HINDU PRIESTHOOD
Keywords:
Significance of the Vedas, Origin of Caste System, Duties of Castes, Position of Brahmanas in the Vedic Society, Vedic Concept of Sacrifice, Kinds of PriestsAbstract
The term 'veda' carries a primary meaning and a secondary meaning. The primary meaning can be stated as follows. 'Veda' is a 'certain group of texts' belonging to different ages, They differ considerably in content. In short, 'Veda' isaterm applied to a group of literature that constitutes the earliest record of Indian civilization. They are declared to be ageless in content. They comprise thousands of hymns or songs of lyrical character mainly addressed to deities, the chief of whom are Indra, Varuna, Vishnu, Rudra, Agni and others. In the Vedic hymns these gods are invited to receive oblations at the sacrificial altar. Thus the Vedas are the sacred books of the Hindus. They are the ancient literary monuments of the Aryan race in India. In The Hindu tradition, the Vedas are referred to as Sruti, that which is heard or apauru~eya, not written by men (impersonal) and eternal (nitya). The term Veda derived from the root 'Vid' means knowledge, it is supreme knowledge, knowledge par excellence.
References
Bhattacharya. H.. -The Cultural Heritage of India. Vol. I. P. 182. 2. Buhler. G. The Laws of Manu. SBE Vo. XXV. 3.
Prof. Max Muller.-Chips from a German Workshop. Vol. II. P. 807. 4. Weber. Indian Literature. P. 38.
P.T. Ganga Prasad, The Caste system. P. 4. 6. S.B. 5-5-4-9. 7. R.V. i, 100, 18; u. 20, 7, iii. 34, 9, ii, 20. 7.
Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, Vol. I. P. 35-43. 9. A.B. Vii 29-4 (See P. 8).
R.V. i. 164. 34. 5. 16. Ibid. X. 82. 90. 130. 17. Ibid. X. 90. 18. Ibid. x. 88. X. 135.
A.V. iii. 19. 23. Maurice Philips. Teaching of the Vedas, P. 216. 24. R.V. iii. 33. 53.
