Title The Rigveda : a guide / Joel P. Brereton, Stephanie W. Jamison

Published New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2020]

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Description 1 online resource (vii, 271 pages) Series Guides to sacred texts Guides to sacred texts. Contents I. Introduction -- II. Historical Context -- III. Dating and Authorship -- IV. Structure of the Text -- V. Social and Political Context -- VI. Ritual -- VII. The Gods -- VIII. Eschatology -- IX. Ṛgvedic Poetry and Poetics -- X. Canonical Status and the Reception of the Ṛgveda -- Selection of Ṛgvedic Hymns -- Bibliography Summary ""The Ṛgveda is a monumental text in both world religion and world literature; yet it is comparatively little known outside a small band of specialists. The oldest Sanskrit text, composed in the latter half of the second millennium BCE, it stands as the foundational text of what will later be called Hinduism. The text consists of over a thousand hymns dedicated to various divinities, composed in sophisticated and often enigmatic poetry. Its range is large - encompassing profound meditations on cosmic enigmas, exuberant tributes to the wonders of the world, ardent praise of the gods and their works, moving and sometimes painful expressions of personal devotion, and penetrating reflections on the ability of mortals to approach and affect the divine and cosmic realms through sacrifice and praise. This guide introduces the text to a wider audience. It provides an overview of the text, its structure and the process of its composition and collection; treats its purpose and how this purpose is reflected in the contents and structure of the text; gives a sense of the text by quoting verses and complete hymns; situates it in the religious practices of its time; and considers its use and reception in later periods, which saw profound changes in religious practices and beliefs. It will also introduce the literary qualities of the text and the poets' belief in the role of their poetry in making sense of, and indeed creating, cosmic order and function by pressing the boundaries of language itself.""-- Provided by publisher Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and indexes Notes Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on April 07, 2020) SUBJECT Vedas. R̥gveda -- Criticism, interpretation, etc Vedas. R̥gveda. fast (OCoLC)fst01356526 Subject Vedic literature -- History and criticism Vedic literature. Genre/Form Criticism, interpretation, etc. Form Electronic book Author Jamison, Stephanie W., author LC no. 2019035402 ISBN 9780190633400 0190633409 0190633395 9780190633387 0190633387 9780190633394

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