>>Rishi - Top of pyramid in Vedic Bharat<<

Rishi had more authority than the king. The Rishis decided who would be the king. Rishis advised the king on religious and social matters.

Our culture does not glroify kings. Rishis have more power than kings. Kings obeyed commands of Rishi. Our culture glorifies Rishis, as the knower of God, and knower of the laws of God. That is why we do not have volumes written about kings despite having millions years+ of history.

>>The Gurukul system of education<<

Gurukul is a residential school set up by a Rishi typically in a rural area.

Gurukul has education for both boys and girl though living and teaching were segregated.

Boys were taught from 6-25 years of age. Girls were taught from 6-16 years of age.

The foundation of education was Veda. Only those students who could master Veda went on to become Brahmin and Kshatriya. The rest were educated into sciences and crafts as applicable.

The boys who showed martial tendency and were strongly built were taught the science and art of building and using weapons, the political science, law etc, so that they became administrators (Kshatriya).

The boys who showed aptitude for learning and teaching continued on to become teachers (Brahmin).

The boys who could not master Veda but were intelligent enough were taught shashtras to become agriculturists, engineer, trader etc. (Vaishya).

The boys with poor learning aptitude became workers for either of the above three - in state service, or 'sevak' in Gurukul, or farm workers, factory workers, boatman, etc. (Shudra).

As you see a foot-soldier in state service would be called a 'shudra' by this definition. Cooks for king are 'shudra'.

So application of 'untouchability' is impossible.

>>Economic System in Vedic Bharat<<

>>Land<<

State had the first right on all land in the kingdom. The state allocated land to persons/families for different uses for certain periods of time (like a lease, but without material consideration). The concept of perpetual private ownership of land does not exist in Vedic culture.

Since ownership of land was not in the hands of private parties, buying and selling of land was not possible.

A king could take the land back in case of misuse or disuse.

>>Taxes<<

Vedas allow only 1/6th part (maximum) of income as taxes either in cash or kind. There was no other tax.

The commerce tax or trade tax was levied by a King on the goods transiting through his kingdom by either road or waterways. These taxes were nominal.

There was no sales tax, customs duty, octroi, value added tax etc. nothing. In general, there were no goods taxes.

The tax administration was thus quite simple and required only a few people.

>>Agriculture and food<<

Fourty different foodstuffs were grown and consumed in Vedic times.

Cows were reared for milk and horses for transport. Bulls were used in bullock carts and tilling land.

Elephant were part of King's army primaily for making way through thick jungles which covered a major part of Indian subcontinent.

Arya were strict vegetarians and consumed neither meat nor fish.

Food primarily consisted of cooked grains and lentils alongwith milk, yoghurt and butter.

It was supplanted with leafy greens and fresh fruit as seasonally available.

>>Social system and marriage in Vedic Society<<

Vedic system is basically Patriarchal. The family line goes from father to son.

There is an intresting issue of polygamy. Most man in vedic society had only one wife. Many religious men took vow of celibacy and did not marry.

Polygamy was allowed though. Kings and Brahmins (cream of the society) did engage in polygamy.

For the king, it was primarily the issue of having an heir who could rule. An important aspect of a suitable heir was that the prince had to complete his vedic education (which Duryodhan never did). So only one male child was considered a risk.

Situation with Brahmin is more complicated. There was a culture of donating a marriagable girl to a learned man. A donation of a girl can only result in marriage, as there is no other way of a man and woman living together. These girls were special who continued to learn from the Rishi, managed the household, and educated the girls in Gurukul. This union was mostly 'asexual'. The women can be called equivalent to ascetics.

>>Life in Gurukul<<

Gurukul was a self contained unit. It included farmland, goshala (place to rear cows), residences of Rishi, adhyaapak (teachers) and students, Yagna-shala (place for conducting Yagna) and classrooms.

Gurukul was a self-sufficient unit in food, and only required occassional assistance of King and householders.

Gurukuls were normally established near forest, as plenty of firewood was required in Yagna.

The state provided assistance to Gurukuls as needed. Education is considered a responsibility of the King in the Vedic system.

