This is a brief summary of Hindu Literature., Study notes of English Literature

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Name: Ragada, Ciel M. Period: Thursday (14:00- 17:00) Class: BSEDEN 2-1 Date: July 06, 2023

Notes in Hindu Literature

About 2000 BC, a branch of the Aryan race- apparently fair skinned, Sanskrit speaking, war-like in the MDX- invaded India from the northwest and drove the dark skin, peaceful and gentle Dravidians (Aborigiens of India) southward. The Aryan gave Vedic literature, Sanskrit epics, the Hindu religion and caste system. Their civilization, however, appears to be very ancient; Religion, philosophy, ethics, and literature all seemed to have reached a high level of development before authentic records were kept. LITERARY PERIODS A. Vedic Period (1500 B. C. - 500 B. C.)

• a collection of hymns that served as the foundation of Aryan culture , gave this time period its name.
• Hindus regard devides , which were passed down orally by priests , as the most sacred of all literature because they think the gods themselves directly revealed these to humans. ● Poetry - The four Vedas are the earliest pieces of considered sacred literature in India. -The term "veda" refers to the sacred spiritual knowledge and is the epitome of knowledge , but unlike the Koran or even the Bible, which are collections of a set number of books organized chronologically, the Vedas are not a single literary work. It is a large body of literature that developed over many centuries and was passed down orally from one generation to the next. 1. The Rig Veda
• The oldest work consists of 10 books (also referred to as mandalas), 1,028 hymns, and 10,600 verses.
• These verses address fundamental questions about existence as well as proper religious observance and practice, based on the sages' initial understanding of universal vibrations.

2. Sama Veda or Book of Chants - It is a collection of liturgical songs, chants, and texts meant to be sung.

• It means "Melody Knowledge" or "Song Knowledge."
• Some scholars have noted, the content of the Sama Veda is almost entirely derived from the Rig Veda.
• There are 1,549 verses total, which are split into two categories: the gana (melodies) and the arcika (verses). It is believed that the melodies inspire dancing, which when coupled with the lyrics, elevates the soul. 3. Yajur Veda or Prayer Book - "Worship Knowledge" or "Ritual Knowledge" refers to recitations, formulas used in ritual worship, mantras, and chants that are used during worship services.
• Its content, like that of the Sama Veda, is derived from the Rig Veda, but the 1,875 verses' primary subject is the liturgy of religious observances. -It is typically thought of as having two "sections" that are actually characteristics of the whole rather than separate parts. 4. Atharva Veda or Book of Spells
• Although the Yajur Veda, also known as the Prayer Book , dates back to around 1200 B.C., it diers from the Rig Veda in that it includes many additional original prose formulas. It has incantations that priests recite while making sacrifices. ● Prose A. Epic and Buddhist Age (500 B. C. - A. D.)
• the time when the two great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata , were written.
• Later Vedic literature, fresh Sanskrit literature, and Pali-language Buddhist literature all flourished during this period.
• The Dhammapada was probably written at the same time. Ashoka, the ruler of the Maurya empire (322–230 BC), encouraged Buddhism and spread the gospel of virtue, nonviolence, and "righteousness" despite this. was renowned for his brutal rule and war.

• The following major political force was the Gupta dynasty (320–476 BC). Hinduism was in full bloom at this time and was visible in culture and the arts. ● Mahabharata
  • The legends and didactic material that make up the Mahabharata, traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa, tell the story of the struggle for dominance between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas.
  • The poem, which is set in the year 3102 BC, contains almost 188,000 couplets broken up into 18 parvans or sections. It is an explanation of Dharma (codes of conduct), covering matters such as how a king, warrior, person surviving a disaster, and someone attempting to escape rebirth should behave. Basu, A. (2023). Mahabharata. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Mahabharata/ ● The Bhagavad Gita (The Blessed Lord's Song)
• Of all the Hindu scriptures, The Bhagavad Gita (The Blessed Lord's Song) is one of the most regarded and exquisite.
• It is considered by Hindus in a manner similar to how Christians view the gospels.
• It is written in the form of a conversation between the warrior Prince Arjuna and his friend and charitable figure, Krishna, who is also an earthly manifestation of the God Vishnu , and is a part of book four.

