The Indo-European Journey: Stories of the Indo-Europeans, Indo-Iranians (aka Aryans), Indo-Aryans, Harappa, and the RigVedic Era
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ -๐ผ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐ช: ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ โ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ค ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค
Welcome to The7Rivers! The Indo-European Journey is a 77-episode story of the Indo-Europeans, Indo-Iranians aka Aryans, Iranics/Zoroastrians (including the Parsis), Indo-Aryans, Mitanni-Aryans, Harappa (aka the Indus Valley Civilization), and the RigVedic Era. The narrative tries to capture some of the thrills, drama, and romance of history. It’s enriched with myths, folk tales, ancient poetry, and fascinating human-interest stories.
The Indo-European Journey consists of several hundred Seven Rivers videos, Seven Rivers articles, and recommended readings (see the Journey Outline below). "The Journey" is meant to be an easy-to-understand introduction, but you can learn more from the recommended readings that are all available online. You can follow the Journey by Unit or by Story. There are ten units, listed below. For those who would rather read than watch, downloadable PDFs of the videos scripts are also available. There are seven Stories (The7Rivers Seven Stories) that are implemented as playlists on The7Rivers YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/c/The7Rivers/). Each week we will premiere a video or reading and place a link to it in its synopsis below. If a synopsis does not have a link, that video or reading is yet to be released. If you find this subject matter interesting, you are welcome to join The7Rivers group on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/The7Rivers).
FREE EDUCATIONAL USE: You are welcome to use the videos and their scripts (PDFs) for non-profit educational purposes at no cost as long as they are duly credited as "Courtesy and (c) Seven Rivers, www.the7rivers.com and www.youtube.com/c/The7Rivers/", including the links to our website and YouTube channel as indicated. The materials are believed to be well-researched but offered as-is. The user alone is responsible for their content.
๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ค ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐:
- ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ -๐ผ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ค
- ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ -๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค (๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐๐ค)
- ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ค/โค๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ค (๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐๐ค): Play videos
- ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐ -๐ธ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ค๐ฅ
- ๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ค
- โ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐ (๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช โ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐) ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฃ๐
- โ̣๐ฅ๐, ๐ป๐๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐ง๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐ช ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐
๐โ๐๐ ๐: โ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐ผ โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐.๐. โ๐๐๐ช๐๐๐ค๐ฅ | ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ -๐ผ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐ช: ๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐
A series of short videos (under one minute) that offer an introduction to the Indo-European Journey.
๐.๐. ๐ป๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ช ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ -๐ผ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ค | 7-1/4 min.
It was the West’s discovery of Sanskrit that led to the recognition that 445 of the world’s languages are descended from a single prehistoric mother language called the Proto-Indo-European.
Video: ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ -๐ผ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐ช
READING: Part One of The Horse, The Wheel, and Language by David Anthony. You can read the 2007 edition online at the Internet Archive.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช๐: ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ | 8-1/4 min.
Religion and poetry were intertwined with everyday life in the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) homeland. Indo-European myth and poetry played a key role in helping us understand the PIE culture.
READINGS: Vassilkov's 2014 article in the Armenian Journal of Near Eastern Studies: "Some Observations on the Indian and the Mesopotamian Flood Myths". Also, Dumรฉzil's 1988 book: Mitra-Varuna: An Essay on Two Indo-European Representations of Sovereignty. If you enjoyed the excerpt from the Mahabharata included in the video, you may want to check out the 1863 anthology of Indian Epic Poetry by Monier-Williams.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ โ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ฅ | 6-3/4 min.
Linguists, mythologists, archaeologists, geneticists, and other disciplines have worked together for over 200 years to discover the “Urheimat”, the original homeland, of the Proto-Indo-Europeans (PIE).
READING: Chapters 7-14 of The Horse, The Wheel, and Language by David Anthony. You can read the 2007 edition online at the Internet Archive.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐ช
๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐ปโ๐ธ | 6 min.
Our genetic history is encoded in our DNA, and it takes just a few very easy-to-understand concepts — that are explained in this video — to learn to "read" that history like a pro!
๐.๐. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ค
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐
๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ ๐ธ๐ค๐๐ | 6-3/4 min.
The Aryans were not the first to arrive in So. Asia. There were four other major migrations before them! If you're a So. Asian, you carry the imprint of some or all of those migrations in your own DNA.
