Terms and Questions

Late Veda

TERMS:

1. Brahmanas

2. Aranyakas

3. Jnana

4. Upanisads

5. Karma

6. Samsara

7. Moksha

QUESTIONS:

1. Describe some of the historical changes that might have contributed to the emergence of the Vedantic traditions.

2. Describe the basic structure of the Vedic corpus

3. How does late Veda differ from the Samhitas in content and purpose? Is there any continuity?

4. Describe the fundamental elements of the worldview of the Upanisads, how does this differ from the worldview of the RigVeda?

5. Compare the content and ultimate aims of religious practice as presented in early and late Veda

6. What is the nature of the self in the Upanisads?

7. How are humans related to the divine in the Vedic corpus?

All quizzes and exams can draw on your knowledge of the timeline (as given on the website for The Story of India and in class), your ability to pinpoint all relevant geographical locations on the map, and your recognition and basic understanding of primary texts studied in class.