Naoshiro Tsuji, "The Dawn of Indian Civilization: The Vedas and the Upanishads" Summary and Comments - Recommended reference book for an overview of the Brahmanic scriptures.
I would like to introduce "The Dawn of Indian Civilization: The Vedas and the Upanishads" by Naoshiro Tsuji, published by Iwanami Shoten in 1967. I read the 21st printing edition in 1988.
Let's take a quick look at the book.
The Vedas are India's oldest literature and the collective name for the fundamental scriptures of Brahmanism. Its religion and rituals went through many changes and became Hinduism, and it is still alive in the beliefs and lives of modern Indians, and has also entered Buddhist thought and art. The author, a world authority on Vedic studies, talks about the formation and thought of this scripture, which can be called the source of Indian civilization, in a plain and interesting manner.
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This book is a commentary on the Vedas and Upanishadic philosophy, the fundamental scriptures of the ancient Indian religion of Brahmanism.
About the book and the Vedas, the author states in the "Foreword"
The Vedas are India's oldest literature and the collective name for the fundamental scriptures of Brahmanism. The religion and rituals of the Vedas have undergone many changes over the years and have been transformed into Hinduism, which still lives on in the beliefs and lives of most of the inhabitants of the Indian Union today. Hinduism's various sects still recognize the authority of the Vedas, at least nominally. For the average Hindu, however, the actual scriptures are not the Vedas, and accurate knowledge of their contents was quickly lost. It was Western Sanskrit scholars from the 19th century who recognized the true value of the Vedas and worked to clarify their contents. It was here that the great literature, which marks the beginning of Indian culture and is the main source of Indian thought and philosophy, was discovered.
No aspirant to any period or field of Indian studies can afford to lack knowledge of the Vedas to a greater or lesser degree, according to the degree of coarseness of the relationship. The purpose of this book is to present an overview of the Vedas to non-specialists. Therefore, it is not a study of the Vedas, but an introduction to the Vedas as common sense. It avoids detailed discussions, takes a plausible view, and is intended to be simple and plain as long as it does not fall prey to academic errors. A few examples have been selected from the various sources comprising the Vedas and translated, with a minimum of commentary. The translations should have been richer in examples, but due to space limitations, they have been omitted. A collection of translations of excerpts from the Vedas will soon be published by other publishers, and we hope that they will complement this book and help you to understand the Vedas.
Iwanami Shoten, Naoshiro Tsuji, The Dawn of Indian Civilization: The Vedas and the Upanishads, Pⅰ-ⅱ
This book is intended to introduce the non-specialist to an overview of the Vedas. Therefore, this is not a study of the Vedas, but an introduction to the Vedas as common sense."
The Vedas and the Upanishads" may sound incredibly difficult, but as described here, this book is a primer written for non-specialists to understand.
This book provides an insight into what was believed in ancient Indian religion and how it was believed.
In particular, the Rig Veda, India's oldest document, contains many Brahmanic deities that became the source of today's Hinduism. This book was also a very gratifying work for me in feeling the difference between the Indian religion before it became Hinduism.
We can also consider that Buddhism was also born out of this "Vedic" worldview.
This book is recommended as an introduction to the Vedas and Upanishads, which are unavoidable when studying ancient India and primitive Buddhism. It may be tough for those who have no knowledge of India or Buddhism, but this work is especially recommended for those who want to get some overall picture and learn more about ancient India in more detail.
The above is "Naoshiro Tsuji, The Dawn of Indian Civilization: The Vedas and the Upanishads" - a recommended reference book for an overview of the Brahmanic scriptures.
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