READINGS: Some of the major genetic studies of South Asia: "Human occupation of northern India spans the Toba super-eruption ~74,000 years ago" (Clarkson, 2020); "Ancestry-Specific Analyses Reveal Differential Demographic Histories and Opposite Selective Pressures in Modern South Asian Populations" (Yelmen, 2019); "The Genomic Formation of South and Central Asia" (Narasimhan, 2018); "The Genetic Ancestry of Modern Indus Valley Populations from Northwest India" (Pathak, 2018); "The formation of human populations in South and Central Asia" (Narasimhan, 2019); "Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East" (Lazaridis, 2016); "Genomic reconstruction of the history of extant populations of India reveals five distinct ancestral components and a complex structure" (Basu, 2016); "The Kalash Genetic Isolate: Ancient Divergence, Drift, and Selection" (Ayub, 2015); "Reconstructing Indian Population History" (Reich, 2009).
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ -๐ผ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ค
At the core of the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) pantheon was a divine family headed by Heaven and Earth. Heaven, for example, is the Vedic Dyaus เคฆ्เคฏौเคท्, Greek Zeus, and Roman Jupiter. This is the first of the many episodes on the PIE religion that are part of this series.
๐.๐. ๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ง๐๐ | 8 min.
The Divine Twins (the Vedic Aลvinเค เคถ्เคตिเคจ्), called "Sons of Heaven" in some Indo-European traditions (including the RigVeda), were among the most beloved of the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) gods.
READING: Indo-European Poetry and Myth by Martin L. West. You can read it online at Google Books.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐
๐ฝ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ
๐ฝ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ๐ค | 6-3/4 min.
When Christianity became the state religion of the Roman empire in 380 CE, those who worshipped the old Indo-European (IE) gods were dubbed pagan. Some people, called Neo-Pagans, are trying to revive those ancient faiths.
๐.๐. ๐ฝ๐ฃ๐ ๐ โ๐ฆ๐ค๐ค๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ง๐ | 7 min.
South Asia and East Europe share some astonishing ties. Equally amazing is the fact that the polyglot/traveler Rahul Sankrityayan foresaw those relationships decades ahead of the major discoveries in archeology and genetics.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฃ๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ | 7 min.
Even after Europe got Christianized, many Europeans continued to worship the old Indo-European (IE) gods disguised as Christian saints. Vestiges of the old IE faiths are still embedded in Christianity.
READINGS: Tilak's 1925 book, The Arctic Homes in the Vedas; The Santies Perun Vedas (The Book of Wisdom of Perun).
๐.๐. ๐๐๐
๐ป๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐
๐พ๐ ๐๐ค | 5-1/2 min.
Meandering between the lands of the rishis and the
Vikings, we will look at the world’s recurring death and rebirth as told in the
Vedic and Old Norse texts.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐
๐ผ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ โ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ | 7-3/4 min.
Religions differ on their views about the "end times" (eschatology). Here we discuss the eschatology of two religions, Vedic and Old Norse, and our yearning to return to a moment we hold sacred.
READING: If you'd like to read the Eddas (prose and poetic), check out the resources available on the Viking Society Web Publications page.
๐.๐ . ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ -๐ผ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐
๐๐ฆ๐ โ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ | 5-3/4 min.
Indo-Europeans have worshipped the Sun in many forms. Konark’s medieval Sun Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is world renowned. The RigVedic prayer to the Sun for wisdom is one of the most popular of any religion!
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐: ๐๐๐ โ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ -๐๐๐๐ -๐ผ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ค
๐.๐. โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค
๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐ | 6-1/4
min.
Brutally cold winters and severe droughts drove the Proto-Indo-Europeans (PIE) out of the Steppe. By ~2,500-1,500 BCE, the PIE itself was no longer spoken, but its daughter languages were spreading across Europe and Asia!
READINGS: "A genetic probe into the ancient and medieval history of Southern Europe and West Asia" (Lazaridis, 2022); The Horse, The Wheel, and Language by David Anthony. You can read the 2007 edition online at the Internet Archive.
๐.๐. โ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐ | 6-1/2 min.
Kurgans, like pyramids, are memorials to the elite! While the Steppe folk were semi-nomadic, their kurgans were meant to be permanent. Thousands, some filled with rich grave goods, once dotted the Steppe.
READINGS: “At the Foot of Royal Kurgans: The Latest Geoarchaeological and Geophysical Studies” (Parzinger and others, 2016); “The Big Steppe Kurgans as Architectural Monuments” (Anatolii, 2016); “Classification and Documentation of Kurgans by Magnetometry Case studies from Siberia, Kazakhstan, Northern Caucasus and Kalmykia” (Fassbinder and others, 2011); “The Nasatyas, the Chariot and Proto–Aryan Religion” (Parpola, 2005).
๐.๐. ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐ | 7-1/4
min.
Europe's werewolf lore had its roots in the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) *koryos, troop or army. Today, we will look at the evidence for *koryos across ancient Europe. E4.5 will discuss if the *koryos were present in the Vedic South Asia.
Watch video. Read script.
๐.๐. ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค
๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐น๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐
๐ธ๐๐ | 5 min.
