More than 4,000 years ago, the Aryas are believed to have come and settle down in the region of the Punjab from their original home in middle Asia. Historians get their information about these ancient settlers, or rather invaders, from the Rig-Veda which proves beyond doubt that the people who composed those songs had developed a comparatively high civilisation. But adventurers who leave their homes for distant countries are not generally the best men of the community, but the lower classes with more physical stamina and animal gburage than cultural attainments. The earliest Aryan invaders were no exception to this rule. They were bold, hardy, unscrupulous, superstitious, and even cruel adventurers who were ready to use their powerful right arm against all those who opposed them and to take by force whatever they wanted in the new land to which they came.
It is quite certain that they did not come with a mission, with a sense of their superior culture and a holy desire to civilise the barbarians. Even when they found that many inhabitants of India were less advanced in civilisation than themselves, they hardly ever showed any desire to raise them to their own level or to impart to them their refinements. On the contrary their attitude was characterised by haughty exclusiveness and cruel contempt for the aborigines until they came into contact with a people as civilised as themselves in the Gangetic valley and began to mingle freely with them. The Aryas were 14 THE MENACE OF HINDU IMPERIALISM
essentially a race of warriors. They were lured by the natural wealth and beauty of the country from one place to another and steadily extended their migrations overcoming and sometimes mercilessly. extirpating the aborigines who opposed their march, until they were able to settle down in peace and develop powerful kingdoms in the Gangetic valley.
Dominated by the military and predatory spirit, they loved the life of activity, adventure and enjoyment of all the good things of the world. They invoked their gods constantly to destroy the aboriginal tribes whom they contemptuously called “Dark-skinned Dasyus” and Rakshasas (demons). Many hymns of the Rig-Veda are fervent appeals to the gods to annihilate the Dasyus. “We are surrounded on all sides by the Dasyus. They do not perform sacrifices. They are unbelievers. Their practices are all different. They are not men! 0! Destroyer of Foes ! Kill them, destroy the Dasa race.” (R. V. I. Ioo-8). There are many such hymns which bring to our mind the fanatical hatred of the infidels by the Pathans, and of the pagan by early Christian conquerors. Health, wealth, prosperity and power in this world were the chief and almost sole concern of the Aryas, and to them religion was a means of acquiring these.
To most Hindus of our own day, religion presents itself as the mysterious revelation of things beyond the present mundane existence and a means of liberation from this life of unhappiness. The Aryas of the Rig-Veda entertained quite a different conception of life. They implicitly believed in their gods and communicated with them in hymns, as dutiful children of a ‘loving father. In all their successes and failures, their ‘joys and sorrows, in war and peace, in the cultivation of the land aid tending of cattle, for begetting good sons and daughters, for timely rains, for protection of their property and themselves against enemies, in all situations, they looked up to their gods with a fervent, imploring heart. The Rig-Veda abounds in earnest invocations to the gods for their help and protection by a simple-minded truthful people. But they did not -neglect their work; they were enterprising, indefatigable men of action.
Their gods were Indra, Varuna, Agni, Vayu and other powers manifested in the varied phenomena of nature. Siva and Vishnu and the numerous aspects worshipped by the modern Hindus were unknown to the ancient Aryas. Their mode -of worship was also quite different. They had no temples or idols. The daily worship was performed in every house, both morning and evening, by offering in the sacrificial fire, ghee, milk, meat, Soma-juice and other articles which formed their usual food. Occasionally special sacrifices were performed, and goats, cows, bulls and horses were slaughtered for offering to the gods and entertaining guests. The Vedic hymns were intended to be sung at the sacrifices.
The composers of these Riks or hymns were called Rishis. Rishi means a hymn-writer. The Hindus of the present day think of the Rishi as a man of divine wisdom who led a life of Tapas or great austerity in the seclusion of the forest. Therefore what the Rishis are believed to have said is considered something sacred which no man should question. Of course, there were exceptionally great and wise men, and also women, among the Rishis. But they lived like the other members of the tribe with their wives and children, earned property, cultivated land, and owned large herds of cattle. Some Rishis lived in the palaces of the chiefs or kings Ad conducted the sacrificial ceremonies for them, for which they obtained rich rewards of hundreds of cows, gold pieces and cloth. The Rishis were also doughty warriors who fought with the aborigines and killed them in hundreds and thousands. Except for their learning, they were in all other respects like other men and women of society.
The whole people, including the Kings and the Rishis, were known as the “Vis” or “Visas.” It was this word which later on became “Vaisyas.” There were no Brahmans or Kshatriyas. The caste sys-tem did not exist then. All the people were of one community, lived together, ate and drank together, and intermarried. The Yajnopavita or the sacred cloth was worn only at the time of sacrifice by those who performed it. The kings or “Vispathis” were generally chiefs or heads of separate tribes and lived among the people. Women were not subjected to any special restrictions. There was no child-marriage, widow-marriage was common and Sati was unknown. The ancient Aryan society was free from all the abuses and injustices which a priestly class afterwards imposed upon their descendants. There was, however, one powerful vice—they indulged in drinking the liquor or Soma. There was nothing so precious as Soma which was considered as the most favorite food even of the gods. There are numerous hymns in the Rig-Veda in praise of Soma. They show how simple-minded and even childish the people and the Rishis often were. The vice of drink and cruel animal sacrifices increased to so large an extent as to create a split in the community. One party left the country in protest and went to Iran where they founded the Parsi race and the Parsi religion.
