000-petal lotus of the Sahasrara chakra.
Regards
Gangp
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written by P. Desikan, 2008-06-26 11:14:56
Satyam, sugama-suswara-madhyamasthaayi-sukhadam
Regards. Partha
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written by karigar, 2008-06-26 10:52:50
This is a wonderful beginning to your 3 part series. You're right in questioning the category 'religion' when applied to Sanatana Dharma (Eternal tradition of Dharma), since it is religion/philosophy/culture all-in-one.
Perhaps you intend to illustrate with some temple picture(s) in the next parts? (This was one thing I as a reader missed here. But it may make more sense in later parts where you may describe a temple in more detail..?)
Looking forward to the next parts.
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Thanks for that input! Of course, the relationship to Dharma and Rta could be elabotated upon.
Shri Desikan and Hatimtai,
Your discussions/debates etc. are welcome. Helps in clarifying the concepts in fact...Thank you!
Narensomu
Thanks for clarifying for me. I am smiling