What are Vedas?
The Vedas are ancient India’s great cultural heritage and intellectual assets. The word Veda is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Vida’ denoting gyan or knowledge. Vedas are the backbone of our great historical and cultural tradition. These Vedas are great sources of wisdom and knowledge and they are four in number. The Vedas contain various hymns and religious texts presenting key Hindu teachings regarding divine mysticism. These Vedas describe the eternal truths of the universe. The Vedas were passed down through an oral tradition for thousands of years prior to Veda Vyasa and were believed to have compiled them in written form.
In the Vedas, God is described as Sachchidananda Swaroop, formless, omnipotent, just, compassionate, unborn, infinite, unchanging, sinless, eternal, incomparable, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipresent, immortal, fearless, eternal, holy, perfect, regulator and creator.
The Vedas are extremely revered in Hinduism and are considered authoritative and authentic sources of spiritual and philosophical insight. They contain hymns, prayers, and rituals performed during ancient times and provide insights into the early beliefs and practices of the Hindu tradition. They have had an intense influence on Hindu philosophy, rituals, and cultural traditions throughout its history.
The Vedas are considered the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition and are believed to have been composed between 1500 BCE and 500 BCE.
Rig Veda
The Rigveda is considered the oldest and most important Veda. Rig Veda is considered the earliest Veda. It gives knowledge of the hymns of praise for recitation. It is a collection of 1028 hymns and divided into 10 books. These ten books are called manuals. It is written between 1700-1500 B.C. Rig Veda contains the sacred and famous Gyatri Mantra. Rig Veda is written by several seers (rishis). These rishis are Atri, Kanva, Vasihtha, Gautam, Vishwamitra, Bhardwaja and Jamdagni. It is known to be sung by Hotra. Rig Veda defines India as Bharat and Jambudweepa. Rig Veda is a source of that period’s religious, political, social and economic information.
Sam Veda
Samveda is a collection of melodies. Sama denotes soma which is Amrita (Drink for immortality). It consists of 1063 hymns. Sam Veda is considered to be sung by Udgata. It is composed in the form of rags.
These hymns are associated with the Udgata, the priest responsible for chanting them during Vedic rituals.
What sets the Samaveda apart is its musical nature. It is composed in the form of melodic patterns, or ragas, which form the basis of the Indian classical music tradition. The hymns are meant to be sung in a precise rhythmic manner, emphasizing melody and musicality. For this reason, the Samaveda is often referred to as the root of Indian music, laying the foundation for both spiritual and artistic expressions through sound.
Yajur Veda
Unlike other Vedas, Yajur Veda is written in prose. It is considered to be compiled by Vyasa. It is a collection of 730 hymns having 6000 mantras. Yajurveda is divided into Shukla Yajurveda and Krishna Yajurveda. It is divided into twenty books dealing with rituals and ceremonies. Aadhavayu recites Yajurveda. In fact, Yajur Veda is a guiding book for the priests who performed various rituals. It is composed between 1400 BC to 1000 BC.
Atharva Veda
The Atharva Veda is one of the four Vedas, the ancient sacred texts of Hinduism, alongside the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, and Yajur Veda. It holds a unique position among the Vedas as it diverges from the other three in both content and purpose. Atharva Veda consists of spells, and prayers especially to protect crops from natural tragedies. Atharva Veda is a collection of 711 hymns. It is also known as Brahma Veda. It is said to be the work of non-Aryans. Ayurveda, Mathematics and geometry are considered to have arisen from Atharva Veda. It is believed to be written between 1200 BC to 1000 BC. It contains around 730 hymns and approximately 6,000 mantras, written primarily in Vedic Sanskrit. Its hymns cover a wide range of topics such as health, longevity, prosperity, and protection from evil forces. It also includes incantations and charms for healing diseases, invoking spirits, or countering enemies, which has led it to be associated with magical practices.
Apart from magic and healing, the Atharva Veda contains significant philosophical concepts that laid the foundation for later Hindu thought. Some hymns reflect on the nature of existence, the creation of the universe, and the relationship between humans and the divine. This reflects the evolving philosophical and spiritual ideas of ancient Indian society.