The religion of early Vedic Aryans was primarily of

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UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2012 UPSC Prelims History paper.

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Question

The religion of early Vedic Aryans was primarily of

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: C — Worship of nature and YajnasSolution:The religion of the early Vedic Aryans (Rigvedic period, approximately 1500-1000 BCE) had two defining characteristics:Worship of Nature (Prakriti Pooja): Early Vedic religion was primarily based on reverence for natural forces personified as deities. The major Rigvedic gods represent natural phenomena: Indra (thunder, rain, warfare — the most hymned god in the Rigveda with ~250 hymns); Agni (fire — ~200 hymns, the divine intermediary in yajna); Varuna (cosmic order/rita, water, sky); Mitra (sun, friendship); Surya (sun); Ushas (dawn); Vayu (wind); Prithvi (earth); Apas (water). These gods were not worshipped through images (idol worship came later) but through hymns (mantras) and fire rituals.Yajnas (Fire Sacrifices): The primary ritual form was the yajna — elaborate fire sacrifices in which oblations (ghee, grain, soma juice) were offered into fire with the recitation of Vedic hymns. Agni carried these offerings to the gods. The yajna was the central institution of Vedic religious life — connecting humans to the cosmic order. Major yajnas: Agnishtoma, Ashvamedha (horse sacrifice), Rajasuya (royal consecration), Vajapeya.Why other options are incorrect:Option A (Bhakti): Bhakti as a devotional movement emerged much later — primarily from the 6th-7th century CE onwards with the Alvars and Nayanmars in South India, and the medieval Bhakti movement (12th-17th century CE). Early Vedic religion was ritual-based, not devotion-based in the Bhakti sense.Option B (Image worship and Yajnas): Image worship (idol worship) was NOT part of early Vedic religion — it is associated with later periods (particularly from the Gupta period onwards, 4th century CE). Early Vedic gods were worshipped through hymns and fire rituals, not through physical images.Key Concept: The evolution of Hinduism: Early Vedic (nature worship + yajna) → Later Vedic (increasing ritualism, Brahmanical dominance, Upanishadic philosophy) → Epic-Puranic period (emergence of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, idol worship) → Bhakti movement (emotional devotion, rejection of ritualism) → Modern Hinduism (synthesis of multiple streams). The shift from nature worship and yajnas to temple-based image worship represents one of the most significant transformations in Indian religious history.

The religion of early Vedic Aryans was primarily of

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The religion of early Vedic Aryans was primarily of

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