Schools of Thought around the Rig Veda

The Rig Veda, an ancient collection of hymns, is at the heart of the Seven Rivers Civilization, a thriving Bronze Age civilization located in and around the Indus Valley and the Sarasvatî Valley. This sacred text, transmitted orally, served as a spiritual and cultural guide for this society. Several schools of thought have emerged to interpret these hymns, each providing different perspectives on their meaning and usage.

1. The School of Rituals

This school considers the Rig Veda as a manual for religious rites and ceremonies. According to them, each hymn has a specific function in rituals, whether sacrifices, prayers for prosperity, or purification rituals. They see the Rig Veda as a key to understanding the religious and social practices of the Seven Rivers civilization, particularly before its urbanization.

2. The Cosmological School

Here, the Rig Veda is interpreted as a cosmological text, describing the origin of the universe, the gods, and humanity. This school focuses on the mythological aspects of the hymns, using them to explain the worldview of the Seven Rivers civilization. They insist that the early mandalas of the Rig Veda reflect a time when society was still strongly connected to nature and cosmic forces, before the emergence of cities.

3. The Historical School

The Historical School analyzes the Rig Veda to extract information on the history of the civilization of the Seven Rivers. Hymns, according to this school, are stories of early times, when society was in full formation. The tenth mandala, for example, is seen as a text from the mature urban period, showing social, economic, and religious changes.

4. The Linguistic School

This school focuses on the study of Vedic Sanskrit, the language of the Rig Veda. Linguists from this school seek to understand how language has evolved with society. They see the hymns as a record of linguistic transformations, showing how Sanskrit played a crucial role in the cultural unification of the Seven Rivers civilization.

Conclusion

The Rig Veda is a difficult text, at the heart of the civilization of the Seven Rivers. Each of these schools of thought highlights a different aspect of this work, whether rituals, cosmology, history, or linguistics. The hymns of the Rig Veda, although ancient, continue to spark interest and reflection, providing a unique insight into a civilization that has left its mark on human history.