Indian Literature Time line- 2500 B.C.- A.D. 1500 The Indian literary tradition contains more texts than the ancient Greek and Roman traditions combined

Indian Literature Continued The Indus Valley- The valley of the Indus River, which is in present day Pakistan, was the cradle of Indian civilization. The people who lived there before the Aryan invasion were literate, cultured city-builders

Indian Literature Continued Aryans- They were a group of nomadic, or wandering warriors and herders; Sanskrit, Greek and Latin developed from their language Fast Fact: In the twentieth century, German Nazi racists idealized the Aryans in their propaganda and claimed to be their descendents

The Vedic Period Vedic Period- the first literary period in India; 1500 B.C.- 500 B.C. Vedas- a set of hymns that formed the cornerstone of the Aryan culture; considered to be the most sacred of a literature by the Hindus- it is believed that the hymns were passed down directly by the gods

The Vedic Period Continued Rig Veda- the oldest existing hymns are a collection; passed down through the oral tradition- storytelling Fast Fact- the Aryans chose not to memorialize their achievements in stone, marble, gold or silver because all of these crumble in time and so they have passed down their stories through generations by memorized recitation

The Classical Period The classical period started after the Vedic period ended- until about 1000 A.D. Dravidian- the main languages of southern India; i.e. Tamil and Kannada

The Classical Period Continued Sanskrit- also known as “perfect speech;” an Indo-European language and the main literary language It is considered a sacred language, that is spoken by the gods and goddesses

Literature During the Classical Period Two great epics- the Mahabharata and the Ramayana The Panchatantra- a famous collection of beast fables that has appeared in over two hundred versions and many different languages

Hinduism: The Key to Indian Culture It evolved from the beliefs of the ancient Aryans of the Vedic period It is said to contain more than 330 million deities Three main deities are: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Protector and Shiva the Destroyer

Hinduism Continued Hindus believe that everything, even all gods, are aspects of a single essence or immortal spirit Upanishads- a body of sacred prose literature- which serve as commentaries on or philosophical extensions of the Vedic hymns

Lessons of Indian Literature: Following One’s Dharma Dharma: Comes from a Sanskrit verb meaning “to hold”- English translation: “religion” It is also close in meaning to duty, ethics, righteousness, morality, law and order

The Caste System in India caste- social standing- categorized at birth into one of four groups or ranks in society varna- means “color” or “rank” when referring to the order of the various ranks in the caste system

Caste System Continued Four Groups- Brahmans- scholars, priests, and teachers Kshatriyas- rulers and warriors Vaisyas- merchants, farmers and artisans Sudras- clean up after everyone else and do life’s unpleasant jobs

Karma and Reincarnation Karma is a Sanskrit word which means “action” Reincarnation is the “transmigration of the soul” It is the process in which one’s soul is reborn in another body

Karma and Reincarnation Continued Karma in this life directly affects one’s rebirth and future life Fast Fact- good karma in life leads to rebirth into a higher form and social position

Buddhism- The Search for Spiritual Peace Buddhism came into being at the close of the Vedic period Buddhism was founded by Siddharta Gautama

Buddhism Continued Buddha means “Enlightened One” Gautama came to believe through intense spiritual contemplation, that life was suffering

Buddhism Continued The suffering in life was due to a wrongheaded desire for individual fulfillment The path to mastering this desire was a life of honesty, nonviolence, willpower, continual self examination and profound meditation.

Buddhism Continued Buddhism insists that all people are potentially equal VS. The social stratification of the Hindu caste system

Ashoka, the “Righteous” Emperor Maurya empire- the first Indian empire- at its height, it claimed most of northern India It was established through warfare and iron-fisted rule Ashoka- the greatest ruler of the empire stressed nonviolence, goodness and “righteousness” and also promoted Buddhism

The Gupta Empire (A.D. 320-467) Often referred to as the “Golden Age” of Hinduism During the Gupta dynasty, Hinduism reached its pinnacle During this time, Hindu sculpture flourished, and the classical period of Indian literature reached its height

Unity Through Diversity Even though India has a multitude of languages, customs and beliefs, the classical literature of India- the epics, dramas, poems and tales- express the Hindu belief in the connection between all living things and their oneness with the divine unity.

Stories we will be covering… Hundred Questions from the Mahabharata page 460-465 Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline from the Bhagavad-Gita page 468-475 Right-Mind and Wrong-Mind from the Panchatantra page 478-483 Rama and Ravana in Battle from the Ramayana page 484-493