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Ancient India – Lesson 3
Beginnings of Hinduism
Ancient Hindu writings tell the story of a father who
used simple examples to teach his son about the
meaning of life. One day he told his son to bring him
a fig from a fig tree. The boy did so, and his father
told him to split the fruit open. “What do you see?”
“These fine (tiny) seeds,” replied the son. “Break one
open! What do you see?” “Nothing at all, sir!” His
father said, “This finest element, which you cannot
see – out of this finest element comes this big fig
tree!” The boy was similar to the tree, he said. The
father was teaching his son the Hindu belief that all
life is connected by an invisible force.
This belief in a link between a powerful, invisible
force and everything in the world is a key part of
Hinduism. Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest religions,
grew out of the beliefs of the Aryans, whom you read
about in the last lesson. Today it has nearly 800 million
followers. As is the case with most religions, Hinduism is
practiced in many different ways. Yet all Hindus share
some basic beliefs. Hindus also share a history that
stretches back to the ancient past of the Indian
subcontinent.
Writings of a New Religion
When Aryans migrated to the Indian subcontinent
around 1500 B.C., they had little in common with
Harappans. The two peoples spoke different
languages and had different cultures. Many
Harappans lived in great cities like Mohenjo-Daro. As
herders, the Aryan people were used to moving
around more. They lived in smaller villages and moved
often. As time passed, the two cultural groups began
to learn from each other. Aryans began farming and
specializing in crafts like their Harappan neighbors.
Harappans, meanwhile, learned ancient Aryan songs
about how the world works. These songs, believed to
be holy, were passed down by oral tradition. Around
600 B.C. the sacred songs were finally collected. The
books containing them were called the Vedas, or
“Books of Knowledge.”
Song from the Rig Veda,
first written down in about 1000 B.C.
Goddess Night, with all her twinkling eyes,
To different points in splendor she comes.
Immortal, she broods over the high and low;
The Goddess, with her faze, lightens the dark.
In her trail, her sister Dawn follows,
And with her the darkness vanishes…
The villagers, all that files and walks
Are closed in their homes.
Even vultures ignore their prey.
O Night, fence off the wolf and its mate;
Fence off the thief. Be easy for us to pass.
Bright, she has come near me, the darkness subdued
With light’s promise. Dawn, cancel darkness.
The Vedas
The Vedas were the first building blocks of Hinduism. They told Hindus how they should live, and
explained life. The oldest Veda has more than 1,000 hymns. It says that the world is run by many gods and
goddesses. Which Hindu goddess does the above hymn praise? What are her “twinkling eyes”?
Question Time: Answer the following questions based on what you just read above.
1. What does the fig seed story teach?
2. What major belief of Hinduism does the fig
story mention?
3. What are the Vedas and why were they
appropriate to become the “first building
blocks” of a great world religion?
4. How would you compare the Vedas with
the Hebrew Bible?
Hinduism and Culture
The Vedas explain how Hindus believe people were
created and what is the proper way to live. The
following hymn explains the Hindu belief that four
different kinds, or classes, of people were created.
These first humans were said to be born from the
different parts of a god’s body.
The Priest was his mouth;
The Princes became his arms;
His (legs) produced the
Professionals and Merchants;
His feet gave birth to the (Servant).
The Caste System
Label the stick person below with the different classes of
people, based on the hymn:
These four classes of people developed into India’s caste system.
The caste system is a way of organizing people into hundreds of
different levels. In a Hindu caste system a person’s place in society
is determined by the rank of the family she or he is born into.
People born into the priestly caste of India have the highest rank and
respect. Their main job is to study and teach people about the
Vedas. People of the servant caste are said to be born to serve the
other castes.
According to the Vedas, people do have some control over the
caste they are born into. The Vedas state that people move in a
constant circle of birth, death, and rebirth. This cycle is called
reincarnation. Hindus believe that bad deeds done in one lifetime
must be paid for in a person’s next life. According to this belief,
people born as servants, then, are paying for wrongs done in the
past. Priests, on the other hand, have done many good things in
past lives.
The Importance of Duty
How did Hindus know what was right and good? They followed the
dharma of their caste, described in the Vedas. Dharma means laws and duties.
