INDIAN

RELIGIONS
By
Mr. AnilDev Kantepudi

PREFACE

Hindus do not call Hinduism as a religion. They prefer to use Dharma

instead. Dharma cannotes a way of life.

The study of Vedas is Dharma for Brahmins , even listening to them is

Adharma

for

Sudras.

Therefore

Hinduism

is

based

on

Kuladharma(Based on Caste rules).

For Hindus Kuladharma is more important than religious belief.

Infact they freely assimilate religious beliefs and practices of other

faiths.

The earliest migrants to India settled on the banks of river Sindhu

(Indus).

The Persians who ruled small provinces of North-west India have

corrupted the word Sindhu to Hindu.

PREFACE

Continued..

Hinduism shelters under its umbrella various concepts of Deity like

monotheism, polytheism, henotheism, pantheism and even atheism
.

It allows hero worship, worship of nature, worship of God and even

worship of Demons.

It encourages sublime intellectual pursuits as well as superstitious

beliefs.

As Dr. S. Radhakrishnan puts it, The Hindu tradition by its very

breadth seems to be capable of accommodating varied religious
conceptions.

PREFACE

Continued..

The primary goal of Hinduism is not to encourage otherworldliness.

As Nirad C. Choudari says, Salvation is never the object of religious

observance and worship of the Hindus.

They made the possibility of leaving it for good even after many
cycles of birth as remote and difficult as possible.

Hinduism went on changing

with times assimilation various

doctrines and ritual of various religions such as Zoroastrianism,

Greek religion, Christianity and Islam since its eclectic character
provided enough elasticity to absorb any new thing.

PREFACE

Continued..

The popular Hinduism as it is practiced today hardly goes back to

800 years and the intellectual Hinduism to 1200 years.

In this seen Christianity and Islam are older than Hinduism.

But, Hinduism claims the ancestry to the Vedas just like Christianity
claims its ancestry to the Old Testament.

Besides Brahministic Hinduism, there are reactions and revolts

against it, such as, the Upanishadic movement, the Bhakti
movement, modern religious movements, Buddhism, Jainism and
Sikhism which challenged the very basis of Hinduism.

PREFACE

Continued..

Christianity, Islam, Jainism and Zoroastrianism are not recognized as

Indian religions as they originated outside the Indian subcontinent.

We cannot regard Vedic religion also as Indian as it originated in

Central and West Asia.

These religions had profound impact on Hindu religion, art, literature

and Sciences and thoroughly challenged Hindu culture and mindset.

India has always been a pluralistic and secular society.

THE INDUS RELIGION

THE INDUS RELIGION

The oldest civilization in India dates back to 3500

B.C.

It was on the banks of the river Indus and is called

as Indus Valley civilization or Harappan civilization.

It was contemporary Mesopotamian civilization and

was completely wiped out by a devastating flood in
around 2700 B.C.

The second phase of the Harappan civilization

One of Harappan
existedSeals
from 2600 B.C. to 1500

B.C. Indus practiced fertility rites and worshipped Mother Goddess, Pipal
tree and Snakes.

In some parts, Worship of male and female reproductive organs (Linga and
Yoni) was prevalent.

Bull worship too was popular.

THE INDUS RELIGION

Continued..

The Indus people traded with Sumerians. Indus seals dating back
to 2300 B.C. have been found in Sumer.

Some archaeologists believe that The land of Melukka, reached by

sea from Sumer, and referred to in Sumerian documents, was
Indus Valley.

Among the finds of Indus Valley is a bronze figure of a nude

dancing girl which suggests that the practice of temple prostitution
(which is still practiced in some parts of India) was prevalent.

THE INDUS RELIGION

Continued..

The largest of the seals depicts a nude God

with horns, seated in a Yogic posture and
surrounded

by

an

elephant,

tiger, a

rhinoceros, a buffalo and two deer.

The head of this God has two protuberances on either side which
suggests the second and third faces of the deity. Sir John Marshall
called it Proto-Siva since God Siva is described as Thrimukha
(Three faced God) and Pasupathi (The Lord of Beasts).

Another seal of a hero fighting with tigers, bears a striking

similarity with Mesopotamian seal of a hero fighting with two lions.

THE INDUS RELIGION

Continued..

