large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb_100
large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb
English
12430
] As soon as we begin to study the hymns of the Veda we are struck by their strongly religious character. Y B C OR EVEN EARLIER AS SOON AS WE BEGIN TO STUDY THE HYMNS OF THE WEDA WE ARE STRUCK BY THEIR STRONGLY RELIGIOUS CHARACTER
e soil. There is no reference to the life led by the people before they crossed the Himalaya Mountains or entered by some of the passes of Afghanistan. It would be very interesting if we could discover the pre-Vedic form of the religion. Inferentially this may, to some extent, be done by comparing the teachings of the Vedas with those contained in the books of other branches of the great Aryan family--such as the Greeks, the Romans, and, above all, the Iranians (ancient Persians). The ancient Hindus were a highly gifted, energetic race; civilized to a considerable extent; not nomadic; chiefly shepherds and herdsmen, but also acquainted with agriculture. Commerce was not unknown; the river Indus formed a highway to the Indian Ocean, and at least the Phenicians availed themselves of it from perhaps the seventeenth century B.C., or even earlier. [Sidenote: The hymns are strongly religious. They are a selection. Pre-eminently sacerdotal. Present the religious thought of the ancient Hindus.  ABOUT THE YEAR FIFTEEN HUNDRED B C THE HINDUS OR AS THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE ARIYAS HAD BY THE TIME ENTERED INDIA AND WERE DWELLING IN THE NORTH WESTERN PORTION THE PHANDJA THE HYMNS WE MAY SAY ARE RACY OF THE SOIL THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO THE LIFE LED BY THE PEOPLE BEFORE THEY CROSSED THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS OR ENTERED BY SOME OF THE PASSES OF AFGHANISTAN IT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING IF WE COULD DISCOVER THE PRIVATIC FORM OF THE RELIGION INFERENTIALLY THIS MAY TO SOME EXTENT BE DONE BY COMPARING THE TEACHINGS OF THE WATAS WITH THOSE CONTAINED IN THE BOOKS OF OTHER BRANCHES OF THE GREAT ARYAN FAMILY SUCH AS THE GREEKS THE ROMANS AND OF ALL THE URANIANS THE ANCIENT HINDUS WERE A HIGHLY GIFTED ENERGETIC RACE CIVILIZED TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT NOT NOMADIC CHIEFLY SHEPHERDS AND HERDSMEN BUT ALSO ACQUAINTED WITH AGRICULTURE COMMERCE WAS NOT UNKNOWN THE RIVER ENGLISH FORMED A HIGHWAY TO THE INDIAN OCEAN AND AT LEAST THE PHOENICIANS AVAILED THEMSELVES OF IT FROM PERHAPS THE SEVENTEENTH CENTUR
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