Change and Continuity in Indian Religion

In this book the author intends to make some critical remarks apropos of substratum theories advanced to explain the numerous differences between the ancient Vedic culture of India and Hinduism. It would appear to him that the problems with which we are confronted in studying the history of India are much more complicated than certain archaeologists, linguists and students of the history of religions would have us believe and that many hypotheses based on a predominant influence of the substratum are ill-founded. The book contains studies on various subjects which are intended to criticize some of these theories and to show that very complex developments and difficult problems have often been unjustly simplified. Certain cultural changes which at first sight may appear to have been due to the impact of foreign elements may on second thoughts be rather ascribed to an internal development within the Aryan community. After a general introduction on substratum theories there are chapters on Soman, Amrta, and the Moon; on the absence of vahanas (mounts, horses, etc. of gods) in the Veda and their occurrence in Hindu art and literature; the number sixteen, the Isvara idea; maya; gifts; the guru; brahmacarya and a long chapter on diksa.