>>Free Education<<
Education in Gurukul was completely free. There were no charges either tution or board.

Students worked in the Gurukul in tasks like agriculture, rearing cows, cutting wood, cleaning etc., in general to help the Gurukul run, as per the responsibilities assigned by the Rishi.

But students were not charged anything in terms of money.

>>The four Ashrams (stages) of life<<

>>Brahmcharya<<

Brahmcharya means abstinence. The vedic education normally lasted from 6-25 for man and 6-16 for woman. However some continued beyond this age, and became lifelong ascetics. Veda is such a vast pool of knowledge that who dips in it, and starts to enjoy the nectar can never go anywhere else.

>>Grihasth<<

Grihasth means married life. The boy and girl were suitable for marriage after completion of their education. Grihasth also means that a man normally carried on a profession. Women mostly tended to the household, though some were employed by the King as advisors.

>>Vanprastha<<

Vanprastha means ‘transition to life in jungle’. A realistic meaning is transition to life away from family. The family bonds are very strong, and family issues always affect spiritual progress. So it was considered important to leave family life after the children have been married. The possessions were left to the children and a man would typically leave to a non-populated area and make a hut there, live on ‘kanda, mula, phal’ (tuber, root, and fruit) available in jungle, and practice meditation as long as possible during the day. This stage is considered optional and is started after taking a vow ceremony. Women did not go on ‘vanprastha’ and stayed with the family.

>>Sanyaas<<

Sanyaas is also started with a vow ceremony. Sanyaas is the next stage if a ‘vanprasthi’ is able to reach a certain state of achievement. A Sanyaasi goes to the society to teach and enlighten, and can perform one of the 16 ceremonies associated with events in vedic life. Sanyaasi can perform ‘yagna’ for householders.

>>The funeral rites<<

A dead body is always consigned to fire, in a funeral pyre. However ashes should be BURIED in ground. There is no logic of putting ashes in rivers and streams. The dead body is washed before consigning to flames. It should also be done away from the flowing water. Dead body should not be placed in the river.

Sanyasi, vanprasthi and even Rishi took their last breathe in jungles many times, and nobody did last rites. My spiritual guru says - why attachment with body. Let the dead body be eaten by wild animals. Body, which is made of 'panchbhoot', will go to where it came from. No last rites are needed.

The belief of Hindus in last rites (that soul will be disturbed if last rites is not performed) is a superstition. So is throwing ashes in a river.

Vedic people do not believe in superstitions.

Body is consigned to fire so that diseases do not spread. Burying body in the ground attracts flesh eating worms, which are carriers of harmful bacteria.

>>Sanskar<<

Sanskar is a very important part of vedic life. Sanskars are religious ceremonies associated with various events in life. Sanskar was the main interface between the Learned men and the householders for transmission of vedic knowledge to the society. The Learned man invited explained the importance of that event to the householder, performed agnihotra, and blessed the householder.

Following is the list of sanskars:
1. Garbhadhan
2. Punsvan
3. Seemantonayan
4. Jatkarm
5. Namkarn
6. Nishkraman
7. Annaprashan
8. Chudakarm
9. Karnvedh
10. Upanayan
11. Veda-arambh
12. Samavartan
13. Vivah
14. Vanprastha
15. Sanyaas
16. Anteyeshti

>>'Athithi devo bhavah!'<<

The visitor (a man of wisdom) is called a 'dev'.

'dev' does not mean God. Bhagwan also does not mean God.

When we say 'Bhagwan Ram', it is like saying 'Alexander the Great'. 'Bhagwan' is title given to the most respectable person of highest authority.

'dev' means worth emulating, somebody who gives (knowledge).

A visitor (a man of learning or a man of science) is welcomed as he will give us wisdom. Such a person is treated with highest respect.

Rishi, muni, sanyaasi, king, king's officer, ambassador of another country etc. are called 'atithi' when invited to a household.

However all these touristy types are not 'dev'. Ignorance of Vedas causes such confusion.

>>Teerth yatra (pilgrimage)<<

Going to Haridwar and taking a dip in Ganga is not considered pilgrimage in Veda. Keeping body clean by regular bathing (shauch) is an important part of daily rituals. However bathing in Ganga is as good as bathing in well-water in village. There is no special importance laid on bathing in Ganga.

