Hinduism is a system of interwoven cultural concepts and religious beliefs and therefore its scriptures play an important role in not just guiding its practice but in allowing us to reflect upon the unique culture it was born from. Two well-known hymns, “The One as Creator” (“Nasadiya Sukta”) and “Hymn of the Primeval Man” (“Purusha Sukta”), are creationist myths which describe the framework of hierarchy for the cosmos and for man. These hymns are found in the Rig Veda, 10.129 and 10.90 respectively, and are part of the earliest text of the four sacred Vedas. There is no author to account for as the Vedas were initially passed down through oral tradition until they were recorded as texts and disseminated during the Vedic Period, 1500-600 BCE (Murphey 29).
“The One as Creator” sets up the cosmic order by framing …show more content…
“Hymn of Primeval Man” uses the sacrifice of the immortal giant Purusha to create all the creatures of the earth and its environment, as well as the society of man and his individual ability to become a creator himself. It is very telling though, that the social order is laid out with the dismemberment of Purusha’s body: Brahmin are given the ever-important mouth or voice of Brahman’s will to the people; Kshatriya are given the arms, the protection of civilization; Vaisya are given the thighs, the stability of the economic and social system; Shudra are given the feet, the labor to carry out necessary deeds within that system (DebChaudhury). Our class lectures corroborate the importance of the caste system within Hinduism and detail the connections shown between each station and their “divine ranking,” thus their purpose in society. Furthermore, in the text, A History of Asia, we find supplemental evidence to the concept of Hinduism incorporating a need to justify an already
“The One as Creator” sets up the cosmic order by framing …show more content…
“Hymn of Primeval Man” uses the sacrifice of the immortal giant Purusha to create all the creatures of the earth and its environment, as well as the society of man and his individual ability to become a creator himself. It is very telling though, that the social order is laid out with the dismemberment of Purusha’s body: Brahmin are given the ever-important mouth or voice of Brahman’s will to the people; Kshatriya are given the arms, the protection of civilization; Vaisya are given the thighs, the stability of the economic and social system; Shudra are given the feet, the labor to carry out necessary deeds within that system (DebChaudhury). Our class lectures corroborate the importance of the caste system within Hinduism and detail the connections shown between each station and their “divine ranking,” thus their purpose in society. Furthermore, in the text, A History of Asia, we find supplemental evidence to the concept of Hinduism incorporating a need to justify an already