RELG 252 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Smriti, South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation, Sacred Language
10 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Agni: agni is the god of fire, the acceptor of sacrifice and messenger to the gods and. The translation of agni is fire: agni is an important vedic diety who is mentioned in the rgvedas. He was therefore most prominent between 1700- 1500 bce. These ancient rituals contain hyms to him: agni is involved in one of the oldest rituals in the world. This ritual is performed solely by male brahmans and the sacrificers wife. It continues for 12 days during which agni is said to act as a messenger to both the gods and soma. Moreover, rgveda and samveda recitations are made during the ceremony. Brahmins: -a brahmin is a member of the highest social class (priests, ritual specialists, learned people). Dharma: the meaning of dharma is to uphold or to bear duty and justice. The closest english word would be ethical system: the earliest traces of the concept of dharma can be traced to the first centuries.