Pilgrimage is an important part of Vedic life. Pilgrimage is travelling to participate in a 'yagna' organized by a Rishi or a King. The communal lunch of such a 'yagna' is called 'Brahm bhoj' - God's food. It is considered very important to partake in 'Brahm bhoj'.

>>Who is a Vedic person (Arya)<<

Who follows Veda
Performs daily agnihotra
Performs Sanskars
Participates in 'Yagna' (pilgrimage)

>>Vedic people and science<<

Why Bharat always seems to lag the state of the art in technology in modern recorded history.

My Guru says it was not always so. He says metallurgy was well developed in vedic time, specially making objects out of copper and iron. Iron arrowheads and spearheads are still unearthed in area around Kurushetra (the scene of Mahabharat war). There was extensive use of iron in chariot making and weapons.

Medicine was very well developed too. Medicine system was based on herbal preparations. Surgery was well known and doctors were able to perform several types of procedures.

The construction of buildings, roads etc., and trade of goods followed defined system of weights and measurements.

There were big enough boats (that crossed the rivers) that they could carry a chariot.

>>Commerce in the time of Krsna<<

There were around 18 kingdoms in Bharat, and there was extensive trade between them. Both roadways and waterways were used for trade. All major rivers were used for transportation of goods by boat.

Ancient coins (gold/silver coins ring shaped) are still unearthed in India, which date from Vedic time. Vedic coins did not have stamping, and the value of the coin was value of the metal. The hole was used to string coins (using a cotton string) so that it can be tied to the waist with the lower garment worn by men.

There are good reasons to believe trade links between ancient Bharat and West Asia (Persia, Babylonia, Assyria, and Egypt). We shall explore that later.

Some Vedic Recipes Still in Use

1. Dalia (roasted and crushed black gram-lentil, cooked in water or milk)
2. Bhat (rice and lentil cooked together in a thick soup)
3. Kheer (rice cooked with milk and sugar, spinkled with dry fruits and nuts)
4. White steamed rice
5. Lentil soup (there are several types of lentils). Lentil soup in vedic time normally used only sea salt and ghee (clarified butter) as condiment.
6. Shreekhand - Yoghurt mixed with sugar and ghee
7. Til balls - roasted til seeds, mixed with sugar and ghee, and made into balls
8. Shak - any steamed vegetables - salted and sprinkled with ghee
9. Laddoo - roasted gram flour, mixed with sugar and ghee, made into balls

Java (barley) in Vedic culture
Barley was an important crop in Vedic time. It was considered very good for students and old people.

Main recipe are barley bhat and barley soup.

Roasted barley can be used in place of gram-lentil for making laddoo.

Importance of Sanyaasi

Sanyaasi (the travelling ascetic) are very important in the Vedic culture. They are the teachers of dharma to the general public, people who are not able to get an education in Gurukul. Sanyaasi (when invited) performed sanskar, yagna etc. for the householder, as well as preached the householders on various features of Vedic religion.

Sanyaasi were mostly old people who had completed their 'vanprastha' and taken a vow of Sanyaas. But there were also young people who had taken 'sanyaas' at an early age by skipping 'Grihasth' ashram altogether. These are called 'Naishtic Brahmchari'. Bhishm Pitamaha was such a Sanyaasi who never married, and lived to more than 250 years of age due to power of Yoga.

I am not Indian ..in this life...but love India.

I will say that I know because I have memories that I should not have, but as I cannot prove anything or any of them, I will say IMO - India was a greater, older civilization than is known, and settled Egypt. Almost all religion comes from India, because India developed the best language for expressing belief firs- it spread up, not down, into the middle east AFTER the great near extinction of people the last time.

The true history of India would be very threatening to the BIG 3 Monotheistic faiths, but really only in their power-structure and claim of being derived from the first people that "GOD" made.

The record of much of this has not been lost, some is oral and unchanged, thought people would not want to trust that linage for some reason, but a lot of it just needs to be translated and made available.