The Rig Veda: An Anthology

Describe the important elements of the sacrifice in Vedic religion. What roles do Agni and his priests play in the sacrifice? How does the Rig Veda depict the origins of the sacrifice?

The Rig Veda abounds in creation stories such as the Golden Embryo (10.121), Purusa, the Primordial Man (10.90), the All-Maker (10.81-2), and Indra’s killing of Vrtra and release of the waters (1.32). Some of these are closely related, sharing similar structures while differing in detail; others represent a very different view of the origins of the universe. Compare and contrast several of these creation myths, analyzing significant differences, such as whether the story reflects a monistic or dualistic viewpoint, and a personal or impersonal view of the Creator.

The poetry and mythology of the Rig Veda abounds in paradoxes and obscurities, such gods simultaneously giving birth to each other. Identify and analyze some of these paradoxes, considering how they may relate to some of the larger themes of the work.

The poems of the Rig Veda are rich in figurative language, making ample use of simile and metaphor. Soma, for instance, is likened to water, milk, and nectar; milk to semen; semen to rain; and rain to the waters of Varuna’s divine mercy. Indra is both a bull full of semen, and a cow whose milk is the milk of poetic inspiration. Taken together, these interwoven metaphors and similes constitute an elaborate network of substitutions or identifications that form the Rig Veda’s conceptual universe. Analyze three of these metaphorical clusters, explaining the logic of the comparisons and the system of interconnections that results. How do these associations bridge the natural, human, and divine worlds?

The Rig Veda is the product of an oral culture; its hymns were transmitted orally with remarkable fidelity for many hundreds of years before being written down. What role does speech play in the Rig Veda? How is speech sacred? How does it relate to truth and order?

Indra is the chief deity in the Rig Veda and the subject of more of its hymns than any other god. Describe Indra’s attributes and deeds, analyzing the complexities of his character and his extensive mythology.

In the Vedic pantheon, several gods have solar characteristics or are identified with the sun, while others personify natural phenomena like the dawn, evening, sky, and earth. Describe these deities and analyze their relationships to each other.

Identify the chief Vedic gods associated with fertility or procreation and analyze the mythic narratives expressing this theme.