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Description
Deepak Shimkhada is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Claremont McKenna College. In this lecture, he discusses two aspects of texts with respect to Hinduism: the use of the term "sacred" and the problem of religious insiders and outsiders. He suggests the term "sacred text" is a Western construct, as it is not found in the Vedic texts of Hinduism. The term "Veda" means "knowledge", and these earliest Hindu texts began as oral tradition because "no one can tamper with what's in one's head". Brahmins memorized portions of the Vedas and were responsible for their oral transmission. Eventual a process of transcription began, and Hinduism came to distinguish the Vedas as heard as "sruti". Shimkhada also suggests that the terms "insider" and "outsider" are also Western concepts used primarily in academia by scholars attempting to remain objective.
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