In Search of the Cradle of Civilization: New Light on Ancient IndiaThe book shows that the ancient Indians were no primitives but possessed a high spiritual culture, which not only influenced the evolution of the Western world in decisive ways but which still has much to teach us today. India`s archaic spirituality is codified in the rich symbols, metaphors, and myths of the magnificent Rig-Veda, which is shown to be much older than has been widely assumed by scholars. The present book also unravels the astonishing mathematical and astronomical code hidden in the Vedic hymns. Anyone interested in ancient cultural history, India, archaeo-astronomy, or spirituality will find this well-researched and cross-cultural work spellbinding and enriching. |
Contents
| 3 | |
| 13 | |
| 45 | |
| 61 | |
The Great Catastrophe and the Reconstruction of the Early Indic Civilization | 77 |
The Vedic Peoples in the Land of the Seven Rivers The Literary Perspective | 101 |
Deciphering the IndusSarasvati Script | 127 |
The Dawn of the Indic Civilization The Neolithic Town of Mehrgarh | 143 |
The Spiritual Heritage of Ancient India | 165 |
The Birth of Science in Ritual | 195 |
Vedic Myths and Their Astronomical Basis | 229 |
India and the West | 249 |
The Vedas and Perennial Wisdom | 269 |
Notes | 287 |
Select Bibliography | 305 |
Index | 313 |
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In Search of the Cradle of Civilization: New Light on Ancient India Subhash Kak,David Frawley Limited preview - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
Agni ancient India archaeological archaeologists artifacts Aryan invasion theory astronomical Atharva-Veda Brahmanas Brahmi called century Chapter cities constellations cosmic culture Dilmun divine Dravidian earlier early Indic civilization Earth East Egypt Egyptian equinoxes Europe evidence fact fire altar Goddess Gods Greek Harappan Hindu Hinduism historian human hymnodies ideas Indo-European Indra Indus Indus River Indus-Sarasvati civilization knowledge language later linguistic mantra Maya meaning meditation Mehrgarh millennium B.C. mind modern Mohenjo-Daro Müller myth Neolithic original period philosophy planets priests Proto-Indo-European Puranas reality refer religion religious Rig-Veda sacred sacrifice sages Sama-Veda Sanskrit Sarasvati River scholarly scholars scientific script scriptures seals seers Shiva soma spiritual Sri Aurobindo stars Sumerians symbolic temple texts thought thousand tion towns tradition truth University Upanishads urban Vedas Vedic Aryans Vedic deities Vedic fire altar Vedic hymns Vedic literature Vedic ritual West Western wisdom word Yajur-Veda Yoga yogic York
Popular passages
Page 226 - We speak of the evolution of Life in Matter, the evolution of Mind in Matter; but evolution is a word which merely states the phenomenon without explaining it. For there seems to be no reason why Life should evolve out
Page 49 - He wrote: The Aryan nations, who pursued a northwesterly direction, stand before us in history as the principal nations of northwestern Asia and Europe. They have been the prominent actors in the great drama of history, and have carried to
Page 13 - To know the Hindus, to understand their past and present condition, to reach their very heart and soul, we must study Sanskrit literature. It is, in truth, even more to India than classical and patristic literature was to Europe at the time of the Reformation. It gives a deeper impress to the Hindu mind.
Page 49 - their literature and works of art the elements of science, the laws of art, and the principles of philosophy. In continual struggle with each other and with Semitic and Turanian races, these Aryan nations have become the rulers of history, and it seems to be their mission to link all parts of the world together by the chains of civilisation, commerce and religion. 2
Page 249 - WE OF THE OCCIDENT ARE ABOUT TO ARRIVE AT A crossroads that was reached by the thinkers of India some seven hundred years before Christ. This is the real reason why we become both vexed and stimulated, uneasy yet interested, when confronted with the concepts and images of Oriental wisdom.
Page 26 - The ritual system recognised by Sayana may, in its externalities, stand; the naturalistic sense discovered by European scholarship may, in its general conceptions, be accepted; but behind them there is always the true and still hidden secret of the Veda,—the secret words... which were spoken for the purified in soul and the awakened in knowledge.
Page 250 - also treasures of wisdom. The way by which these treasures have passed to the West has at all times been a matter of world-historical importance bound up with the fate of nations.
Page 32 - each sacrifice and in what order they were sung. Therefore, that the young priest might master all the tunes thoroughly and have any one at command at any moment, each was connected with a single stanza of the right metre, and the teacher made his pupils sing it over and over again, until tune and stanza