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The key tectonic shift I think was around the middle of 1st millennium BCE with the rise of Vaishnavism
Clues are in the Gita itself where Krishna suggests a preference for "vegetarian" offerings (from MT's blog)
Clues are in the Gita itself where Krishna suggests a preference for "vegetarian" offerings (from MT's blog)
And this is sort of corroborated by Al Biruni, who spoke to the Brahmins in North West India during his journeys circa 1015-20 CE
They told him that eating cow meat was allowed before the "Bharata war" and the age of vAsudeva, but has been forbidden since
They told him that eating cow meat was allowed before the "Bharata war" and the age of vAsudeva, but has been forbidden since
Ofcourse Al Biruni is no authority and a lot must have been lost in translation
But from his account there is little doubt that the Bharata war and VAsudeva were key figures - and the War changed many things in Indian life
But from his account there is little doubt that the Bharata war and VAsudeva were key figures - and the War changed many things in Indian life
Take for instance the mode of disposing dead bodies
Al Biruni says something intriguing. He says the bodies were exposed to the elements in the Zoroastrian way by Hindus as well
But post nArAyaNa (who I presume is vAsudEva), the custom of burning bodies picked up
Al Biruni says something intriguing. He says the bodies were exposed to the elements in the Zoroastrian way by Hindus as well
But post nArAyaNa (who I presume is vAsudEva), the custom of burning bodies picked up
The criticality of vAsudEva in altering the ethical climate of the country deserves a closer study
Even the tradition concurs on this - that things changed with the end of the DwApara Yuga and the birth of Kali - which coincides with the conclusion of the bharata War
Even the tradition concurs on this - that things changed with the end of the DwApara Yuga and the birth of Kali - which coincides with the conclusion of the bharata War
Whether to place this shift in the middle of 1st Millennium BCE when the BhAgavata religion picked up and the Gita was composed, or whether to go back in time and place it circa 1000-1300BCE (the likely timeframe for the historical core of the Bharata War) is an open question
The Bhagavad Gita is no doubt the most popular of all Hindu texts today
But what was it in its origins?
A Satvata text which gained status in the Vedantic fold over time?
That's something that deserves a closer look
But what was it in its origins?
A Satvata text which gained status in the Vedantic fold over time?
That's something that deserves a closer look
