The Vedic Origins of Karma: Cosmos as Man in Ancient Indian Myth and RitualIn this book, the author seeks access to Karma's origins by following several clues suggested by the doctrine's earliest formulation in the Upanistexts (circa 600-500 B.C.) These clues lead back to the mythical and ritual structures firmly established in the Brahmana texts, texts concerned with the rituals that chronologically and conceptually precede the UpanisThe rise of the karma doctrine is tied to the increasing dominance in late Vedic thought of the cosmic man (Purusa/Prajapati) mythology and its ritual analogue the "building of the fire altar" (agnicayana). |
Contents
Chapter | 3 |
The Problem of Karma and | 12 |
The Image of | 44 |
77 | 59 |
The Fire Altar Agnicayana | 70 |
The Problem of Sacrifice and the Agnicayana | 77 |
Man and Cosmos | 95 |
Chapter 4 | 103 |
Abbreviations of Vedic Texts | 123 |
Index | 132 |
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The Vedic Origins of Karma: Cosmos as Man in Ancient Indian Myth and Ritual Herman W. Tull No preview available - 1989 |
Common terms and phrases
action afterlife Agni Agnicayana Agnicayana ritual animal sacrifice appears aspect ātman atmosphere attain bad by bad becomes birth body Brahmā brahman Brahmaņas Brāhmaṇic ritual Brāhmaṇic thought Bṛhadāraṇyaka context cosmic image cosmogony cosmos creation myth dakṣiņā death deceased Deussen devayāna earliest earth Eggeling established ethical event existence fathers fire altar fire pan funeral rite gods Gonda heavens Heesterman Hindu identified Indologists Keith leads the sacrificer loka Max Müller moon moral Müller nature notion O'Flaherty origin otherworld pitṛyāna Prajapati priests primordial Purușa Purusa's Puruṣasūkta realm refers reflects relationship Religion and Philosophy represents Ṛgveda Ṛgvedic rificer Rig Veda ritual activity ritual performance ritual specialists sacri sacrificer's sacrificial format Sanskrit Satapatha Brāhmaṇa scholars seems spheres śrauta symbolism textual tion tradition Upanisadic karma doctrine Upanisadic thought Veda Vedic Literature Vedic Mythology Vedic religion Vedic ritual Vedic texts Vedic thought vital airs W. D. Whitney Yājñavalkya