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in uo sense a popular one. Neither in the language por in the thought of the Rig-Veda can we discover that quality of primitive natural simplicity which so many are fain to see in it. The poetry it contains is of a singularly refined character and artificially elaborated, full of allusions and reticences, of pretensions to mysticisin and philosophic thought ; and the inander of its expression is such as reminds one more frequently of the phraseology in use amoug certain sinall groups of initiated than the poetic language of a large community. Nor is there any ground for supposing that the Veda has taught us everything on the ancient social and religious condition of even Aryan India, or everything there can be accounted for by reference to it. The fact is that in past as in present other religions have existed along side of Veda, and so ne claim to have existed even before the Vedas. So that in order to understand the exact condition of India you have to depend not only on the Vedas but on the religious literature of the Jaids and the Buddhists also.
We will frst take the Vedic literature. The main ildistry of the people representing that cult was agricultire, as nearly all the hymns are generally puzyers to gois, a!lusions to trade and co:ne merce being very rare. However there are numerous passages which indicate the existence of current money for the purposes of buying and selling.
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