It includes hundreds of rules that instruct Hindus how to live. For example,
part of the dharma of servants was to do their jobs cheerfully. Professionals
and merchants were responsible for producing and selling goods and services.
Priests also had to spend some of their time working to support their families.
The Vedas told which jobs people in each caste could and could not do.
Following dharma helped to keep Hindu society running in an orderly fashion.
When people broke the rules of dharma, the Vedas warned, disorder would be
the result. One of the sacred writings said:
If a person is engaged in doing his proper work, he reaches the highest end.
People who married against the rules of their caste, or who did a job
their caste was not allowed to do, were forced to live outside all castes. These
“outcastes” were looked down upon by others and said to be “impure.” Some
Hindu priests performed a “cleansing” ceremony if they were touched by even
the shadow of an outcaste. Outcastes had few rights. Because their children
were born outside all castes, they too, had to live their lives as “untouchables.”
Jobs in the Caste System
Many Paths to Truth
Over time, Hinduism developed hundreds of different forms. Some Hindus believed their dharma called
them to become priests or to perform special exercises. Others felt it was important to eat no meat, eggs, or
fish. Still others explored non-Hindu beliefs in their search to understand the meaning of life and the proper
way to live. These different approaches did not upset Hindu priests. Hinduism allows for the existence of more
than one god and more than one way to truth. In a very popular Hindu book – called Bhagavad Gita – the god
Vishnu says:
Howsoever people approach me, even so do I accept them;
for on all sides, whatever path they may choose is mine.
Question Time: Answer the following questions based on what you just read above.
5. What is a caste system and what purpose
does it serve?
6. When a person is born, what determines
his or her caste? How does one’s caste
determine what work the person will do
through life?
7. How did Hinduism determine what is right
and wrong?
8. What happened to people who broke the
dharma of their caste, say, through marriage
or work?
9. What did society think of outcastes?
10. Why did different forms of Hinduism
develop? How did the Hindu priests react to
all these variations?
Hinduism Today
As in ancient times, Hindus of today worship many different gods and goddesses. Some gods, however, have
become special favorites. The god Vishnu is worshiped as “The One that is the All” by millions of Hindus.
Millions more honor Shiva, “The God of Time and Destruction.” Still other believers prefer the goddess Devi,
“The Mother of All Creation.” Most Hindu families today worship their favorite gods at home, at temples, and
at special festivals.
A Changing Religion
Many Hindus still consider the Vedas the most holy books of their religion. Other books of adventurefilled stories, or epics, are also considered to be holy guides to living. Some of these stories have even been
made into films. Although Hinduism has roots in the ancient past, it has changed over the years. Some
important changes have had to do with the caste system. In 1950, for example, the Indian government made it
illegal to mistreat or to show disrespect for Hindu “outcastes.”
Why it Matters
Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest religions, is followed by hundreds of millions of people today.
Hinduism began in the blending of two cultures and honors many gods and goddesses. Today Hinduism
continues to combine beliefs from different cultures. Most modern Hindus live in present-day India and
Pakistan. The legacy of Hinduism has influenced the arts, science, and society for great numbers of Hindus. As
you will read in the next lesson, it also affected millions of others. Hinduism became the starting point for
another world religion.
Main Ideas
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Hinduism is practiced in many different ways. It is one of the
world’s oldest religions and has nearly 800 million followers
today.
Aryan newcomers to the Indian subcontinent introduced
sacred songs written in the Vedas. They became the
foundation of Hinduism.
The Vedas supported a way of dividing Hindu society into four
major classes of people. These four classes developed into the
caste system.
An important theme in Hinduism is reincarnation. This is the
idea that people live in a constant cycle of birth, death, and
rebirth.
By following the dharma, or instruction, of their caste, Hindus
believe that people can break free of the cycle of
reincarnation.
Question Time: Answer the following questions based on what you just read above.
11. Who are some of the favorite gods and
goddesses of the Hindu religion?
12. What major change has Hinduism had to
make so that the rule by the majority would
not trample on the rights of the minority?
13. Why is Hinduism a major world religion?
14. How can a person break free of the cycle
of reincarnation?
Activity: My Life as an “Untouchable”
Think about what it would be like to be and “untouchable” in traditional India. Write a paragraph long diary entry
explaining a typical day in your life. Be sure to add your thoughts and feelings about how you are treated.