Many nude statues of men without heir have been unearthed in

Indus civilization. Jains Considered hair as symbol of evil. Thats
why they pluck off hair with roots at time of initiation.

These statues suggest Jainism might have had its beginning in

Indus civilization.

There is a reference to Risaba, the first Theerthanakara of Jainism,

in Rigveda , suggesting that Jainism was already in existence.

THE INDUS RELIGION

Continued..

The people of the Indus civilization belonged to Mediterranean,

Proto-Austroid and Mongoloid types.

Some

fundamentalist

Hindu

historians

argue

that

the

Indus

civilization was Aryan. They have even renamed that civilization as

Sarasvati civilization.

But the archaeological and anthropological evidences suggest that

first phase (3500 B.C. - 2700 B.C.) was non-Aryan. Besides this,
Vedic literature is replete with horses where as horses are totally
absent in Indus Valley.

THE EARLY VEDIC RELIGION

The original home of Aryans is still
debated. According to the Vedas, they
were written when the Aryan were living
on the banks of the river Sarasvati.

Samgamam
Map
The location of the river Sarasvati is still Triveni
unknown.
Some point
to
View

Triveni Sangamam (the confluence of three rivers) in Allahabad. But

there are only two rivers, The Ganga and the Yamuna, at Triveni.

The Hindu poojaris say the third river, Sarasvati was invisible.
However, the Vedas speak of a literal river on whose banks the
Aryans were living.

THE EARLY VEDIC RELIGION

Continued..

Basing on the astronomical data given in the Rig-Veda Balagangadhar

Tilak concluded that the original home of the Aryans was the North
Pole.

We have evidence in archaeology that around 1800 B.C. a small group

of Hittie-Aryans migrated to India with their Vedic faith. They were
henotheists.

In the Boghazkoy tablets written in proto-sanskrit language but

Semitic(Akkadian) script several names of Vedic Gods are referred.

Boghazkoy is in Turkey. The attributes of one of their Gods, Varuna,

bears a striking resemblance to Yahweh of the Bible.

THE EARLY VEDIC RELIGION

Continued..

A.

L.

Basham

says that It has been

suggested that Varuna owes much of his

character to Semitic influence.

We read in the Bible that Abraham married

Ketura after the death of sarah. Abraham
was a Semitic and Ketura was a Hittie
Aryan.

Of the six children Ketura bore to Abraham,

four Settled in West Asia and integrated into
Arabian tribes.

The last two sons migrated eastward to the

east country- India. The fifth sons name
was ishbak.

There was a tribe in India called ikshvaku

which played an important role in ancient
Indian history.

Abraham with Family

THE EARLY VEDIC RELIGION

Continued..

Hebrew Religion

Vedic Religion

Brahma is the Creator of the Universe.

God(Elohim) is the Creator of the Universe.

Sabda Brahma(OUM), The voice of God, is the

The word god is first cause of creation.

The Lamb(Jesus Christ) was slain from the

first cause of creation.

Bhrama underwent the suffering of sacrifice at

time of creation.

foundation of the world.

After death the souls of the dead would go to

Yamaloka.

Sheol. There are two sections in Sheol: One, for

Yamaloka : One, for the righteous called the

the righteous called the House of Fathers(also

House

called

Fathers

are

and

two

the

sections

other,

for

the

unrighteous called the House of the Clay.

After death the souls of the dead would go to

in

of

There

The basic ritual was yagna(sacrifice).

Paradise)

and

another one for

unrighteous called Miry Clay.

The basic ritual was sacrifice.

the

THE EARLY VEDIC RELIGION

Continued..

Sacrifice was the summon bonum of the early Vedic Aryans.

Their religious life was interwoven by elaborate rituals.

Soma drink was used both as liberation to the Godsand as a

beverage for the worshipers.

They believed that drinking of soma juice, and chanting of mantras at

the time of sacrifice would awaken in them a sense of the Higher
reality.

At such times they claimed to have experienced a super natural

power called Brahman.

LATER VEDIC RELIGION

Around 1400 B.C. another group of Aryans migrated to India with

their Indo-European Gods.

Their Gods were similar to the Greek Gods who lived on

Mountains(Himalayas/Olumpus) and are moral character.

