RAJKIYA ENGINEERING COLLEGE MAINPURI

PRE-VEDIC AND VEDIC RELIGION, BUDDHISM, JAINISM, SIX

SYSTEMS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY, SHANKARACHARYA, VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL DOCTRINES,
HETERODOX SECTS, BHAKTI MOVEMENT, SUFI MOVEMENT, SOCIO-RELIGIOUS REFORM
MOVEMENTS OF
THE 19TH CENTURY, AND MODERN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
 Introduction

• - PRE-VEDIC AND VEDIC RELIGION

• - BUDDHISM AND JAINISM
• - SIX SYSTEMS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
• - SHANKARACHARYA AND ADVAITA VEDANTA
• - HETERODOX SECTS AND PHILOSOPHICAL DOCTRINES
• - BHAKTI AND SUFI MOVEMENTS
• - SOCIO-RELIGIOUS REFORM MOVEMENTS OF THE 19TH CENTURY
• - MODERN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
 Pre-Vedic Religion

• KEY FEATURES
• NATURE WORSHIP: WORSHIP OF NATURAL ELEMENTS LIKE WATER, FIRE, AND EARTH.
• DEITIES: PROTO-SHIVA (PASHUPATI) AND MOTHER GODDESS FIGURINES.
• RITUALS: EVIDENCE OF FIRE ALTARS AND RITUALISTIC PRACTICES.
• ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE: SEALS, FIGURINES, AND STRUCTURES INDICATING RELIGIOUS
• PRACTICES.
• ABSENCE OF WRITTEN SCRIPTURES: RELIANCE ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS FOR
• UNDERSTANDING.
 Vedic Religion

• TIME PERIOD: CIRCA 1500–500 BCE

• - KEY FEATURES:
• - SCRIPTURES: FOUR VEDAS – RIGVEDA, SAMAVEDA, YAJURVEDA, ATHARVAVEDA.
• - DEITIES: INDRA (GOD OF WAR), AGNI (FIRE GOD), VARUNA (GOD OF COSMIC
ORDER), SOMA (RITUAL
• DRINK).
• - RITUALS: YAJNAS (FIRE SACRIFICES), CHANTING OF MANTRAS, AND ELABORATE
CEREMONIES.
• - SOCIAL STRUCTURE: VARNA SYSTEM – BRAHMINS (PRIESTS), KSHATRIYAS
(WARRIORS), VAISHYAS
• (MERCHANTS), SHUDRAS (SERVANTS).
• - PHILOSOPHY: EMPHASIS ON COSMIC ORDER (RTA) AND DHARMA
(DUTY/RIGHTEOUSNESS)
 Buddhism

• - FOUNDER: SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA (BUDDHA) –

• 6TH CENTURY BCE.
• - KEY - FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:
• 1. DUKKHA (SUFFERING IS INHERENT IN LIFE).
• 2. SAMUDAYA (CAUSE OF SUFFERING IS DESIRE).
• 3. NIRODHA (CESSATION OF SUFFERING IS POSSIBLE).
• 4. MAGGA (PATH TO CESSATION IS THE EIGHTFOLD PATH).
• - EIGHTFOLD PATH: RIGHT VIEW, INTENTION, SPEECH, ACTION, LIVELIHOOD, EFFORT, MINDFULNESS,
• CONCENTRATION.
• - GOAL: NIRVANA (LIBERATION FROM THE CYCLE OF REBIRTH).
• - SCHOOLS: THERAVADA (OLDEST SCHOOL), MAHAYANA (GREATER VEHICLE), VAJRAYANA (ESOTERIC
• BUDDHISM)
 Jainism

• FOUNDER: MAHAVIRA (6TH CENTURY BCE).

• - KEY TEACHINGS:
• - FIVE VOWS:
• 1. AHIMSA (NON-VIOLENCE).
• 2. SATYA (TRUTH).
• 3. ASTEYA (NON-STEALING).
• 4. BRAHMACHARYA (CHASTITY).
• 5. APARIGRAHA (NON-POSSESSIVENESS).
• - CONCEPT OF SOUL: ETERNAL AND BOUND BY KARMA.
• - GOAL: MOKSHA (LIBERATION THROUGH ASCETICISM AND ETHICAL LIVING).
• - SECTS: DIGAMBARA (SKY-CLAD) AND SVETAMBARA (WHITE-CLAD).
 SIX SYSTEMS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY

• NYAYA: LOGIC AND EPISTEMOLOGY; FOUNDED BY GAUTAMA.

• 2. VAISHESHIKA: ATOMISM AND METAPHYSICS; FOUNDED BY KANADA.
• 3. SAMKHYA: DUALISM OF PURUSHA (CONSCIOUSNESS) AND PRAKRITI (MATTER);
FOUNDED BY
• KAPILA.
• 4. YOGA: PRACTICAL PATH TO SPIRITUAL REALIZATION; PATANJALI’S YOGA SUTRAS.
• 5. MIMAMSA: INTERPRETATION OF VEDIC RITUALS; FOUNDED BY JAIMINI.
• 6. VEDANTA: PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY INTO THE UPANISHADS; KEY TEXTS INCLUDE
BRAHMA
• SUTRAS, BHAGAVAD GITA, AND UPANISHADS
 SHANKARACHARYA AND ADVAITA VEDANTA

• TIME PERIOD: 8TH CENTURY CE.

