Studies in the Origins of Buddhism c13.62

c13.62

Śaṅkarācārya has observed that the Vedic religion is two-fold—Pravṛtti dharma and Nivṛtti-dharma.⁵⁰ The fact of the matter is that the orthodox Aryan Vedic tradition was in the beginning essentially Pravṛtti-dharma, but later on, partly through inner evolution and more through the influence of the Muni-Śramaṇas it developed Nivṛtti-dharma as a tendency within its fold. We propose to review the development of Vedic religion from this standpoint and analyse the fateful revolution which occurred within it in the later Vedic Age and led to important consequences for the subsequent development of Indian religion and thought.