These Aryans were called Khurus(English : Horites).

According to Tel-el-Amarna, Khurus lived in Palestine when the

spies send by Moses surveyed the land.

Both Pandavas and Kauravas belonged to Khuru Vamsa.

LATER VEDIC RELIGION

Continued..
Gods Agni and
Vayu
Respectively

These Aryans personified heavens as Dyaus (Greek: Zeus, Roman:

Ju-piter).

However, the chief of these later Aryan Gods was Indra whose
weapon was Vajrayudha(Thunder-bolt).

There were several Gods associated with the Sun(Surya, Savitr,

Pusan and Vishnu).

Almost all their Gods were personified aspects of nature. These

were the Gods of the mid-air.

These Gods represent different aspects of human psyche

Fire God, Vayu- Wind God, etc., were mediator Gods.

Agni-

LATER VEDIC RELIGION

Continued..

They believed that Brahma, the supreme creator God was impersonal
and has no form.

He created the Universe with Sabda(Word of God).

Yama (The Aryan Adam) was first to die and became the Lord of
Underworld.

There were many other Gods like Rudra, Tvastr, Aryaman etc., and
demigods like Visvedavas, Rbhus, Gandharvas, Apsaras, etc.

Like the earlier Aryans, Khuru Aryans also worshipped their Gods
through the ritual of sacrifice.

DEVELOPMENT OF CASTE
SYSTEM

With the coming of Khuru Aryans race-wars prevailed for sometime.

The earlier Hittie-Aryans had red complexion(Aruna Varna) whereas
the Khuru Aryans were white people.

The earlier Indians were Proto-Australoids and Mediterranean. They

had black complexion. There were some Mongoloid groups also
with yellow tinge.

These race wars ultimately resulted in stratifying the Indian society

on the basis of Varna (colour) which is called as varna vyavasta
(caste system). Thus Indians were first to introduce apartheid
system.

DEVELOPMENT OF CASTE SYSTEM

Continued..

The Hittie Aryans became the Brahmins who took the responsibility
of preserving Vedic lore, rituals and customs. They were the
priestly class.

The Khuru Aryans formed the Kshtreeya caste who became the
rulers of the land.

Businessman were called Vysyas. Aryan tradesmen, some native

Indians and Panins(a Semitic Group) were accommodated in this
caste.

All artisans were grouped as Sudras. these four castes were eligible
to live in main villages and towns.

DEVELOPMENT OF CASTE
SYSTEM
Continued..

Those who did not find a place in these forward castes were called
Panchamas (outcastes) who were treated as untouchables and had
to live outside villages.

They were also called Dasus (slaves).

This discriminative caste system is supported by the Rig-Veda, the

Bhagavath Geetha and other religious literature.

According to Rig-Veda (X-90) at the time of creation Bhramins

evolved from the mouth of Bhrahma, the Kshatriyas from his
shoulders , The Vysyas from his Thighs and the Sudras from his
feet.

There is no mention of outcaste here who were not even

regarded as human beings.

DEVELOPMENT OF CASTE
SYSTEM
Continued..
Besides caste and belief in Karma (reincarnation) no other doctrine

unites all Hindus together.

Once caste is abolished Hinduism will disintegrated into hundreds of

religions and if caste system is adopted by other religions like
Christianity and Islam, They would perish and become part of
Hinduism.

Ironically Caste system which is an instrument of oppression is

strength of Hinduism.

SCRIPTURES OF THE VEDIC AGE

There are 4 Vedas.

For several years they have been handed down generation to

generation orally and were written down around 1500 B.C.

The term Veda signifies Knowledge.

The Rishis claim that Vedas are direct revelation from heaven (the
word Rishi derived from dris, to see, which implies that the Vedic
Knowledge is seen, not heard).

The Vedic literature is called Sruti (Canonical).

SCRIPTURES OF THE VEDIC AGE

Continued..

The Vedas contain Mantras(liturgical texts if prayer and praise) to

various Gods (or powers of nature) and Bhramas The ritualistic
formulae of sacrifice (Yagna).

The Rig-Veda is the oldest and largest of the four Vedas. It is the
ceremonial text book of the Hotri priests.

It has 10 mandalas and 1028 hymns. Most Madalas begin with

praises to Agni(Fire God).

