Vaidiks & Vedic Religion

[Samar Abbas]

Dear Mr. Agrawal,
 Thank you for your excellent and very thorough reply. My comments and
further queries are at the places below.

On Sun, 9 May 1999, Vishal Agarwal wrote:
> I first encountered traditional Vedics at Poona where I lived for 6 years.
> My immediate neighbours were Srotriya Rigvedins who could recite the Sakala
> Rigveda completely with movements of head etc.

This is the kind of info I wanted. Does the term `traditional Vaidiks',
mean that these people were not Arya Samajis ? If so, then this wouls mean
that the ancient Vedic religion did survive. I have always felt that the
`corrupt' Puranas, etc. could not have corrupted all followers of the
Vaidik religion, and that the Vaidik religion survived as a minority sect,
just as Jainism did.

> The Aryas consider themselves as Vaidiks and hold that their interpretation
> of the Vedas is the correct one.

Yes, but did they coin the term `Vaidik' ? Or is it that they sought to
revive a minority (and not a dead) religion ?

> As for Agarwals, we claim our descent from King Agrasen of Agreya (modern
> Agroha in Hissar district of Haryana). Tradiition states that he ruled a
> city state approximately 200 years after the Mahabharata War. He promoted

Your info on Agarwals is highly informative. I have also heard that the
Agarwals are the only `Aryan Vaisyas' left, the rest being from Gujarat,
descendants of Khazars (whence Gujjars and thus Gujarat) from South
Russia. Incidentally, the Khazars were Jews (does this have something to
do with their mercantile abilities ?).

> I think others in this forum can answer your other questions better
> than I can, because my native area had a strong Arya Samaj influence

There are 2 types of Orientalists: those who follow text-books, and those
who have `ground'-knowledge based on personal experiences. The former are
sometimes out of touch with realities; and require the know-jow of people
`on the ground'. Since my question re. the survival of Vedic religion
throughout the period of `corrupt' Hinduism goes against standard
`text-book' scholarship, I asked you. One need not feel any `inferior' if
the knowledge one has is based on ground knowledge; Sir Richard Burton,
whose knowledge of Orientalism was entirely `ground-based', was perhaps
the most renowned Orientalist ever.

Thanks,
Samar