The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c11.18

c11.18

The striking feature of Vedic ritualism is its unmythical, rational, and individualistic character. The mythical presence of gods and ancestors has evaporated to mere names. Their deeds no longer form the authoritative foundation of the ritual that now finds its authority in itself, in the comprehensive system of rules ordering the limited set of standardized liturgical elements—acts, formulas, recitations, and chants.