The Yajur Veda (Veda of sacrifice and Ritual).

It has two sctionjs the Taittiriya and Vajasaneyin, named also
Black(Krishna) and White (Sukla).

The yajurveda is to be used by Adhvaryu priests.

SCRIPTURES OF THE VEDIC AGE

Continued..

The Sama Veda is a compilation of liturgical hymns used by

Udgatri priests in ceremonies connected with scared Soma plant.

The Atharva Veda is a collection of hymns of worship of nature

and popular magic.

Every Brahmin begins his daily prayers with the Gayatri manthra as
recorded in Rig-Veda.

Om burbhvahswah

Tat Savitur varenyam bhargo dvasya dhimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.

SCRIPTURES OF THE VEDIC AGE

Continued..

HYMNS OF CREATION

In the tenth book of Rig-Veda there is a hymn of Creation. The

129th hymn speaks of eternally Existent One whose Desire
caused the creation.

Another hymn speaks of the God (Prajapati) who was slain by the
Gods and the dismembered body of Prajapati became the cosmos.

Yet Prajapathi who survived the slaughter retained his essential

self.

Yet another hymn to the unknown God speaks of the Golden child,
as soon as born, he alone was the Lord of all that is.

He established the earth and this heaven : Who is the God to

Whom we shall offer sacrifice.

SCRIPTURES OF THE VEDIC AGE

Continued..

ETHICS OF VEDAS

Worship of the gods with sacrifice is given utmost importance but

there is hardly any reference to ethical values in human society,
except that they are exhorted to live in harmony one with another

ESCHATOLOGY

The Vedic Rishis tried to unlock the secrets of the past but grossly
neglected the probe into the future.

The legends of Yama speak of the life after death in Yamaloka in

which righteous dead lived in the House of Fathers.

The unrighteous dead were condemned to the House of clay. (The

doctrine of reincarnation is not found in the Vedas).

Reactions against the Vedic

Religion Continued..

The Vedic ritual of Yagna(sacrifice) included the offerings of

ghee(melted butter), curds, rice cakes besides animals.

The usual sacrificial animals were buffaloes, cows, rams, goats and
horses. Aswamedha ( sacrifice of a hundred horses) was
considered the most powerful means to approach the Gods.

Sacrifices were performed to gain material benefits like wealth,

power (defeat enemies) and male progeny.

The Brahmins of Vedic age were accused of insisting on sacrifices

since they were entitled to a portion of the sacrificial meat and
other offerings.

There were reactions and revolts against Vedic Brahminism during

the 7th and 6th Centuries B.C.

Reactions against the Vedic

Religion
Continued..

REACTIONS AGAINST VEDIC BRAHMANISM

Orthodox Reaction

Heterodox Reaction

Accepted the Vedas

Rejected the Vedas

Rejected Brahmanism

Rejected Brahmanism

Rejected Karmakaanda

Advocated ethical way of

life and ahimsa (nonviolence)

Resulted in the formation

of new religions

Jainism

Rejected Karmakaanda
Advocated Gnanamaarga
(Path to knowledge)

Resulted in Upanishadic
Movement

Buddhism,
The Ajivikas, Etc.,

UPANISHADIC MOVEMENT

Upanishad means sitting at the feet of the Guru. Upanishadic

thinkers describe the Ultimate Reality in impersonal terms(Brahman
is neuter gender).

However, some thinkers like yagnavalka, refer to the ultimate

Reality in personal terms.

The Isa Upanishad refers to the Ultimate reality as Lord(Isa), the

Katha

Upanishad

as

the

person(Purusha)

and

Svethasvatara

Upanishad as World Spirit in theistic terms.

There are 108 Upanishads. The important among them are:

Brihadaranyaka,
Upanishad

Chandigya,

katha,

Svethavatara

and

Isa

UPANISHADIC MOVEMENT
Continued..

ETHICS OF UPANISHADS

The Upanishads advocate Gnanamaarga (i.e. salvation through

knowledge or realization than by faith or works).

Good and bad are relative terms.

Selfish desire stands in the way of self-realization, hence it is evil.

Ascetism and honesty are highly extolled.

The Three

DAs Datta(Charity), Damyatha (Self- control) and

Dayadhvan(mercy)- are considered highest virtues.

