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Originally Posted by SaturninePluto
Hi.
Happy Shravaan Maas Shivani and others.
Shivani, I was wondering your thoughts as a shavite on the Vedas? I apologize if this has been addressed here already, as I have missed it, I am looking for the perspective of another, as I am currently reading the Vedas to begin my long study of Hinduism. I find I am truly enjoying it thus far, it is a lot to learn, every time I come across a word I don't understand, I take out that time to look it up and look into it, I am learning much about Hindu deities this way. Quite a lot to learn, but will take my time.
That is what I wanted to ask, your perspective on the Vedas.
Happy, Shravaan Maas.
And Happy birthday!
Blessings.
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Namaste and happy Shravan Maas to you also.
I would be more than happy to share what I know, as both a Shaivite and a Vedic scholar.
The Vedas give a very good snapshot of what Hinduism was like at the time they were written.
What is seen as modern Hinduism today, with the current deities worshiped, the caste system, the various Agamic rituals evolved over time and they are loosely based
on the Vedas, but have no direct reference to them.
The deities worshiped in Vedic times were all the tuletary elemental and planetary deities. The main four among these were Agni (Fire God), Indra (Storm God), Surya/Hiranyagarbha (Sun God) and Rudra (God of time, death and everything that didn't have a God already).
Shiva is not mentioned in the Vedas...nor is Vishnu or Brahma...All of that came later with the Puranas and epic stories.
In the Vedas, there are 11 Rudras. These comprise the five senses, the five Karmendriyas (the way each sense is perceived in the brain) and one life-force or spiritual essence. They say that at the time of death, when these things depart the body, there is a lot of crying and wailing from the one who dies and others around them...thus it was called "Rudra" which means to cry or howl.
Around the same time and place, there was a tribal Deity called Pashupati, who was a nature spirit...and basically all of the Hindu deities worshiped today had their origins as tribal Gods, irrespective of the Vedas..and of course the Vedic Gods were worshiped also...and still are today, but they have been relegated to a rather minor or insignificant status by comparison.
So, Rudra became associated with Pashupati, who also became associated with Maha Kaal (as death, birth and regeneration over time is the function of the Nature God) and the doctrine of regeneration or reincarnation became based upon the seasons.
The tribal beliefs from the South of India also infiltrated those from the North...and they also had a God which was like Pashupati, called Shiva...and thus, through a convoluted way, Rudra from the Vedas became synonymous by inference to Shiva.
The Vedas basically set out the properties of the elemental deities and their methods of worship, sciences like astronomy, astrology, medicine, rules and conduct for living, philosophy etc...until the Upanishads came along.
The Upanishads are also part of the Vedas, but they sought to do away with all of those 33 crore of Gods established in the earlier Vedic period, to only one (which also could be none) called Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma) and Brahman is everything...which is also what everybody IS in essence...As emphasized by the Mahavakyas or great sayings: " That Thou Art" and "Brahman Alone Exists" and each Upanishad is a story based on how a person or a group of people came to realise that.
Anyway, that is enough for now and I feel sure more will follow as it comes to mind, but I tire..this will be enough to get you started.
Blessings to you also.
Aum Namah Shivaya