CONTENTS.

LECTURE THE FIRST.

INDIA THE LAND OF RELIGIONS.-—THE VEDA.

Multiplicity of Hindu religions-MB rahmanismwB ud- dhismn—Profound hold of religion upon the Hindu mindeindu life dominated by religious institu- tions-"The four stages of life—The institution of casteMCaste then and noww—Symptoms of revulsion against castem—Other pernicious religious institu~ tionsmContinuity of India’s religious history-“Date of the conception of flu, or “cosmic order ”-———-Close relationship of the religions of India and Persiam Slight connection between India and Persia in sec— ular historyw’l‘he Parsis in India—mClose relation between Veda and Avesta—wThe Veda. and the Indo- European periodm—The Veda as a Whole—meThe date of the Veda—“Its great uncertaintymN ature of Ve dic traditionm'l‘he Qrotriyas, or “Oral Traditionalists”-—- Uncertain character of Vedie life and institutions——

Origin of the VedamContents of Vedio literature as a WholemThe four VedasmThe Rig—Vedaw’l‘he books of the Rig-Vedaw-Theme and character of the Ringedae—A hymn to Goddess Dawn-"The Yajue VedamCharacter oi the yajus-formulasmThe Same.“ Veda-“Origin and purpose of the SimawVedamThe Atharva—VedamContents of the Atharva—Vedaw Religious Quality of the AthervauVedam— Two Atharvan hymns—M The Brahmana Texts—— Some legends of the Brahmanasw—The Aranyakas, or “ Form est Treatises ”-—--—‘I‘he UpanishadsmLiterary history

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