Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s12.499

v1.c3.s12.499

Grāma.—The primitive sense of this word, which occurs frequently from the Rigveda¹ onwards, appears to have been ‘village.’ The Vedic Indians must have dwelt in villages which were scattered over the country, some close together,² some far apart, and were connected by roads.³ The village is regularly contrasted with the forest (araṇya), and its animals and plants with those that lived or grew wild in the woods.⁴ The villages contained cattle, horses, and other domestic animals, as well as men.⁵ Grain was also stored in them.⁶ In the evening the cattle regularly returned thither from the forest.⁷ The villages were probably open, though perhaps a fort (Pur) might on occasion be built inside.⁸ Presumably they consisted of detached houses with enclosures, but no details are to be found in Vedic literature. Large villages (*mahāgrāmāḥ*) were known.⁹