A Brief Introduction
The Vedas are considered the earliest literary record of Indo-Aryan
civilization, and the most sacred books of India. They are the
original scriptures of Hindu teachings, and contain spiritual
knowledge encompassing all aspects of our life. Vedic literature with
its philosophical maxims has stood the test of time and is the highest
religious authority for all sections of Hindus in particular and for
mankind in general.
Veda” means wisdom, knowledge or vision, and it manifests the language
of the gods in human speech. The laws of the Vedas regulate the
social, legal, domestic and religious customs of the Hindus to the
present day. All the obligatory duties of the Hindus at birth,
marriage, death etc. owe their allegiance to the Vedic ritual. They
draw forth the thought of successive generation of thinkers, and so
contain within it the different strata of thought.
Origin of the Vedas
The Vedas are probably the earliest documents of the human mind and is
indeed difficult to say when the earliest portions of the Vedas came
into existence. As the ancient Hindus seldom kept any historical
record of their religious, literary and political realization, it is
difficult to determine the period of the Vedas with precision.
Historians provide us many guesses but none of them is free from
ambiguity.
Who wrote the Vedas?
It is believed that humans did not compose the revered compositions of
the Vedas, which were handed down through generations by the word of
mouth from time immemorial. The general assumption is that the Vedic
hymns were either taught by God to the sages or that they were
revealed themselves to the sages who were the seers or “mantradrasta”
of the hymns. The Vedas were mainly compiled by Vyasa Krishna
Dwaipayana around the time of Lord Krishna (c. 1500 BC)
Classification of the Vedas
The Vedas are four: The Rig-Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and
the Atharva Veda, the Rig Veda being the main. The four Vedas are
collectively known as “Chathurveda, ” of which the first three Vedas
viz., Rig Veda, Sama Veda and Yajur Veda agree in form, language and
content.
Structure of the Vedas
Each Veda consists of four parts – the Samhitas (hymns), the Brahmanas
(rituals), the Aranyakas (theologies) and the Upanishads
(philosophies). The collection of mantras or hymns is called the
Samhita. The Brahmanas are ritualistic texts and include precepts and
religious duties. Each Veda has several Brahmanas attached to it. The
Upanishads form the concluding portions of the Veda and therefore
called the “Vedanta” or the end of the Veda and contains the essence
of Vedic teachings. The Upanishads and the Aranyakas are the
concluding portions of the Brahmanas, which discuss philosophical
problems. The Aryanyakas (forest texts) intend to serve as objects of
meditation for ascetics who live in forests and deal with mysticism
and symbolism.
The Mother of All Scriptures
Although the Vedas are seldom read or understood today, even by the
devout, they no doubt form the bedrock of the universal religion or
“Sanatana Dharma” that all Hindus follow. The Vedas have guided our
religious direction for ages and will continue to do so for
generations to come. And they will forever remain the most
comprehensive and universal of all ancient scriptures.