In English
After the came the when devotion began to decline. It was during this period that kings and kingdoms came into existence and politics made its first appearance. The king ruled, and the people followed the king. Thus it came to be said ‘as was the king so were the people’ – the king became a role model whom the subjects copied. It was no longer possible to spare time for continuous meditation as in earlier times. Instead, certain specific times and occasions were set apart for the performance of various and [Vedic rituals]. is an offering to God. It also means a selfless act of sacrifice. People of the believed that provided the pathway to divinity. Like the people of an earlier age, they too desired, pined, and yearned for God; but the path they chose was different. In course of time, certain aggressive and selfish tendencies arose that corrupted the original sacred feelings behind the Vedic rituals.