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The Rig-Veda As A Creation Myth

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The Rig-Veda As A Creation Myth
The Rig-Veda is considered to be foundational in Hindu religion, containing mythology of the Hindu gods through the form of hymns. It is assumed that The Rig Veda was passed on orally for many generations, much like the theories of the compilation of the Bible. At around 300 B.C. the Vedas were written down in the form we have them today, first inscribed in Vedic, an early form of Sanskrit. The Bhagavad Gita also stands as an ancient Indian text which became an important work of Hindu tradition in terms of both literature and philosophy, written at some point between 400 BCE and 200 CE. Similar to the Rig-Veda, the Bible is also a collection of texts in which one single origin cannot be identified, but rather is argued by historians to have …show more content…
In strong contrast with all other creation myths, the Hebrew version exhibits more simplicity and confidence deriving from devout monotheists. However, it is clear that the Book of Genesis, as a creation myth, shows distinct similarities to several ancient religions with stories of creation, such as the Rig Veda, one of the sacred scriptures of the Aryans who invaded India around 1500 B.C. Both texts convey the traditions, beliefs, and rituals of particular religions and are often referred to as sacred literature or scriptures. The Rig Veda and the Book of Genesis boast the concept …show more content…
Therefore, it can be argued that a similarity lay within the deep-rooted philosophy of each text, all based upon the idea of worship and devotion, this is explicitly shown within the Bhagavad Gita when Krishna points out that knowledge, work and devotion are all paths to salvation and that the central value in life is that of loyalty to God. On the other hand, some may argue that one of the most dominant themes of the Old Testament was adherence to monotheism and the rejection that any other gods exist, any other form of worship was sin and betrayal of God. The Bhagavad Gita and the Rig-Veda, however, assert the existence of multiple gods, and can therefore be contended to be completely incompatible with the Hebrew and Christian

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