The Vedas are known as the most ancient texts of Hinduism and they reveal the intangible Truth which is unchanged by time or place. Veda is derived from "vid", which means "to know", and is a group of poems or hymns written in ancient Sanskrit by Indo-European people residing in northwest India duriRead more
The Vedas are known as the most ancient texts of Hinduism and they reveal the intangible Truth which is unchanged by time or place.
Veda is derived from “vid”, which means “to know”, and is a group of poems or hymns written in ancient Sanskrit by Indo-European people residing in northwest India during the 2nd millennium BCE.
Vedas are the foundation of the Indian scripture. The beliefs of Vedic religion form the basis of classical Hinduism. It explains how to live morally to bring happiness to society and improve our status.
There are two sections – Mantra and Brahmana.
- Brahmana – Explaining details or meanings of the procedures
- Mantras – Riks have 2 lines, Yajus have 1 line, and Samans are Riks with a musical meter.
There are totally three levels of definitions of sentences
- Adhi Daivika – gods
- Adhi Yajna – sacrifice/ritual
- Adhyatmika – spiritual.
The Vedic body is categorized into four Vedas:
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- Rigveda containing Riks,
- Yajurveda containing Riks and Yajus,
- Samaveda containing samans and
- Atharva Veda containing Riks.
Our perception of the world, and the knowledge we draw from it, is superficial. The nature of the world and the mystery of life can be uncovered only by the knowledge contained in the Veda. Hence, it is called eternal.
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Each Vedas are divided into four major categories (i.e., Samhita, Brahmanas, Aryanakas and Upanishads). The last part of each Vedas is called Upanishads, which means "Sitting Next to a Teacher". This part is also known as Vedanta (i.e., the last part of the Vedas). There are 108 Upanishads, 13 of whRead more
Each Vedas are divided into four major categories (i.e., Samhita, Brahmanas, Aryanakas and Upanishads). The last part of each Vedas is called Upanishads, which means “Sitting Next to a Teacher”. This part is also known as Vedanta (i.e., the last part of the Vedas).
There are 108 Upanishads, 13 of which are the principal ones. The Upanishads contain various ideas related to the Yajnas, body, and Universe, but most of the ideas are related to Atman and Brahman.
The oldest Upanishads are in prose, but the later ones are in metres. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and the Chhandogya Upanishad are among the earliest Upanishads. The early period of the Upanishad belongs to the period c. 1000-500 BCE. These texts mark the first clear reference to certain key ideas and practices related to the Hindu and other roots of Indian philosophical and religious traditions.
It is considered that the Upanishads are the compilations of different authors from different parts of Northern India over the centuries.
Ref. Singh, Upinder. A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India.
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