| From The River Of Heaven |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| HINDU AND VEDIC KNOWLEDGE IN MODERN AGE | |
| Vedic
Knowledge in Western Culture All culture is composite in nature and different aspects of our culture come from different sources. Our religions, Christianity and Judaism, come from an ancient Middle Eastern cultural matrix. Most of the secular part of our culture, science, art, philosophy comes from a Greco-Roman base. Our languages and our folk culture derives mainly from our Germanic, Slavic or Keltic ancestors. There is even an Indian or Vedic influence in our culture. The further we trace back Indo-european languages the more they come to resemble Sanskrit. These include the Germanic, Slavic, Keltic, Greek and Latin tongues of most of Europe. Ancient Sanskrit has many words we would find familiar--matar, mother; pitar, father; duhitar, daughter; sunu, son; svasar, sister; bhratar, brother; gau, cow. Such words generally relate to the most fundamental factors of life. In terms of language western or European culture has a common root with the Sanskrit. In terms of culture, many of the practices of ancient European religions, like the Kelts of Ireland and their druids or the fire worship of the Romans, Germans and Slavs have much in common with the Vedic. Ancient names for the Divine or God, also have their connection. We have divine from Latin deus and Sanskrit deva; Roman Jupiter and Sanskrit Dyaus Pitar; there is Slavic bogu and Vedic bhaga. These reflect a commonality of religious belief and experience, not just a coincidence of language.
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