Ganges River and Vedas

   
     Background Indian Music

     We arrived in Bhagalpur, a city near Ganges River, 2 days ago. I heard that Ganges River is the largest river in India, and it is the embodiment of sacredness for Indians. So I was super excited to visit Ganges River, and I expected Ganges river to be clean and nice.

People Are Taking Shower in Ganges River

      But I was very disappointed when I actually saw Ganges River by myself. It is so crowded! People are ubiquitous. Also, the water in Ganges River is so dirty! A lot of people were taking shower in the river! Taking shower in public! Oh my god! I can't believe it! I have seen their drainage system and bathrooms in Mohenjo-Daro. They had very well-developed bathroom in 2000 years ago! Then why do they take shower in Ganges River!
      Also, some people were sprinkling some gray powder into the river. I am so curious about this river! I asked Dilijan if she can explain this to me. She agreed. And this is what she said.
      Ganges River is sacred to every Indians, and that is why they bath in the river. They want to bath in the sacred water and get closer to the moksha which means the relief from life and death cycle. Indians also believe that this sacred water can bring redemption to dead, so they sprinkle the ashes of their relatives into the water to help the dead get closer to moksha.
      However, Ganges river is still very pretty.
   
   
      I feel like get better understanding of the Indian culture after staying in india for a few months.
      I was very curious about the origin of caste system. So I started reading Vedas a few weeks ago. Vedas is Hinduism's oldest and most sacred text that collects many hymns and ritual instructions that are used to perform religious ceremonies. It is composed between 1600 BCE and 600 BCE. For most Indians, the Vedas is the book that they must read. And the job of priest is to interpret Vedas and other sacred text.
      So here is the story about the origin of caste system.

A copy of Vedas

      Thousand-headed is Purusa, thousand-eyed, thousand-footed. Having covered the earth on all sides, he stood above it the width of ten fingers.

Only Purusa is all this, that which has been and that which is to be. He is the lord of the immortals, who grow by means of [ritual] food.

      Such is his greatness, yet more than this is Purusa. One-quarter of him is all beings; three- quarters of him is the immortal in heaven.

      Three-quarters of Purusa went upward, one-quarter of him remained here. From this [one-quarter] he spread in all directions into what eats and what does not eat.

      From him the shining one was born, from the shining one was born Purusa. When born he extended beyond the earth, behind as well as in front.

When the gods performed a sacrifice with the offering Purusa, spring was its clarified butter, summer the kindling, autumn the oblation.

      It was Purusa, born in the beginning, which they sprinkled on the sacred grass as a sacrifice. With him the gods sacrificed, the demi-gods, and the seers.

From that sacrifice completely offered, the clotted butter was brought together. It made the beasts of the air, the forest and the village.

      From that sacrifice completely offered, the mantras [Rig Veda] and the songs [Samaveda] were born. The meters were born from it. The sacrificial formulae [Yajurveda] were born from it.

From it the horses were born and all that have cutting teeth in both jaws. The cows were born from it, also. From it were born goats and sheep.

      When they divided Purusa, how many ways did they apportion him? What was his mouth? What were his arms? What were his thighs, his feet declared to be?

      His mouth was the Brahman [caste], his arms were the Rajanaya [Ksatriya caste], his thighs the     Vaisya [caste]; from his feet the Sudra [caste] was born.

      The moon was born from his mind; from his eye the sun was born; from his mouth both Indra and Agni [fire]; from his breath Vayu [wind] was born.

      From his navel arose the air; from his head the heaven evolved; from his feet the earth; the [four] directions from his ear. Thus, they fashioned the worlds.

      Seven were his altar sticks, three times seven were the kindling bundles, when the gods, performing the sacrifice, bound the beast Purusa.

     The gods sacrificed with the sacrifice to the sacrifice. These were the first rites. These powers reached the firmament, where the ancient demi-gods and the gods are.

Purusa, the Cosmetic Man

     As you can see, this is a creation myth. Purusa is the giant man who creates everything. This story explained how does caste come and how each caste is different from another caste. Castes grow from a part of his body, and which part do they grow from determines what is their job . For instance, Brahman grows from his mouth. So they are at the highest social rank and their job is to interpret and teach people the sacred texts. 

     Thus, I think the beliefs and tenets of Hinduism is largely based on Caste System. And that is the important key to understand Indian Culture.