In those days, fighting was almost a daily necessity. People had always to be on the watch. Every house had to provide strong men to take up bow and arrows and face the attacking barbarians at a moment’s notice. Some effective arrangement had to be made to meet this perpetual danger. The whole community had to co-operate in the protection of the country by self-discipline and a wise division of duties. Our forefathers rose to the occasion and evolved that very intelligent and quite natural institution known as the four Ashramas Brahmacharya, Gryhastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa.
The institution had its origin in the natural and instinctive division of a man’s life into four stages according to his Guna or capacities and Karma or duties. Until the attainment of manhood, a boy was to devote himself to his studies under the direction of the elders. He was to cultivate the Guna or qualities of obedience, humility, simplicity, reverence for elders and absolute devotion to the task assigned to him without being diverted by the struggle for existence in which the older people were constantly engaged. His duty was to serve the teacher and learn from him the duties of an Aryan. Service was i he method of study. From rising in the early hours of the morning to retiring to sleep at night, the Brahmachari (student) moved and worked with the teacher in performing the sacrifices, repeating the hymns, preparing the meals, tending cattle, and working in the field. Thus constantly attending on the Guru, he learnt all the duties he would be called upon to discharge in after-life. A student at this stage of life had no right or status or independence. He was not a man yet, not an Aryan. He was really a Sudra living as the faithful servant of his master:
His entry into manhood was marked by solemn ceremonies. He married and settled down as a householder or Gryhastha in the joint family which contained besides himself, his father, grandfather, their wives and children and others. It was at this stage that he was called upon to share the responsibilities of managing the family. He had to attend diligently to cultivation, look after the cattle and supply the daily needs of all the members of the family. He was the producer, the preserver and supplier of all the necessities of peaceful life. That was his duty or Karma. He was to develop the Guna or qualities of industry, generosity, truthfulness, economy, attention to the elders, and love of children. He was not yet the owner of the family property, for the elders were still living. He was a trustee holding and managing the common wealth for the good of all the members of the family. Such a householder was the Vaisya.
Fighting with enemies, both men and wild animals, was as much a function of ordinary life as cultivation of the land and management of the home. The old members of the family were physically unfit for that rough work. The Brahmacharins or students were also not fit, both physically and from considerations of their duty as students. It would be cruel’ to separate from their wives and children the recently-married young men, the Gryhasthas, who should be given a reasonable opportunity to enjoy life in peace. The men available for fighting were those who had not grown too old, nor were too young, and had had sufficient opportunities of enjoying life and might be now reasonably asked to leave the ease and comforts of the family hearth, be-take themselves to the forests, camp there if necessary, develop physical strength by, self-control, practice of Yoga and other exercises, and thus live in the service of the State or the tribe for its common good. Such a man who had attained the Vanaprastha stage was the Kshatriya. He was to cultivate the Guna or qualities of courage, self-restraint, spirit of sacrifice, endurance and magnanimity. His chief work was to keep the public fire burning in the forest-borders, perform the exercises for preserving his body in a strong and healthy condition and by vigilant watching protect the whole tribe from the depredations of enemies, rival clans and animals.
Passing some years like that in the service of the State, living often in the forests, he soon approached the end of the journey of life. He studied and served as a Brahmachari, managed the household and cultivated civic life as a Gryhastha, led an austere outdoor life as a Vanaprastha, and was then, having completed all life’s duties, allowed the well-earned rest and peace of a Sannyasin. He retired from active life to think of the gods, and the life hereafter. He should no longer be anxious about wealth or wife or children who were quite safe in the protection of the joint family nor undertake any worldly responsibilities. He might continue to live in the forest itself as a- Rishi or returning to the community set tip a Gurukula or Vedic school for training the rising generation of students or might even wander about as a man of complete renunciation. With all the wisdom of age and experience of an active life nobly spent at home and in the service of the State, with passions controlled by self-discipline and austerities, with all selfish ties and cares renounced, living in the seclusion of the Gurukula or the hermitage in the forest, the Sannyasin led a simple, quiet happy life.
He delighted to think and talk about gods and heroes and the life to come. He freely imparted his wisdom to the young men who served him and who had attached themselves to him in search of knowledge. The young and the old, the rich and the poor, the king and the people sought his advice and guidance in matters concerning this world as well as the other. He was the oldest member of the family, the Guru of the rising generation, the most learned and experienced man, the owner of all the family property, whose happiness was the first consideration of all the other members. As the leader of the