THE BUDDISM

It was founded by Siddhartha of Gautama (Pali: Gotama) gotra.

After his enlightenment he was called the Buddha (the enlightened

one).

He is also called Sakyamuni since he was chief of a Nepali Tribe

called Sakyas. Some call him Tathagata (one who has reached the
truth). He was a Kshatriya.

Gautama Buddha was born in Lumbinivana, a grove of sal trees, in

kapilavastu, Nepal.

Later on Ashoka the Great erected an inscribed pillar there.

Gautamas father was Suddhodhana, king of Sakyas and his

mother, Mahamaya.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

THE TEMPTATION

While Gautama was in deep meditation for 49 days, Mara(the

counterpart or the Devil in Buddhism) disguised as a messenger
tempted Gautama that his father was overthrown and wife seized
by wicked Devadatta.

When Gautama remained unmoved he was tempted by Desire,

Pleasure and Passion (the 3 daughters of Mara). They offered him
universal empire; but he was unmoved.

On 49th day he claimed to have reached the truth, This

enlightenment brought him the name The Buddha.

For another 49 days he sat under the bodhi tree (tree of wisdom)
where he was enlightened. Meditating on the great truths he had
found.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

THE TEACHING OF THE BUDDHA

The whole teaching of Gautama Buddha may be summed up as

follows:

There is suffering in the world: Birth is suffering, decay is

suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering.

The Cause of Suffering: Thirst (trishna) for pleasure, thirst for

life, thirst for prosperity, thirst that leads to new birth.

Cessation of Suffering: Destruction of desire and extinction of

thirst will lead to cessation of suffering.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

Eight fold path (Ashtaanga Maarga) to be followed to overcome

thirst:

Right Belief: The knowledge of four truths.

Right Aspiration: To renounce pleasures, to bear no malice and

no harm to others.

Right Speech: To abstain from lying, slander, abuse, harsh words

and idle talk.

Right Action: To retain from talking what is not given and abstain
from carnal excess.

Right livelihood: To abstain from any of the forbidden modes of

living.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

Right Effort: To suppress the raising evil conditions, to eradicate

existing evils, to simulate good conditions.

Right Mindfulness: To look on the body and the spirit in such a

way as to remain self-possessed and careful, overcoming both
hankering and dejection.

Right Meditation: To contemplate on the four basic truths.

This eight fold path is also called as the middle path (Madhya
Marga) since it rejects gross sensualism on one side and extreme
asceticism on the other.

This path leads one to eternal bliss (Nirvana). Nirvana literally

means blowing out or extinction of trishna (desire).

It is not extinction of spirit but it releases the cycle of births and

deaths and leads to eternal state of bliss.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

Gautama Buddha accepted the concept of the Law of Karma and

transmigration of souls.

Till a man attains Nirvana he is born again and again. His present
state in life is a result of his deeds in the previous life. A man reaps
what he sows.

Ahimsa is the spirit of love for all living creatures and it is

considered more important than good deeds.

Though Buddha enjoined love and non-violence for all living beings,
he permitted taking meat under certain conditions.

Buddha was agnostic. He seldom preached about the God.

When asked about God he either maintained silence or remarked

that God or Gods were also under the eternal law of Karma.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

BUDDHAS CONTRIBUTION TO INDIAN SOCIETY

Buddha laid a lot of importance on Sangha (A Society of the

faithful).Healthy men and women above the age of 15 were allowed
to become the members of the Religious Order.

Those in the service of the King who were in debt and criminals
were barred from membership.

Buddhism was the first peoples movement which fought against

caste system and treated all people as equals.

It is also adopted common peoples languages like Pali and other

Prakrit dialects instead of elitist Sanskrit which the Brahmins
preferred.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

THE SANGHA

By 10th century A.D. about half the worlds population was Buddhists.

Monasteries were constructed to give suitable accommodation for

monks and nuns. Soon these monasteries became seminaries which
trained missionaries.

Buddhism was the first missionary religion.

Missionaries went from India to Sri Lanka, China, Japan and other
South Eastern countries.

Monks and nuns wore a three piece dress (chivara) an upper robe
and a lower one and a sort of cloak worn over the two. These garments
were dyed in yellow color.

