Religion in Pakistan - before Islam and before 1947

[Ali_Syed]

Re: Religion in Pakistan - before Islam and before 1947

@Minar_e_moor

I am a practicing Hindu, actually know a bit Sanskrit. I try to some Vedic recitation once in a while. Let me tell you this: I have not come across any reference to the term Hindu or Hinduism so far. I think that term is a recent (recent meaning past Christ kind of recent) coinage. Most likely from the transmutation of Sind to Hind (which the Persians did all the time, S became H).

If you forget the term Hindu for the moment, following may help what I think you are looking for:

• The Vedas were said to have been pulled together and a ‘practice’ based on them is said to have started along the now under-ground river called Saraswathi. (The existence of this river is clear from specific Vadic passages as well as from Nasa imagery). Also referred to as Saraswath Civilization.

• Veda literally means knowledge. In other words, what people generally refer to as Veda is like calling English ‘Word’. Being knowledge, it had philosophies (note plural), Gods (note plural), rituals & rites (note plural), systems of medicine (note plural), life guides (…plural)…in other words, the Vedic texts were created as compendium and classifications and libraries of known knowledge

• Sage Veda Vyasa is said to have compiled the Veda into the currently understood broad classifications of Rg, Yajr, Sama & Atharva.

• Since the underlying theme of Veda is Duty (ie any life form has a certain set of duties to perform based on its current circumstance which itself it get into as a culmination of prior actions), based on the type of duties, people acquired Classifications (Priests, Warriors, Traders) [btw these in later days transmuted to the now well-known caste system]. Those who did not practice these value were class-less [which transmuted into what is now known as pariah/untouchable etc].

• Rishis - Sages - were / are class less. Meaning they are not bound by the class of duties that most people are; through research and practice (techniques such as Yagas, Yagnas, tapasyas and renunciation meditations) they transcend to a different journey - beyond scope here

Bottom line - WHo we call Hindus today (and have been calling for a few centuries now) are decendants of the Saraswath Civilization. Sanathana Dharma is again a generic phrase, just like veda (knowledge) becoming Veda - that has become a way of referring to what was practiced. But it is closer to truth in that Dharma means Duty and Sanathana I think, roughly translates to ‘eternal’. Meaning, what Hindus practice is eternal duty.

Being a complilation of knowledge, you will find, even within Vedas, complete philosophies that argue against each other! even to the point of debating Gods. According to Vedic practice, it is not only valid but in fact is expected, that your process of acquiring Veda (knowledge) is by questioning and seeking answers.

That is probably why many of the Upanishads are in the form of Q&A. For example, the Bhagwat Gita is a set of questions from Arjuna with Answers by Krishna

What about the mountains called Hindukush?