1. Indian Literature Time line- 2500 B.C.- A.D. 1500
The Indian literary tradition contains more texts than the ancient Greek and Roman traditions combined

2. Indian Literature Continued
The Indus Valley- The valley of the Indus River, which is in present day Pakistan, was the cradle of Indian civilization. The people who lived there before the Aryan invasion were literate, cultured city-builders

3. Indian Literature Continued
Aryans- They were a group of nomadic, or wandering warriors and herders; Sanskrit, Greek and Latin developed from their language
Fast Fact: In the twentieth century, German Nazi racists idealized the Aryans in their propaganda and claimed to be their descendents

4. The Vedic Period
Vedic Period- the first literary period in India; 1500 B.C B.C.
Vedas- a set of hymns that formed the cornerstone of the Aryan culture; considered to be the most sacred of a literature by the Hindus- it is believed that the hymns were passed down directly by the gods

5. The Vedic Period Continued
Rig Veda- the oldest existing hymns are a collection; passed down through the oral tradition- storytelling
Fast Fact- the Aryans chose not to memorialize their achievements in stone, marble, gold or silver because all of these crumble in time and so they have passed down their stories through generations by memorized recitation

6. The Classical Period
The classical period started after the Vedic period ended- until about 1000 A.D.
Dravidian- the main languages of southern India; i.e. Tamil and Kannada

7. The Classical Period Continued
Sanskrit- also known as “perfect speech;” an Indo-European language and the main literary language
It is considered a sacred language, that is spoken by the gods and goddesses

8. Literature During the Classical Period
Two great epics- the Mahabharata and the Ramayana
The Panchatantra- a famous collection of beast fables that has appeared in over two hundred versions and many different languages

9. Hinduism: The Key to Indian Culture
It evolved from the beliefs of the ancient Aryans of the Vedic period
It is said to contain more than 330 million deities
Three main deities are: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Protector and Shiva the Destroyer

10. Hinduism Continued
Hindus believe that everything, even all gods, are aspects of a single essence or immortal spirit
Upanishads- a body of sacred prose literature- which serve as commentaries on or philosophical extensions of the Vedic hymns

11. Lessons of Indian Literature: Following One’s Dharma
Dharma: Comes from a Sanskrit verb meaning “to hold”- English translation: “religion”
It is also close in meaning to duty, ethics, righteousness, morality, law and order

12. The Caste System in India
caste- social standing- categorized at birth into one of four groups or ranks in society
varna- means “color” or “rank” when referring to the order of the various ranks in the caste system

13. Caste System Continued
Four Groups-
Brahmans- scholars, priests, and teachers
Kshatriyas- rulers and warriors
Vaisyas- merchants, farmers and artisans
Sudras- clean up after everyone else and do life’s unpleasant jobs

14. Karma and Reincarnation
Karma is a Sanskrit word which means “action”
Reincarnation is the “transmigration of the soul”
It is the process in which one’s soul is reborn in another body

15. Karma and Reincarnation Continued
Karma in this life directly affects one’s rebirth and future life
Fast Fact- good karma in life leads to rebirth into a higher form and social position

16. Buddhism- The Search for Spiritual Peace
Buddhism came into being at the close of the Vedic period
Buddhism was founded by Siddharta Gautama

17. Buddhism Continued Buddha means “Enlightened One”
Gautama came to believe through intense spiritual contemplation, that life was suffering

18. Buddhism Continued
The suffering in life was due to a wrongheaded desire for individual fulfillment
The path to mastering this desire was a life of honesty, nonviolence, willpower, continual self examination and profound meditation.

19. Buddhism Continued
Buddhism insists that all people are potentially equal
VS.
The social stratification of the Hindu caste system

20. Ashoka, the “Righteous” Emperor
Maurya empire- the first Indian empire- at its height, it claimed most of northern India
It was established through warfare and iron-fisted rule
Ashoka- the greatest ruler of the empire stressed nonviolence, goodness and “righteousness” and also promoted Buddhism

21. The Gupta Empire (A.D )
Often referred to as the “Golden Age” of Hinduism
During the Gupta dynasty, Hinduism reached its pinnacle
During this time, Hindu sculpture flourished, and the classical period of Indian literature reached its height

22. Unity Through Diversity
Even though India has a multitude of languages, customs and beliefs, the classical literature of India- the epics, dramas, poems and tales- express the Hindu belief in the connection between all living things and their oneness with the divine unity.

23. Stories we will be covering…
Hundred Questions from the Mahabharata page
Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline from the Bhagavad-Gita page
Right-Mind and Wrong-Mind from the Panchatantra page
Rama and Ravana in Battle from the Ramayana page