large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb_24
large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb
English
12430
There is a want of simplicity in the Veda. It is often most elaborate, artificial, overrefined  one might even say, affected. THERE IS A WANT OF SIMPLICITY IN THE WEDA IT IS OFTEN MOST ELABORATE ARTIFICIAL OR REFINED ONE MIGHT EVEN SAY AFFECTED
an, 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.] As soon as we begin to study the hymns of the Veda we are struck by their strongly religious character. Tacitly assuming that the book contains the whole of the early literature of India, many writers have expressed themselves in strong terms regarding the primitive Hindus as religious above all other races. But as we read on we become convinced that these poems are a selection, rather than a collection, of the literature; and the conviction grows that the selection has been made by priestly hands for priestly purposes. An acute critic has affirmed that the Vedic poems are "pre-eminently sacerdotal, and in no sense popular."[1] We can thus explain a pervading characteristic of the book which has taken most readers by surprise. LE 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 CENTURY 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 TACITLY AS YOU MEAN THE BOOK CONTAINS THE WHOLE OF THE EARLY LITERATURE OF INDIA MANY WRITERS HAVE EXPRESSED THEMSELVES IN STRONG TERMS REGARDING THE PRIMITIVE HINDOOS AS RELIGIOUS ABOVE ALL OTHER RACES BUT AS WE READ ON WE BECOME CONVINCED THAT THESE POEMS ARE A SELECTION RATHER THAN A COLLECTION OF THE LITERATURE AND THE CONVICTION GROWS THAT THE SELECTION HAS BEEN MADE BY PRIESTLY HANDS FOR PRIESTLY PURPOSE AN ACUTE CRITIC HAS AFFIRMED THAT THE WORTHY POEMS ARE PRE EMINENTLY SACERDOTAL AND IN NO SENSE POPULAR WE CAN THUS EXPLAIN A PURRAING CHARACTERISTIC OF THE BOOK WHICH HAS TAKEN MOST READERS BY SURPRISE
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