They accepted food and robes offered by the followers of the Buddhism.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

Members of the Sangha used

to elect their Sanghathera

(President).

The Sangha used to meet once a fort night on new-moon and fullmoon days.

Two speakers used to give lectures on Dharma and Vinaya.

Some important resolutions(Jnapti) used to be taken by Ballot.

Buddhism was the first religion to use democracy for the conduct of
religion.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

The initiation into the Sangha involved shaving off the candidates
head, putting on yellow rose and taking the vow of fidelity to
Buddha, Dharma and Sangha as followers:

Buddham Saranam Gachchami

Dharmam Saranam Gachchami

I take refuge in the Dharma

Sangham Saranam Gachchami

I take refuge in the Buddha

I take refuge in the Sangha

After they examined him thoroughly before enrolling him as a full

member of the Sangha.

THE BUDDISM
Continued..

BUDDHIST COUNCILS AND SCRIPTURES

In 1483 B.C. (shortly after the death of Buddha) a council was held
in Sattapanni cave near Rajagriha to compile the Dharma(Doctrine)
and the Vinaya (Monastic Code).

These Pitakas were written down in arround 90 B.C. in Sri Lanka

in Pali Language.

In 383 B.C. another council was held at Vaisali which condemned

10 heresies.

In this council Buddhism spilts into 2 sections- Sthaviras and

Mahasanghikas.

Sthaviras held the orthodox Vinaya and Mahasanghikas advocated

reforms.

JAINISM

Vardhamana Mahaveera was not the founder of Jainism.

He was the last of the 24 Theethankaras (Teachers).

Parsya, the 23rd Theerthankara lived 246 years before Mahaveera.

There was no continuous succession of these Teachers.

There is a reference to Rishabha the first Theerthankara, in the Rig

Veda.

Vishnupuraana and Bhagvatpuraana too mention about him as the

incarnation of Naaraayana.

In the late Indus Valley period, we see statues of nude men without
hair( Jains regard hair as a sign of evil, hence they pull off their
hair with roots at the time of initiation).

JAINISM

continued..

However, Mahaveeras contribution to Jainism is considerable,

especially in the context of misuse of the Vedic ritual of sacrifice.

He gave a new thrust to the faith by institutionalizing it.

According to Jain sources Mahaveera was born in 599 BC and died

in 527 BC.

Like many others who fought against Vedic(Brahmin) ritualism, he

too was a Kshatreeya.

He descended from the royal clan of Jnatrikas(from his fathers

side) and Lichchhavi(from his mothers side).

He was related to the then leading emperor of Magadha. He was

married to Yesodhara and had a daughter. His son-in-law, Jamali
later on became the first disciple.

JAINISM

continued..

After the death of his parents at the age of 30, he decided to

renounce the world.

He practiced severe asceticism for 12 years.

At the age of 42 he claimed to have attained intuitive knowledge

which delivered him pleasure and pain.

From then on he was known as Jina [The conqueror(of passion and

pleasure)] and Mahaveera (a great hero).

His followers are called Nigranthas (free from fetters or bonds).

He used vernacular (Prakrit) languages instead of Sanskrit.

Jainism spread rapidly in North India.

Around 300 B. C. it spread to South India.

JAINISM

THE JAIN FAITH

Unlike

Upanishadic

continued..
and

Vedic

belief

Jains

hold

to

dualistic

philosophy.

The Universe is full of Jeevas (souls).

They

are

eternal

and

are

empirically

known

through

their

attachment to different bodies. While the bodies are perishable the

souls are eternal and evolutionary.

There are 5 kinds of Sthavara Jivas (immobile life forms) embodied

in earth, water, fire, air and vegetable substances.

These have only one sense developed in them, that is sense of

touch.

JAINISM

continued..

All mobile life forms like birds, animals and men have 5 sences.

Every Jeeva has some degree of knowledge(Kevalagnana).

Along with Jeevas there are Ajeevas(Matter).

There are 5 types of Ajeevas.

Dharma makes the movement of Jeeva and ajeeva possible.

Adharma is the principle of rest(inactivity). Which provides space

for other substances.

Karma leads the Jeeva to bondage. This is the 4th Tattva. This
prevents the Jeeva to obtain knowledge.