What did the Proto-Indo-Europeans (PIE) sound like? Working backwards from the ancient Indo-European texts, linguists have reconstructed the PIE language including its vocabulary, grammar, and phonology.
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ -๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค
๐.๐. ๐๐๐
๐ธ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ | 6-1/2 min
Some who may have claim to that term don't wish to be
labeled Aryan; others with no affinity to the historical Aryans insist that
they are! Few pay attention to how the Aryans defined themselves. In our field
there's not a term more perplexing than Aryan.
๐.๐. โ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐๐ค ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ค | 6-3/4 min.
A 2022 study ties horses and chariots to the Indo-Iranians. Sintashta's metals traveled the paths that the Indo-Iranians, with their horses and chariots, later took to found empires stretching to SE Europe and NE Africa.
๐.๐. ๐ธ โ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐ | 6-1/4 min.
Arkaim, a 2000 BCE citadel linked with the Indo-Iranians (aka Aryans) was unlike anything that then existed. For Russia, it's a national treasure. For the many who flock here every year, it's a place of "mystery" and "power"!
READING: Shnirelman's 1998 article: "Archaeology and Ethnic Politics: The Discovery of Arkaim".
๐.๐. ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค
๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ | 6 min.
The Indo-Iranians (aka Aryans) were on a war footing at Sintashta. They fortified their settlements and stepped up their metallurgical output. They also invented the war chariot, the world’s first-ever war machine!
๐.๐. โ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ธ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ | 7-1/4 min.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ช๐ | 7 min.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐ค๐๐ง๐๐๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ช๐ฆ | 7-1/2 min.
The Wusun were an Iranic (Indo-Iranian aka Aryan) people whose kings married the Han empire princesses. The Wusun-Han intermarriages, which have inspired TV biopics, are incredibly fascinating human-interest stories.
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐-๐ธ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐๐ค
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ | 7-1/4 min.
A little before the Indo-Aryans pushed into Punjab, another group of them -- called the Maryannu or Mitanni -- headed toward the Middle East. Their story, not as well-known as it should be, is the subject of Unit 5 (five episodes).
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐'๐ค ๐๐๐๐ -๐ธ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ | 8 min.
The world’s oldest inscriptions with Sanskrit-like phrases were found not in South Asia but Turkey. They relate to an Indo-Aryan people called the Mitanni who were one of the five Great Powers of the Late Bronze Age Middle East.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ค' ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐-๐ธ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐ ๐น๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ค | 8 min.
The Amarna letters are an archaeological treasure: a first hand-account of the relationship between the Mitanni kings and their Pharaoh sons-in-laws. This is the story of the Mitanni-Pharaoh marriages as revealed by the Amarna letters.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ช๐ก๐ฅ'๐ค โ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ | 4-3/4 min.
Did the Mitanni Indo-Aryan princesses exert any religious influence over their Pharaoh husbands? Before we can take that up in Episode 5.5., we first need to understand the Egyptian religion during the New Kingdom Era (~1,600-1,100 BCE).
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐-๐ธ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ค | 7-3/4 min.
Pharaoh Akhenaten has been called "revolutionary" because he steered Egypt (temporarily) away from polytheism toward a single abstract god. Some wonder if this radical shift was influenced by the Mitanni daughters-in-law.
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ค
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ค โ๐ฆ๐๐๐ | 6-1/4 min.
Sindh's Ror empire, which had survived for 1,100 years, was brought down in the end by the insecurity of a childless queen. And that is what triggered a chain of events that, in the minds of many, led to the eventual birth of Pakistan.
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ธ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ | 6-1/4 min.
Sindh is called Bab-ul-Islam, “Gateway of Islam”, because it's the fall of its Aror-based empire to the Saudi general Ibn Qasim in 712 CE that is said to have opened India's door to Islam (while leading to the Arora exodus from Sindh).
๐.๐. ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐ช๐๐๐ | 7-1/4 min.
Of the dozen or so Sindhi and Punjabi tales of love, there is none more tragic than that of Sorath and Rai Diyach. But what's not commonly known is that Diyach and Sorath were historic figures who founded the Ror empire in 450 BCE!
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ โ๐ผ | 7 min.
Aroras were a major Hindu group of the pre-Partition Pakistan. An old document details a 143 CE convention of all Aroras that led to the emergence of a complex caste system among Aroras that lasted a good 1,800 years.
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐: โ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ | 6-1/4 min.
Harappa aka the Indus Valley Civilization was the largest, most advanced civilization of its time. In a manner of speaking, So. Asia began at Harappa. If So. Asia began at Harappa, Harappa itself began at early farming sites like Mehrgarh!
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ | 7-1/4 min.
