Rigveda是最古老的吠陀梵语文本。[它的早期层是任何印欧语种中现存的最古老的文本之一。语言学和语言学证据表明，里格维达·萨米塔（Rigveda Samhita）的大部分是在印度次大陆的西北地区（旁遮普省）组成的。最有可能大约在公元前1500年和1200年。

《梨俱吠陀》末卷出现了婆罗门、刹帝利、吠舍、首陀罗四个种姓。
Brahmins: priests, scholars and teachers.
Kshatriyas: rulers, warriors and administrators.
Vaishyas: agriculturalists and merchants.
Shudras: laborers and service providers.
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《梨俱吠陀》创世四篇之四《原人歌》
普魯沙有千首、千眼、千足。
他覆蓋大地的每個角落，仍超出了十指。
這個普魯沙是一切--過去和將來。
永生者之主，靠著食物的滋養，變得更強大，
他是這樣的強大;而普魯沙甚至比他這還強大。
所有的生物是他的四分之一，[他的其他]四分之三是天國永恆的生命…
當眾神準備犧牲時，他們以普魯沙為祭品。
它的酥油是春，祭禮是秋;柴薪是夏…
由這獻祭完備的祭祀，收集了酥油乳酪。
形成了空中的生物，林中和家養的動物。
由這獻祭完備的祭祀，產生了[哲人]和[贊美詩]。
由此產生了[咒語和頌歌];由此產生了耶柔[一部有關儀式規範的書]。
由此產生了馬;由此產生了有兩排牙齒的一切生物。
由此產生了[牛]，由此產生了山羊和綿羊。
當他們分解普魯沙時，將他分成了多少塊?
他的嘴和雙臂叫什麽?他的雙腿和兩足叫什麽?
婆羅門是他的嘴，他的雙臂成為羅闍尼亞。
他的雙腿成為吠舍，從兩足生出首陀羅。
月亮由心意而生，太陽由兩眼產生。
從嘴生出了因陀羅和[火神]阿闍尼，呼吸產生了[風]瓦馭。
由臍生出了太空;他的頭形成了天空。
大地由兩腳而生，他的雙耳生出四方。世界就這樣形成了。

《梨俱吠陀》 创世四篇之四《原人歌(Puruṣa)》
rigved book10:90 HYMN XC. Puruṣa.
1. A THOUSAND heads hath Puruṣa, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet.
On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten fingers wide.
2 This Puruṣa is all that yet hath been and all that is to be;
The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by food.
3 So mighty is his greatness; yea, greater than this is Puruṣa.
All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths eternal life in heaven.
4 With three-fourths Puruṣa went up: one-fourth of him again was here.
Thence he strode out to every side over what cats not and what cats.
5 From him Virāj was born; again Puruṣa from Virāj was born.
As soon as he was born he spread eastward and westward o’er the earth.
6 When Gods prepared the sacrifice with Puruṣa as their offering,
Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn; summer was the wood.
7 They balmed as victim on the grass Puruṣa born in earliest time.
With him the Deities and all Sādhyas and Ṛṣis sacrificed.
8 From that great general sacrifice the dripping fat was gathered up.
He formed the creatures of-the air, and animals both wild and tame.
9 From that great general sacrifice Ṛcas and Sāma-hymns were born:
Therefrom were spells and charms produced; the Yajus had its birth from it.
10 From it were horses born, from it all cattle with two rows of teeth:
From it were generated kine, from it the goats and sheep were born.
11 When they divided Puruṣa how many portions did they make?
What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet?
12 The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rājanya made.
His thighs became the Vaiśya, from his feet the Śūdra was produced.
13 The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the Sun had birth;
Indra and Agni from his mouth were born, and Vāyu from his breath.
14 Forth from his navel came mid-air the sky was fashioned from his head
Earth from his feet, and from his car the regions. Thus they formed the worlds.
15 Seven fencing-sticks had he, thrice seven layers of fuel were prepared,
When the Gods, offering sacrifice, bound, as their victim, Puruṣa.
16 Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed the victim these were the earliest holy ordinances.
The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there where the Sādhyas, Gods of old, are dwelling.

佛教和印度教起源于印度北部的恒河文化，大约在公元前500年被称为“第二次城市化”的时代。他们拥有并存的平行信念，但也存在明显差异。

Buddhism and Hinduism
释迦牟尼佛对于创造者神（Brahman）和永恒的自我（Atman）的存在非常含糊，并拒绝了它们。 来自巴利佳能和其他人士的各种资料表明，佛陀教导说，对造物主神的信仰对于从痛苦中获得解放不是必不可少的，并且也许选择忽略神学问题，因为它们“令人着迷地讨论”，并经常带来更多冲突。 愤怒比和平。 佛陀并没有否认吠陀万神殿中众神的存在，而是辩称，这些天神可能比人类处于更高的地位，但他们仍然像其他众生一样陷入了同样的轮回苦难之中。 不一定值得崇拜和崇拜。