Vedas

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The Vedas date back to the earliest beginning of Indian civilization and are the earliest literary records of the whole Aryan race. They are divided into four groups, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda. Each group has an original text (Mantra) and a commentary portion (Brahmana).

• The Brahmana again has two portions, one interpreting ritual and the other the philosophy. The portions interpreting the philosophy of the original texts constitute the Upanishads. There are also auxiliary texts called Vedangas. Vedic literature refers to the whole of this vast group of literature. The whole of Rgveda and most of Atharvaveda are in the form of poetry, or hymns to the deities and the elements. Samaveda is in verses that are to be sung and Yajurveda is largely in short prose passages. Both Samaveda and Yajurveda are concerned with rituals rather than philosophy. Especially Yajurveda.

What are the Vedas? Read on to know more

The word Veda is from the root 'vid' - to know. Vedas are thus the repository of knowledge. The four Vedas together represent ancient Hindu thought at its most beautiful and esoteric and belong to the period 1500 - 1000 B.C. The magnificent hymns of the Rig Veda are the source in more ways than one. The other three Vedas - the Yajur, Sama, and the Atharva - are in varying degrees a reorganization of the hymns in a manner appropriate to the purposes of that particular Veda. There are certainly passages that are individual and independent of the Rig Veda but the pulse remains that of the above-mentioned text. The Vedanta texts are the culmination of the sublime journey that first found expression in the Rig Veda, and it is correctly regarded as the true Veda. The first three of these four are regarded as having been derived from the fire, air, and the Sun. All are Sruti - revealed.

Each Veda is divided into the sections Mantra/Sanhita, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. The first section is the oldest of the four, while the last two were added on between 800-600BC.

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