Re: Indo-European Studies

Gerold Firl (geroldf@sdd.hp.com)
25 Jul 1995 14:09:39 -0700

Virendra - very interesting post - your image of the meaning and basis of
indian culture is so extremely different from mine, that I would like to
understand how you have come to your conclusions. for instance,

In article <3uh0mo$423@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> verma@awecim.enet.dec.com (Virendra Verma) writes:

> Indian values as referred to in the Vedas. Some of the examples of
> these values are: the original idea of the caste system (varnashram)
> for a healthy social structure, emphasis on karma (work) as opposed
> to fatalism, auterity, spiritual development, education, belief
> in analyical thinking/science as opposed to mysticism, etc. Budha tried
> to reform it, but, it was probably too late. The decline of these
> values are the reasons for a divided and waek society.

One aspect of the vedas and later epics which you don't seem to recognize
is the gradual shift in philosophy from the alien western values imported
by the aryans *back* towards an *indigenous* indian outlook. Yoga is
indigenous to india. That seems clear. Indus valley seals show images of a
serpent-lord in lotus position, who appears to be a precursor to shiva;
shiva was thus a dravidian deity, who gradually resumed his place of
promenance, alongside the goddess, as the western warrior-gods were
absorbed and dissolved within the pre-existing value system.

You appear to value many of the early vedic ideals, which reflect one small
input into the indian melange. To claim that these are *the* *authentic*
indian values sounds very euro-centric to me. %^)

> Broadly speaking, there are two value systems in the world - eastern
> and the western. These values can clearly be identified.

I'd like to hear how such a division could be made. I think such a division
is way too broad to be of any use.

Can you explain just what constitutes eastern and western values?

And what does this mean?

> Brahmins invited Arabs to encourage invasion of India because they
> were fearful of the Arabs; for example, they did not know how to
> fool these people with false propaganda.

The brahmins invited the moguls to invade india because they were afraid of
them? I don't understand.

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