The Religion of the Rigveda

This new presentation of the Rigveda explores the relationship between society, social life, and religion, and how the Vedic tribes' way of life influenced the rituals performed. The priests who carry out these rituals embody the gods of the Rigveda pantheon, and the book includes quotations from primary sources that form the basis of this approach to a religion that would later become Hinduism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This extensive new presentation of the Rigveda religion is the culmination of a rigorous effort to extrapolate historical circumstances from that literary text and present them primarily from the perspective of adherents to this religion. For them, society, social life, and religion were inextricably linked. This aids in explaining the meanings of rights and rituals. The way of life of these Vedic tribes, which alternates between peaceful settling and predatory raids, influences which rituals are to be performed at what times. The priests who perform the rituals embody the gods of the Rigveda pantheon. Thomas Oberlies highlights specific connections, such as the association of the war god Indra with the priest who recites the hymns that invite the gods, that help us solve many of the riddles that the Rigveda text still poses to this day in telling the story of these rituals. The Religion of the Rigveda includes a wealth of quotations from primary sources that form the basis of this approach to a religion that would later become Hinduism. A comprehensive index of subjects makes the book eminently accessible for use in further studies.

Weight: 648g
Dimension: 240 x 160 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192868213