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.