Page:The Religion of the Veda.djvu/17

 't LECTURE THE FIRST. India the Land of Religions—The Veda. Multiplicity of Hindu religions-Brahmanism-Buddhism- Profound hold of religion upon the Hindu mind-Hindu life dominated by religious institutions-The four stages of life-The institution of caste-Caste then and now- Symptoms of revulsion against caste-Other pernicious religious institutions-Continuity of India's religious history-Date of the conception of rta, or "cosmic order "-Close relationship of the religions of India and Persia-Slight connection between India and Persia in secular history-The Parsis in India-Close relation between Veda and Avesta-The Veda and the Indo- European period-The Veda as a whole-The date of the Veda-Its great uncertainty-Nature of Vedic tra- dition The Crotriyas or "Oral Traditionalists"--Un- certain character of Vedic life and institutions-Origin of the Veda-Contents of Vedic literature as a whole -The four Vedas-The Rig-Veda-The books of the Rig Veda-Theme and character of the Rig-Veda-A hymn to Goddess Dawn-The Yajur-Veda-Character of the yajus-formulas-The Sama-Veda-Origin and purpose of the Sama-Veda-The Atharva-Veda-Con- tents of the Atharva-Veda-Religious quality of the Atharva-Veda-Two Atharvan hymns-The Brahmana Texts Some legends of the Brahmanas-The Aranya- kas, or "Forest Treatises"-The Upanishads-Literary history of the Upanishads-The Upanishads in the West-Critical estimate of the Upanishads. I