● The Ramayana

• The poet Valmiki wrote the Sanskrit epic The Ramayana , which is made up of about 24,000 couplets and is divided into seven books , probably not earlier than 300 BC.
• It reflects Hindu social structures and values , the karma theory, the ideals of wifehood, and attitudes toward caste, honor, and promises.
• The poem tells the story of Rama's royal birth, his education under the sage Visvaitra , and his ability to successfully bend Siva's mighty bow in order to win Sita , the princess of King Janaka , for his wife. Rama flees to the forest with his wife and his half-brother, Laksamana , after an intrigue forces him out of his position as heir. There, Sita, the demon king of Lanka, is abducted by Ravana despite her steadfast refusal of his advances. B. Classical Period (A. D.- 1000 A. D.)
• Sanskrit, as opposed to the Dravidian languages of southern India, was the primary literary language of northern India during this time.
• The word "perfect speech" in Sanskrit, which has a sacred status, refers to the language used by the gods and goddesses. Sanskrit was therefore regarded as the sole language fit for the highest literary works.
• Drama and poetry reached their heights at this time. Religious instructors frequently used popular beast fables like the Panchatantra to illustrate moral lessons. ● The Panchatantra
• Indian beast fables are collected in the Panchatantra, which was first written in Sanskrit.
• The work was known as The Fables of Bidpai in Europe, after the narrator and Indian sage by that name (known as Vidyapati in Sanskrit). It is meant to be a manual of artha (worldly wisdom). The aphorisms tend to praise intelligence and shrewdness more than selfless service.
• The stories are set within one of five frame stories in the original text, which combines Sanskrit prose and verse stanzas.

• This story is credited to a learned Brahaman named Vishnusarman, who used the format of animal fables to instruct the three dimwitted sons of a king, according to the introduction, which serves as an enclosing frame for the entire work. ● Shakuntala
• Shakuntala and King Dushyanta's love is depicted in a Kalidasa Sanskrit drama. For both of them, what starts as physical attraction eventually transforms into spiritual attraction as their love endures and outlasts all challenges.
• The noble and pious King Dushyanta puts his duties ahead of his own desires. Shakuntala, on the other hand, is a young girl who, as a result of her goodness, bravery, and determination, matures admirably. Eventually, after much suering, the two are reunited. Every scene in Sanskrit drama is dominated by emotion, or rasa.
• These feelings range from love to anger, bravery to cowardice, joy to terror, and they enable the audience to engage with the play and feel as though they are part of the characters. ● The Little Clay Cart ( Mrcchakatika)
• The author of this literature is a king named Shudraka. A wealthy courtesan in love with a poor young man, a Brahman merchant who lost money due to generosity, and characters in both comedic and tragic or nearly tragic emotional situations are all featured in this play. C. Medieval and Modern Age (A.D.- present)
• During this time, Persian literature was heavily influenced. The court language of the Muslim sultans was Persian. From the 18th century until its independence in 1947, it was ruled by the British Crown. The British had a significant influence, and most Indians today receive their education in English. A lot of people have been exposed to western education at the expense of learning about their own culture.

The book Gitanjali : Song Oerings was first released in India in 1910 and then translated in 1912. Rabindranath Tagore uses images from nature to convey the themes of love and the internal conflict between spiritual longings and earthly desires in these prose translations. ● The Taj Mahal

• The mausoleum in northern India built by the mogul emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz-I- Mahal is the subject of a poem by Sahir Ludhianvi.
• This ranjo building has a white marble facade and is encircled by walkways, gate lakes, and water gardens. A square block with towers at each corner is where the Center of the Dome is located. The building's construction, which employed about 20,000 people, took 20 years to complete. ● On Learning to be an Indian
• Snatha Rama Sau's essay demonstrates the stark eects of colonization on people's lives , especially the younger generation. The author humorously balances the dierences between her British upbringing and her grandmother's traditional Indian values. RELIGIONS ● Hinduism
• Hinduism is a significant world religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent and consists of many dierent philosophical, religious, and ritual systems. Although British writers only coined the term "Hinduism" in the early 19th century, it refers to a rich tradition of texts and practices, some of which date back to the second millennium BCE or even earlier.
• When Hindus refer to their religion as sanatana dharma , they illustrate both its continuous, seemingly eternal existence (sanatana) and the fact that it indicates a web of obligations, traditions, and ideals that far exceeds the Western tendency to think of religion as primarily a system of beliefs. Hindus who speak English frequently disassociate themselves from that

mindset by stating that Hinduism is a way of life rather than a religion.

