Consider the following statements regarding the Vedic sacrificial system and social stratification: 1. The Purusha Sukta of the Rig Veda provides the earliest textual reference to the origin of the four varnas. 2. The Brahmana texts are extensive prose commentaries that explain the hidden symbolic and ritualistic meanings of Vedic sacrifices. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Purusha Sukta found in the tenth mandala of the Rig Veda describes the primeval sacrifice from whose body the four social classes emerged, establishing the foundational social stratification of early Indian society. The Brahmana literature consists of ritualistic prose texts attached to the four Samhitas, detailing the precise performance of sacrifices. The Upanishads focus primarily on philosophical inquiries regarding the soul and supreme reality.