Primer of the Rigveda : Science and society in the making
- Bengaluru Navakarnataka 2025
- 376p PB 21.5x14cm
Rigveda has a unique place in world literature. Both from the point of view of chronology and content Rigveda has, immense importance. But is Rigveda purely a religious text? Definitely not. It has assumed a charming form, originally through the oral tradition and as a collection of a distinct literary composition. The compass of the Rigveda loses its dimension if viewed exclusively as a religious text. Its reflections on contemporary society, its complexity, its multiple faces and the mutual relationship of the hymns are too important to be ignored. Nor can one obtain a comprehensive idea of the text by limiting it exclusively to any one context. Dr. G. Ramakrishna's study is significant in that it has extended the trodden path and views the ancient text in a wider perspective to include historical, anthropological, sociological, theological, philosophical and aesthetic dimensions. His scholarly endeavour thus makes the analysis comprehensive and absorbing. This work is a path breaking specimen of how a primordial ancient text like the Rigveda needs to be analysed, understood and evaluated.