• In his capacity as a householder, Kama refers to one of the proper pursuits of men, namely, pleasure and love. The sage Vatsyayana is credited with writing the classic work on erotica and other forms of pleasure and love known as the Kama Sutra. ● Buddhism
• In the sixth century B.C., India was the birthplace of Buddhism. This faith is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, also known as "The Enlightened One" or "Buddha." Buddha's teachings place a strong emphasis on developing one's own awareness and abilities in order to reach Nirvana or enlightenment.
• Buddhist doctrine holds that humans are caught up in a never-ending cycle of birth, death, and suering known as the "wheel of life." This cycle is a result of karma , whereby a person's present experiences and circumstances are a direct result of their past thoughts and deeds, and their present thoughts and deeds also influence their future circumstances. The Dhamapada (Way of Truth)- It is a collection of fundamental Buddhist teaching written in a straightforward aphoristic manner. It is one of the most well-known works in the Pali Buddhist Canon and is divided into 26 chapters with a total of 423 stanzas. These verses are contrasted with Saint Paul's letters in the Bible or with the Sermon on the Mount. MAJOR WRITERS ❖ Kalidasa
• The celebrated works of the fifth-century Indian dramatist and poet Klidsa, widely regarded as the greatest author in the Sanskrit tradition, established the benchmark for traditional Indian poetry and drama. ❖ Rabindranath Tagore (1861- 1941)
• Bengali poet, short story writer, song composer, playwright, essayist, and painter who liberated Bengali literature from

archaic models based on classical Sanskrit by introducing new prose and verse forms and the use of colloquial language. ❖ Prem Chand (1880- 1936)

• Premchand, also spelled Prem Chand, was an Indian author of novels and short stories in Hindi and Urdu who was a pioneer in fusing Indian themes with Western literary styles. Premchand was Dhanpat Rai Srivastava's pen name. He was born in Lamati, close to Varanasi, India, on July 31, 1880, and died in Varanasi on October 8, 1936. ❖ Kamala Markandaya (1924)
• Kamala Markandaya wrote ten novels during her lifetime, all of which dealt with post-colonial issues in contemporary India. She is best known for her third and first published book, Nectar in a Sieve, which is also her most well-known work. ❖ R. K. Narayan (1906)
• Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan, also known as R.K. Narayan, was one of the best Indian authors of his generation who wrote in English. He was born on October 10, 1906, in Madras [Chennai], India, and died on May 13, 2001. ❖ Anita Desai (1937)
• Anita Desai, also known by her given name Anita Mazumdar, was an English-language Indian novelist and children's book author who specialized in capturing mood and character through a variety of visual images, from the meteorological to the botanical. ❖ Vir Singh (1872- 1957)
• Bhai Vir Singh, a Sikh writer and theologian who was born in Punjab, India, in 1872 and died there in 1957, is primarily to blame for elevating the Punjabi language to a literary level it had never before attained. ❖ Arundhati Roy
• Arundhati Roy, one of the most well-known members of the current generation of Indian writers who write in English, was born in Shillong, Meghalaya, in 1959. The god of small things,

Roy's debut book, received unprecedented attention from critics, commentators, and the media in 1997. Summary: The oldest and most diverse literature in the world is undoubtedly that of India. Oral transmission of knowledge is also present in the earliest pieces of Indian literature. The vastly diverse nation of India welcomes visitors from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Hindu literature includes epic poems like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, as well as philosophically abstract works like the Upanishads and the Brahmanas. It also includes popular tales called Puranas that promote particular deities. References: Buddhism. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/buddhism/ Gold, A. G., Narayanan, V., Van Buitenen, J., Doniger, W., Smith, B. K., Basham, A. L., & Dimock, E. C. (2023, July 3). Hinduism | Origin, History, Beliefs, Gods, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism Mark, J. J. (2023). The Vedas. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Vedas/