Vedic?

What does it mean to be "Vedic"? Can a foreign scholar create a definition [1] or do we look to the classical texts to see how they traditionally define what Vaidika means?

In the Bhagavat Puraṇa XI.27, Śrī-Bhagavān speaks about the infinite (ananta-pāra) ways to do worship (karma-kāṇḍa). The divinity speaks,

There are three methods to celebrate Me: Vaidika, Tāntrika, and mixed (miśra). One should worship (samarca) Me according to the process which feels most suitable (īpsita).  -Bhagavat Puraṇa XI.27.7

This Puraṇika text goes on to describe deity worship. During this time period, they were not performing the sacrafices of the Vaidika Saṁhitā. What they meant by Vaidika was the use of mantras that came from the Vaidika Saṁhitā (as seen in the earliest texts). The Tāntrika practice used mantras found in the Pāñcarātra Āgama (which at the time of the redaction of this verse were called Tāntras).

Terminology can create a lot of scholarly arguments if two people aren’t speaking with the same definitions. I have seen some scholars believe that for something to be Vaidika it needs to be in the Vedic Saṁhitā (some expand that to the associated texts). This is clearly not the definition used by traditional practitioners a thousand years ago, and is a foreign imposition.

I think it is important to create a comparison to another ancient culture as a clear example. The Jews have not practiced ancient Israelite temple worship since the destruction of their Temple in 70AD. Since that time most Jews have practiced Rabbinical Judaism not the religion taught in the Old Testament with priests performing animal sacrifices at a central temple that had ritual baths, priests performing personal rituals or expensive incense burning to the Godhead [2]. Yet all Rabbinical practices are somehow linked to those same texts just interpreted differently. The people are still called Jews, still consider themselves Jews, still convert people to Judaism and even have foods, books and other features called ‘Jewish’. There are Jews who are scholarly and there are those who are extremists thinking a messiah is coming and practice sacrifices to be prepared for the next temple.

In the same way, the Vaidik religion of offering animals in fire sacrifice and many ancient rituals have become as rare as the Jews still doing sacrifice. The Vaidika religion evolved into other forms of practice that were more fitting for the cultural and technological changes of the people. When the Hindu and Tāntric pūjā practices became the acceptable method of worship, some used Vaidika mantras, some used mantras that were found in an evolving group of texts called āgamas, and some mixed the two. The performance varied, but the link to the Veda was through the ancient mantras of the Vaidika Saṁhitā. Those practices and texts which used the ancient mantras were Vaidika and those that used the āgama mantras were (in the above verse) called Tāntric (though today what we call Hindu).

Whats the point of understanding this? A text is defined as Vaidika based on the mantras it uses. In this way, the Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra (an astrology text redacted in the 8^th century) would be called a Vaidika text as the mantras used for Graha Śānti are from the Vedas. In this way, ‘Vedic’ Astrology is not indicating that it was practiced in its present form in the Vaidika period, it is just indicating the nature of the methods the practitioners use. Many modern day astrologers in India and the West utilize primarily Hindu and Tāntric mantras, as the Vaidika mantras take much more skill.  

Just as there are ‘Jewish’ foods that were not in existence at the time of the old temple, there are ‘Vedic’ practices, texts, and astrology which is named because of the culture it was created in, not because of the text it was first mentioned in. In the same way, most of the Hellenistic (Greek) astrological texts were not written during the Hellenistic period, they were written during the Roman period, but they are called Hellenistic because they were written in Greek (though some are in Latin) with the ideology of Hellenism. 

Note: We don't judge Christianity based upon what Evangelical extremists say, we study it based upon its texts and open-minded scholars. It is important to not judge Vedic and Hindu religion based on Hindutva extremists, but on texts and open-minded scholars.  

Addition (2015): 

There is a debate about whether to use the term Vedic astrology, Hindu astrology or Indian astrology. All are translations that aren’t perfect. The term used in India is Jyotiṣa, which is the limb (aṅga) and the Vedas that calculated the time, calendars and astrological positions. This science has evolved over the millennium, but is still called Jyotiṣa, just as traditional Greek astrology and modern astrology still use the term astrology.

The issue with the term Hindu is that it is a relatively modern term, that was given to pagans of the Indian subcontinent by the invading Muslims. The initial invasion area was the Sindhu region, and everything East of that area was given the same name. The Muslims called Jains, Buddhists, Śaivas, Vaiṣṇavas etc Hindus, literally it meant non-Muslim. After 400 years of occupation, it became a standard term, but was disputed whether it referred to a religion or to the ethnic people. The independent Indian government court voted determined that it referred to an Ethnicity. So by the fact that I was born an American, I can never be a Hindu, but I am a Vaidika. Vedic astrology was practiced by Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Muslims and more, so the term Hindu astrology has many faults.

Indian astrology would seem to have less connotations, but actually inaccurately localizes the system of astrology to the Indian subcontinent. Brahmanism was originally practiced from the area of Iran all the way across to Thailand and throughout South Asia. Iranian historians prefer to call it South Asian astrology to clearly indicate its Iranian connection. Burmese, Thai, Balinese and other areas that utilize this same system of astrology also are left out by the term Indian astrology.      

There is no term called Brahmanism in Sanskrit. The proper term is Vaidika (one who is of the Vedas). This term has been written as Vedic in English. As Jyotish is an aspect of Vaidika culture that is adopted by the various other pagan dharmas, it is more proper to call it Vaidik (Vedic). I am a Vaidika practitioner, that doesn’t mean I am in the Vedas, it means I chant the Vedas and have vaidika initiations.  

     

Addition (2018):
The Ngrams of Google gives an indication of what terms have shown up in print the most over time. 

There was an interesting spike in the use of the term 'Jyotish' between 1809 to 1841. I find it interesting and hope to find the text or magazine that made this interest grow.

[1] This article is written in response to a scholar saying that an science practiced in India for 2,000 years by practitioners of Vedic culture is not Vedic.
[2] We could also say that it wasn't Jewish because many of the practices were imported from Egypt... but we don't because we are looking at how a particular people practiced their worship- which they made their own.