Harappa was contemporaneous with and traded with Mesopotamia and possibly also Egypt. It's the traders of Harappa (known to some of its customers as Meluhha) that were responsible for it prosperity!
๐.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค ๐ ๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐ | 6 min.
The amazing thing about Harappa is that it had the ancient world’s most advanced urban infrastructure. In fact, Harappans had better amenities in some respects than some of today’s South Asians.
๐.๐. โ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ค โ๐ ๐๐ | 4-1/2 min.
๐.๐. โ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐, ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ | 6 min.
The story of the Egyptian civilization once lay locked in its ~1,000 hieroglyphs, as Harappa’s does now in the Indus script. What will it take to crack this Script: A Rosetta Stone — or perhaps advances in artificial intelligence?
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ : ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฃ๐
๐ .๐. ๐ธ ๐พ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ฃ ๐ธ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ | 5-1/4 min.
The Gayatri Mantra, a prayer for wisdom, is one of the world's most ancient and popular prayers. Its legendary author, a colorful king-turned-poet, is tied to a pivotal ~1375 BCE battle that led to the emergence of So. Asia's first state.
Watch video. Read script.
๐ .๐. โ๐๐ฅ๐๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ก: โ๐ฅ๐, ๐ป๐๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐ง๐๐๐
๐ก.๐. ๐ฝ๐ฃ๐ ๐ โ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ | 6-3/4 min.
*H₂รฉrtus (Vedic แนta/เคเคค and Zoroastrian Aแนฃ̌a), the cosmic order, was a key Proto-Indo-European (PIE) concept. In this episode, we will follow the 2,500 years of evolution from the PIE *H₂รฉrtus to the Vedic Dharma, Karma, and Saแนsฤra aka reincarnation.
๐ก.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐ง๐๐๐ | 7-1/2 min.
Episode 9.1 tracked the evolution of Dharma, Karma, and reincarnation from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) concept of *h₂รฉrtus. This episode tracks the parallel evolution of the conception of the Divine.
๐ก.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐ฃ โ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ | 7-1/2 min.
Indo-European mythology, including the Vedic, is full of interesting tales about not only the Sun but also her sons, daughters, and (occasionally) sisters. Helen of Troy is perhaps the most famous of the Sun's children.
๐ก.๐. ๐ป๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ง๐๐ | 7-1/2 min.
When the day dawned in the Steppe, the Proto-Indo-Europeans attributed it to the goddess *Hโรฉusลs. She is the Vedic Uแนฃรกs (เคเคทเคธ्), Avestan Uลกรฅ, Greek Eos, Roman Aurora, Lithuanian Auลกrinฤ, and the West Germanic ฤostre.
๐ก.๐. เคฏเค्เค-๐๐๐๐๐ช๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ | 7 min.
Homa (เคนोเคฎ) / Yajna (เคฏเค्เค) was a key Vedic ritual that has analogs across the Indo-European world. In fact, the very Germanic conception of God (as revealed by this word's etymology) may be based on him as the target of a homa offering!
๐ก.๐. ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ฅ | 5-1/4 min.
The Hinglaj Shakti Peetha in Pakistan is as revered by Pakistan's Hindus as it is by the local Balochi Muslims who call her Bibi Nani, "respected maternal grandmother". But as we’ll see, Nani has another meaning as well.
๐ก.๐. ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ช โ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ | 6-3/4 min.
The Indo-Iranians (aka Aryans) saw a heavenly river as the source of water for all the rivers and streams of the earth. Personified as a goddess, this river is the Indic Sarasvati and the Iranic Aredvi Sura Anahita.
๐ก.๐ . ๐๐๐ โ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ โ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ช | 7 min.
Hinduism’s God can be form-and-gender-less, masculine, feminine, or androgynous (male/female). In this episode, we look at the ลฤkta (เคถाเค्เคค), who view God as feminine.
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐: ๐๐๐ โค๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ค
๐๐.๐. โค๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐
๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ | 7 min.
This episode focuses on the life, death, and teachings of Zarathustra Spitama, the founder of Zoroastrianism, aka Mazdayasna, an attempt to reform the Iranic (Proto-Vedic like) religion.
READINGS: Mary Boyce's 2002 book: Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Also her 1991 book: A History of Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrian texts (translated) with notes by Oktor Skjรฆrvรธ. The Heritage Institute website is another great resource on Zoroastrianism.
๐๐.๐. โ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ค | 7-1/4 min.
๐๐.๐. ๐ธ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ | 6 min.
๐๐.๐. ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐ช ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ | 5 min.
What the Parsis know of their origins is from their oral traditions. The chief among them is the Qissa-i Sanjan, “the Story of Sanjan”, an epic poem in a style reminiscent of Ferdowsi’s that bears the date of 1,599 CE.
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