Hinduism vs Buddhism: Which Religion Came First? A Journey Through Time and History

In the past 2-3 years, some YouTube-based historians have claimed that Buddhism is older than Sanatan Dharma. Their arguments typically include the following points:  

1. The oldest manuscript of the Vedas is 600 years old.  

2. The Ramayana mentions Buddha.  

3. Hinduism has no archaeological evidence older than 800 years.  

Let’s examine these claims with historical facts:  

How old are the Vedas?

Yes, it is true that the oldest surviving manuscript of the Rig Veda is about 600 years old. However, the Vedas are part of an oral tradition, not originally written texts, which is why they are referred to as Shruti Shastra (scriptures heard and transmitted orally). So, how can we determine the age of the Vedas?  

1.Astronomical Evidence:

   Astronomers recently identified what may be the oldest recorded mention of a solar eclipse in the Rig Veda. This reference corresponds to an eclipse that occurred approximately 6,000 years ago, suggesting the antiquity of the text.  

2. The Boghazkoi Inscription:  

   The Boghazkoi Inscription, dated to 1400 BCE (3,400 years ago), mentions four Vedic deities—Indra, Varuna, Mitra, and Nasatya. This inscription, part of a peace treaty between the Hittites and the Mitanni, establishes that the Vedic tradition was already well-developed by that time.  

3.The Naneghat Inscription:

   Dated to the 1st century BCE and attributed to Satavahana queen Naganika, this inscription invokes Vedic deities such as Indra, Varuna, Yama, and Kubera. It also includes salutations to Vasudeva and Sankarsana and references significant Vedic rituals like the Angirasamayana and Gavamayana.  

4.Wari-Bateshwar Archaeological Site: 

   This site in present-day Bangladesh is over 2,600 years old. Bangladeshi archaeologists have discovered symbols like the Swastika and Nandipada, often associated with Vedic culture. Importantly, no evidence of Buddhism has been found at this site, supporting its Vedic identity.  

5.Gangaridai:  A royal seal from Gangaridai

mentions a Vedic Vishwamedha Yajna, dating to 300-200 BC. Archaeologists have

also found a Yajna Kunda there.

6.Spitzer Manuscript: 

A 2000-year-old Spitzer manuscript, dated to the early 1st century AD, mentions the Gandharva Veda (an Upaveda of the Sama Veda), as well as the Mantra-Brahmana of the Sama Veda and the Upanishads

From these findings, it is reasonable to conclude that the Vedas are at least 6,000 years old, predating Buddhism by millennia.  

The Age of Buddhism 

Even if we use the commonly accepted historical timeline, Buddhism is about 2,500 years old. Hindu traditions, however, often place Gautama Buddha's life around 3,000 years ago. Nevertheless, if we rely on historians’ estimates, Buddhism began around 500 BCE.  [Until the first century BCE, no statues of Lord Buddha were created.]

References to the Vedas in Buddhist Texts  

The Tripitaka, a foundational Buddhist text, frequently mentions the Vedas as being older than Gautama Buddha. For instance:  

1. Sumedha Brahmin Story (found in Buddhist texts): Refers to the Vedas as ancient knowledge.  

2. Milinda Panha and Buddhaghosha’s (5th century CE) Commentaries: Both explicitly mention the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, and Yajur Veda by name, rejecting the claim that these refer to Buddhist concepts like "three vidyas."

  

3. Chapter 5 of Lalitvistar calls Gautam Buddha as the one who manifested as one vered in Vedas and Shastras of Brahmans

Chapter 7 calls Gautam Buddha was born with strength of Naryana

 While Chapter 26 clarifies that he had strength of Narayana because he is Narayana himself

4. The oldest biography of Buddha by Asvaghosa (1st–2nd century CE) mentions the Vedas several times. It also states that Buddha's father used to worship Svayambhu, referring, of course, to Bhagwan Shiva.

Who is the Buddha in the Ramayana?

The Ramayana refers to multiple Buddhas:  

1. The Buddha mentioned in the Ramayana is Mayamoha Buddha, associated with Satya Yuga.  

2. Another Buddha is referenced in the Uttarakanda.  

It is essential to note that Hindu scriptures mention several Buddhas, not just Siddhartha Gautama (Shuddhodana-suta).  

The Reality  

In its early phase, Buddhism was closely tied to Sanatan Dharma. Many Buddhist texts, such as the Lalitavistara, and several Puranas describe Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu. However, over time, Buddhism was influenced by ideologies like Charvaka philosophy, which diverged from Sanatan traditions and often became critical of Vedic practices.  

Thus, Buddhism emerged much later than Hinduism, which has its roots in the Vedic tradition. The claim that Buddhism predates Sanatan Dharma lacks strong historical or textual evidence.