RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF LATER VEDIC AGE

                         RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

 I like social and economic life, political organization significant changes took place in the religious belief of the people during this age. The later three Vedas such as Yajur, Sam and Atharva Vedas being compiled during the period brought about new rituals and ideologies in the religious belief of the people. The simplicity of early vedic religion was replaced by a l complicated religious system with the following characteristics.

Emergence of New Divinities

 The Rig Vedic Gods like Varuna, Indra, Agni and Surya were worshipped with lesser zeal. New gods like Shiva, Vishnu and Vasudeva Krishna came into prominence. Further. Brahma, Vishmu, Maheswar were accepted as Creator. Sustainer and destroyer of the universe respectively. Snake-worship and the concept of Devasura (God-Demon) battle, Gandharva, Apsara etc. received more attention.

 Mode of Worship

 Another change that took place during this period was the mode of worship concerning the old vedic religion. Animal sacrifice now became an important part of religion. Indeed, Gods played secondary role to such sacrifices. Superstitions, belief in spirits, charms, imps and witchcraft found a place in vedic religion. Ceremonial aspects of religion became more elaborate, complicated, expensive and fashionable. A separate class of priests emerged to supervise and conduct such rituals and sacrifices.

Predominance of the Brahmins 

Later Vedic Age was marked by brahmanical predominance. Making the religion al system of 

complicated rites and rituals they made their gradual ascendancy. Four groups now emerged among Brahmins.

 .Hotri who will initiate the process of worship

. Udgatri who will utter the mantras

. Acharya who will carry out the ceremony

. Brahnana who will guide the process.

The common men obeyed the Brahmins out of compulsion. N.N. Ghosh has aptly remarked:

 Everybody from prince to peasant was afraid of offending a Brahmana whose wrath was capable of burning the offender to ashes.

 In a similar manner remarks R.S. Tripathy;

The older hymns were now becoming obscure and unintelligible and the appreciation of the striking phenomenon of nature, no longer inspired the poet-priest to spiritual flights. Thus, religion assumed a stero-typed form and the Brahmanas rose into such complete ascendancy that they came to be regarded as veritable gods on earth.'

 Emphasis on Higher Values

Nevertheless, a high sense of duty and morality influenced the later vedic religious thought, People began to believe that life was a duty and responsibility. Man was believed to be born with certain debts that should be properly repaid by performing certain duties. He had a debt to repay to gods, rishis and ancestors, members of his family and above all himself. Truthfulness, dutifulness, respect for parents, love for fellow beings, abstinence from vices were considered to be essential for a pure life.

 New Religious Philosophy 

Another current of the later vedic religious thought was the ascetic ideal of life. Tapa or austerity and brahmacharya or celibacy were emphasised. For the purification of soul one had to practice self-mortification. And ascetic was a person who had renounced wordly life and retired to the solitude of the forest to meditate upon spirituality. This belief became more prominent in this period which in due course was converted to present Hinduism. No one can understand the sprit of Vedic Age unless he keeps in view the above trends in social and economic life, political organization and religious beliefs- the life of the land. The last sukta of the Rig Veda breathes this feeling unequivocally in the following manner:

 Assemble together speak in one voice, let you minds be all one accord. Let all priests deliberate in a common way, common be their assembly, common be their mind, so be their thoughts united. United be the thoughts of all that all may live happily, that ye may all happily reside'

POSITION OF WOMEN

 Several changes crept into the position of women in their social status as well as dignity. They gradually got themselves confined to the four walls of the household loosing previous predominance in political, spiritual and cultural spheres. The birth of a girl child proved to be unwanted while the birth of a son was greeted with joy. Polygamy became a part of social order. Further, social vices like child marriage and dowry system made the women folk the most neglected segment in the society. Being deprived of Gurukula education they learnt only music, dance and rudimentary education at home. Historian A.S. Altekar analyses the change in the following manner: "There arose a tendency to curtail the religious rites and privileges of the average woman. Many functions in the sacrifice which formerly could be performed by the wife alone, now can be assigned to male substitutes.