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LECTURE THE FIRST.
India the Land of Religions—The Veda.
Multiplicity of Hindu religions-Brahmanism-Buddhism-
Profound hold of religion upon the Hindu mind-Hindu
life dominated by religious institutions-The four stages
of life-The institution of caste-Caste then and now-
Symptoms of revulsion against caste-Other pernicious
religious institutions-Continuity of India's religious
history-Date of the conception of rta, or "cosmic
order "-Close relationship of the religions of India and
Persia-Slight connection between India and Persia
in secular history-The Parsis in India-Close relation
between Veda and Avesta-The Veda and the Indo-
European period-The Veda as a whole-The date of
the Veda-Its great uncertainty-Nature of Vedic tra-
dition The Crotriyas or "Oral Traditionalists"--Un-
certain character of Vedic life and institutions-Origin
of the Veda-Contents of Vedic literature as a whole
-The four Vedas-The Rig-Veda-The books of the
Rig Veda-Theme and character of the Rig-Veda-A
hymn to Goddess Dawn-The Yajur-Veda-Character
of the yajus-formulas-The Sama-Veda-Origin and
purpose of the Sama-Veda-The Atharva-Veda-Con-
tents of the Atharva-Veda-Religious quality of the
Atharva-Veda-Two Atharvan hymns-The Brahmana
Texts Some legends of the Brahmanas-The Aranya-
kas, or "Forest Treatises"-The Upanishads-Literary
history of the Upanishads-The Upanishads in the
West-Critical estimate of the Upanishads.
I
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