Vedic Religion Counter

Reaction

Brahmins adopted vegetarianism as a virtue (not as a religious

code).

They divided food into 3 types:

Saatvika

Rajasa

Tamasa

By such subtle means Brahmanism staged a comeback, but it soon

found another challenges from Christianity in the first century A.D.

CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA
Continued..

Christianity is one of the oldest religions of India.

It has a long and continuous history nearly 2000 years.

It deeply rooted on this soil and has influenced Hinduism, Buddhism

considerably.

The North Western provinces of India were ruled by Medo-Persians for

some time during the fourth century B.C.

Later on those provinces were taken over by Alexander the Great who
introduced Koine Greek as the linguafranca.

This region was also called Parthia.

It was to this region that St. Thomas, the disciple of Jesus, first came
as a pioneer missionary.

CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA
Continued..

Eusebius attests to this fact by quoting Origin(185-254 AD) that

St. Thomas went to Parthia.

He also writes that St. Bartholomew, too, visited India.

One of the reasons for St. Thomas choosing N.W. India was
perhaps, Koine Greek was spoken in the region (with which he was
familiar)along with the local Pali dialect.

It is also recorded in Didascalia Apostorum(Teaching of the

Apostles) written around 250 A.D.

According to The Acts of Thomas written around 250 A.D. in Pali

Language, an Indo-Parthian King, Gundaphorus, was converted
through the ministry of St. Thomas.

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Continued..

Historically Gundaphorus has been established with the discovery of

numerous coins (since 1834) bearing his name - on one side of the coin
in Greek and on the other in Pali scripts.

The Takt-i-Bahi stone, too, mentions his name.

The coins of Gundaphorus have the cross symbol.

After his evangelistic work in Punjab he went to the Island of Socotra.

The invasion of the Kushans reduced the influence of Christianity in North
West region of India.

St. Thomas returned to India in 52 A.D. This time to Malabar coast.

He landed at Muziris (Cragnore). The reason for choosing this second

destination could be the sizeable Jewish settlement in the region who
could be handy in translating his message from Hebrew to Local dialects.

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17,550 people belonging to all castes were converted to Christianity

through the ministry of St. Thomas in South India alone.

St. Thomas was martyred in Mylapore (Chennai) by a Brahmins lance.

Only one bone remains in the tomb now.

The rest were taken away by a Syrian merchant and buried in Urfa ( in
modern Turkey).

Bhakti movement of Hinduism was profoundly influenced by St.

Thomas Christianity. St. Thomas Christians of North India used Beatle
leaf to commemorate the Eucharist.

Archaeologists discovered in 1957 a first century church in the forests

of Nilackal in Kerala. This is, perhaps, the oldest surviving church
building in the world.

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St. Bartholomew, another disciples of Jesus came to kalian near

Mumbai in the first century A.D. from here Christianity spread to
the whole of Maharastra, Karnataka and parts of North west
Andhrapradesh.

Later Armanian Christians were joined church.

Some Greek Christians of Alexandria settled in Masula, Andhra

Pradesh, in First century (Masula is the name of a Greek King).

In 325 A.D. when a church council was held in Nicea, a large

delegation from Diviseema(Divos), Andhra Pradesh represented
India at the Council.

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One of the earliest references to Christianity in India mentions the

visit of, Pantaenues, to the Indian Christians at their invitation in
180 A.D.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that in 884 A.D. King Alfred sent
an envoy to India with rich gifts for the tomb of St. Thomas.

According to Portuguese records, the South Indian Christians were

accorded the second highest rank after the Brahmins in the caste
hierarchy.

The development of Christianity could not bring people of other

castes into its fold. The early Kerala Christians used coconut for
Eucharist.

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Continued..

According to Cosmas, The Kerala church was under Persian priests

supervised by a Persian Bishop at Kalliana.

Marco Polo, on his visit to India writes in his dairy that out of the 6
leading kings in India at that time, 3 were Christians.

He also refers to the tomb of St. Thomas which was venerated by

both Christians and Muslim.

The Catalon map dated 1375 refers to a Christian king, Solomon,

who ruled parts of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Abder- Razzak, a Muslim traveler who visited India in 1442

mentions that the Vizier( Prime Minister ) of Vijayanagara was a
Christian.