transition from Vedic to Hindu religion

[Dean Michael Anderson]

I ran across some people on the internet the other day who insist that the transition from the Vedic period to the early Hindu period involved, not a transition, but a wholesale rejection of the Vedic gods and their replacement with Hindu ones. They say the Vedic gods are reviled in Hinduism.

This goes against everything I know about this transition. It seems to originate from some very early Indological writings by Western scholars but they haven't been able to provide me with anything more than a list of *possible* books -- Oldenberg, McDonnell, etc. -- no page references.

Does anyone know where this idea may have arisen? I can see how they might have gotten this idea from the Buddhist/Jain texts or the later Bhakti period but not about the development of early Hinduism.

Also, can anyone provide me with a reference to succinct discussion of the current scholarly position that I could pass on to them rather than having to write something myself from the source texts?

Best,

Dean

Dean Anderson
East West Cultural Institute



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