Download - Ascetics and Upanishads
Ascetics and Upanishads
Sarah BinghamAlly Philyaw
Caitlin WhitenAmy Wood
Vedas
• The Vedas are scriptures that are considered to be the world’s oldest writings.
• The Vedas may date back to as early as 5000 BCE.
• There are four scriptures in the Vedas: the Rig-Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama-Veda and Atharva-Veda.
• The four Vedas were passed down orally for many years
• They were later written in Sanskrit, which is the sacred Hindu language.
• The Vedas have hymns, incantations and rituals which reflect Indian culture.
The Rig-Veda
• Tells about thirty-three gods who all came from Brahman.
• The main goddesses, Lakshmi, Sarasvati and Kali are also associated with the Rig-Veda,
• These deities are very important in Hinduism.
Lakshmi
• The Yajur Veda describes the process of sacrificial rites
• The Sama-Veda is a collection of poems used during the Sama sacrifices
• The Atharva-Veda contains many incantations and metaphysical texts
• The Atharva-Veda was written much later than the other Vedas
Upanishads
• These are the end part of the Vedas• Upanishad is a Sanskrit word meaning “sitting down
near”• They were given this name because they were only said
very rarely in private settings• This title also refers to “sitting beside” a guru, since they
mainly contain dialogues of a guru, or spiritual leader• They are deemed to contain a higher level of knowledge
since they deal with the transcendence of knowledge about oneself
• There are about 250 Upanishads at present, but the actual number is unknown since many were lost due to the secrecy of their location
• They differ from the other Vedic writings because they don’t focus on status or caste
• The Upanishads are meant to be inspiration for any person no matter their status
• The knowledge of the Upanishads is not man made
• It was realized by sages
The Atman
• The atman, or higher self, is a central part of the Upanishads’ teachings
• The atman, a persons’ soul, must return to Brahman, the universe’s soul
• A person can then realize that he is just one part of the universal soul, not a separate identity
• This is achieved through meditation and self-sacrifice
Yajnavalkya
• The most prominent author of Upanishads• Known for spiritual wisdom and power• He is the incarnation of Brahma, who is the
Hindu god of creation• Wrote a handbook on the philosophy of yoga.• Some of his many texts are: Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad, Pratijna Sutra, and Yoga-Yājñavalkya
• http://www.hinduwebsite.com/upanishads.asp
• http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/• http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Yajnavalkya