8th Standard, Social Science, History, CHAPTER 5 – Sanatana Dharma

8th Standard, Social Science, History, CHAPTER 5

Sanatana Dharma

Exercises

I. Fill in the blanks with suitable words:

1. The meaning of the word Veda is knowledge.

2. Most of the Upanishads are in the form of philosophical discussions.

3. The auxiliary disciplines to understand the Vedas, its pronunciation and practice are Vedangas. 

4. The great epics of India are Ramayana and Mahabharata.

5. The pillars of Indian philosophy are the Darshanas.

II Answer the following questions in brief:

6. Name the Vedas.

Answer: There are four Vedas available today. The name of the Vedas are as follows.  

1. Rigveda
2. Yajurveda
3. Samaveda 
4. Atharvaveda

7.  What are the four divisions (Skandas) of the Vedas?

Answer: The four divisions (Skandas) of the Vedas are, 

1. Samhitha 
2. Bramhana 
3. Aaranyaka
4. Upanishad 

8. What is Smriti? Why they are also called Dharmasutras?

Answer: Smriti means that which is remembered. These works of the post- Vedic period are called Smritis because they are reminiscent of the Vedas and the Upanishads. These are also called Dharmasutras, manuals on Dharma, because they give the rules of everyday life, the rules to lead a worldly life, its ethics and etiquette and the rules of good character and conduct.

9.  Which are the important Darshanas?

Answer: The six important Darshanas are as follows.

1. Nyaya
2. Vaisesika
3. Saankhya
4. Yoga
5. Purva Mimamsa 
6. Uttara Mimamsa

10. How many major schools of ‘Agama traditions’ are there?

Answer: There are three major schools in Agama traditions. They are

1. Vaishnava
2. Shaiva
3. Shaakta  

11. What is the message of the ‘Sanatana Dharma’?

Answer: ‘Aano bhadrah kratavo yantu vishwatah’, a Vedic chant which means ‘Let good things flow to us from all sides of the universe’ is the message of Sanathana Dharma.

Additional questions:

1. The word ‘Sanatana’ means ‘most ancient’.
2. The Vedas are called ‘Shrutis’, as this knowledge is heard and learned by the sages.
3. The sage Krishnadwaipayana categorized the immeasurable cluster of Vedas and hence he was also called ‘Vedavyasa’
4. The most ancient and influential among them is the Manusmriti.
5. Smritis also includes Vedanga, Purana, Itihaasa and Darshanas.

12. What is Vedanga? Mention the types of Vedanga.

Answer: Vedangas are the auxiliary disciplines to understand the Vedas, its pronunciation and practice. They are Siksha (phonetics), Chandas (prosody), Vyakaran (grammar), Nirukta (etymology), Jyotishya (astrology) and Kalpa (religious practices).

13. Which are the Sources of Sanatana Dharma?

Answer: The Sources of Sanatana Dharma are as follows.

1. Shrutis
2. Smritis

III Activities:

1.  Listen to properly intonated Vedic chants. In which language are they composed? Collect information.

2.  List out the values and messages written in the Upanishads.

3.  Take the help of your teacher to know and collect at least five Shanti mantras and their meanings.