Rita

An early Vedic term for cosmic order — the deep regularity of nature and truth that later concepts of dharma partly inherit.

interpretation. Interpretation — one way of reading the material among several.
Tradition: hinduism Period: vedic-period Theme: cosmology Theme: order Theme: ethics

Rita is one of the oldest important concepts in this archive, and one of the most atmospheric. In the hymns of the Rigveda it names a kind of cosmic and moral order — the deep regularity by which nature keeps its patterns and truth holds together. It belongs to the Vedic period, and studying it means reading very old poetry with care.

Order beneath the world

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Sources & further reading

Related in the archive

Text

The Rigveda

The oldest layer of Vedic literature — a large collection of hymns preserved orally for centuries before being written down.

Concept

Dharma

A cluster of ideas around duty, order, and right conduct that is understood differently across Indian traditions.

Period

The Vedic Period

A long, debated era associated with the composition and transmission of the earliest layers of Vedic literature.

Note

Keeping Mythology and History Apart

A working note on the editorial line this archive draws between story, tradition, archaeology, and history.

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Next → Tapas Ascetic discipline or "inner heat" — self-imposed austerity understood as a source of spiritual power and purification.