Vedic Religion

General Information

The Vedic Samhitas

• The Rg Veda
• The Atharva Veda

The Rsis

• Rsis of Ancient Vedic Tradition

Vedic Deities

• Surya: The Vedic Sun-God
• Varuna: The Judgemental God
• Indra: God of Thunder and Lightning
• Prajapati
• The Navagrahas: The Nine Planetary System

The Vedic Worldview

• Asuras
• Demons in Vedic Literature
• Cosmogonies in the Vedic Samhitas
• Mahisa: The Buffalo Demon
• The Demon Bali
• Yaksas and Yaksis
• The Yamuna River
• Garuda: King of the Birds
• Animal and Plant Iconography

The Brahmanas

Vedic Rituals (yajna)

• Women’s Roles in Vedic Rituals
• The Significance of Sacrifice in Hinduism

Soma

• Soma: Mysterious Vedic Plant and Deity

The Aranyakas

The Upanisads

• The Upanisads

• Related Readings (The Upanisads)

Other Vedic Literature

Astrology

Ayurveda

• Ayurveda: The Ancient Hindu Science of Health and Medicine
• Ayurvedic Concepts of Health and Illness