• - KEY TEACHINGS:
• - ADVAITA (NON-DUALITY): BRAHMAN (ULTIMATE REALITY) IS THE ONLY TRUTH; THE
WORLD IS AN
• ILLUSION (MAYA).
• - ATMAN AND BRAHMAN: THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL (ATMAN) IS IDENTICAL TO
BRAHMAN.
• - PATH TO LIBERATION: JNANA YOGA (PATH OF KNOWLEDGE).
• - LEGACY: REVIVED HINDUISM, ESTABLISHED MONASTIC ORDERS (MATHAS), AND
WROTE
• COMMENTARIES ON UPANISHADS, BHAGAVAD GITA, AND BRAHMA SUTRAS
 HETERODOX SECTS AND PHILOSOPHICAL
DOCTRINES

• CHARVAKA (MATERIALISM):
• - REJECTION OF SUPERNATURALISM; EMPHASIS ON SENSORY EXPERIENCE.
• - KEY TEXT: BARHASPATYA SUTRAS.
• - AJIV - FATALISM; BELIEF IN PREDETERMINED DESTINY.
• - FOUNDED BY MAKKHALI GOSALA.
• - OTHER SECTS:
• - TANTRISM: ESOTERIC PRACTICES AND RITUALS.
• - NATH PANTH: FOCUS ON HATHA YOGA AND ASCETICISM
 BHAKTI MOVEMENT

• TIME PERIOD: 7TH–17TH CENTURIES CE.

• - KEY FEATURES:
• - DEVOTION TO A PERSONAL GOD (E.G., VISHNU, SHIVA, SHAKTI).
• - REJECTION OF CASTE DISTINCTIONS AND RITUALISM.
• - PROMINENT SAINTS:
• - KABIR: SYNCRETIC TEACHINGS BLENDING HINDU AND MUSLIM IDEAS.
• - MIRABAI: DEVOTION TO KRISHNA.
• - TULSIDAS: AUTHOR OF RAMCHARITMANAS.
• - CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU: DEVOTION TO KRISHNA AND FOUNDER OF GAUDIYA
VAISHNAVISM.
• - IMPACT: BRIDGED HINDU-MUSLIM DIVIDES AND DEMOCRATIZED SPIRITUALITY.
 SUFI MOVEMENT

• TIME PERIOD: 8TH–18TH CENTURIES CE.

• - KEY FEATURES:
• - MYSTICAL ISLAMIC TRADITION EMPHASIZING LOVE AND DEVOTION TO GOD.
• - PRACTICES: DHIKR (REMEMBRANCE OF GOD), SAMA (SPIRITUAL MUSIC).
• - PROM - RUMI: PERSIAN POET AND MYSTIC.
• - MOINUDDIN CHISHTI: FOUNDER OF CHISHTI ORDER IN INDIA.
• - NIZAMUDDIN AULIYA: PROMINENT SUFI SAINT IN DELHI.
• - IMPACT: PROMOTED SYNCRETISM AND CULTURAL HARMONY IN INDIA.

• -
 SOCIO-RELIGIOUS REFORM MOVEMENTS OF THE
19TH CENTURY

• BRAHMO SAMAJ (RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY): MONOTHEISM AND SOCIAL REFORM; OPPOSED SATI
• AND CASTE SYSTEM.
• - ARYA SAMAJ (SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATI): REVIVAL OF VEDIC TRADITIONS; EMPHASIS ON
• EDUCATION AND SOCIAL REFORM.
• - RAMAKRISHNA MISSION (SWAMI VIVEKANANDA): SPIRITUAL UNIVERSALISM AND SERVICE;
• REPRESENTED HINDUISM AT THE PARLIAMENT OF WORLD RELIGIONS (1893).
• - PRARTHANA SAMAJ: SOCIAL REFORM AND EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION.
• - THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY: PROMOTED ANCIENT WISDOM AND UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD.
• - IMPACT: COMBATED SOCIAL EVILS (E.G., SATI, CASTE DISCRIMINATION) AND PROMOTED
• EDUCATION AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS
 MODERN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

• GLOBALIZATION OF YOGA AND MEDITATION: SPREAD OF INDIAN SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

WORLDWIDE.
• - REVIVAL OF TEMPLES AND PILGRIMAGES: GROWTH OF RELIGIOUS TOURISM.
• - INTERFAITH DIALOGUE: EMPHASIS ON HARMONY AND COEXISTENCE.
• - NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS: RISE OF GURUS AND SPIRITUAL ORGANIZATIONS
(E.G., ISKCON,
• ART O - DIGITAL SPIRITUALITY: ONLINE RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS AND VIRTUAL WORSHIP
 CONCLUSION

• INDIAN RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT HAS EVOLVED OVER MILLENNIA,

EMBRACING
• DIVERSITY AND SYNCRETISM.
• - FROM ANCIENT RITUALS TO MODERN PRACTICES, SPIRITUALITY REMAINS A
CORNERSTONE OF INDIAN
• CULTURE.
• - REFLECTION:
• - HOW CAN THE LESSONS FROM THESE TRADITIONS INFORM CONTEMPORARY
GLOBAL CHALLENGES?
THANK YOU