The Vedas, sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda. Each Veda has four subdivisions the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Brahmanas (commentaries on and explanation of rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices Yajñas), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge). Some scholars add a fifth category the Upâsanâs (worship). The texts of the Upanishads discuss ideas akin to the heterodox æramana traditions. The Samhitas and Brahmanas describe daily rituals and are generally meant for the Brahmacharya and Gr%hastha stages of the Chaturashrama system, while the Aranyakas and Upanishads are meant for the Vânaprastha and Sannyasa stages, respectively. The Vedas have been orally transmitted since the 2nd millennium BCE with the help of elaborate mnemonic techniques. The mantras the oldest part of the Vedas-are recited in the modern age for their phonology rather than their semantics, and are regarded as "primordial rhythms of creation", preceding the forms to which they refer. By reciting them the cosmos is regenerated, "by enlivening and nourishing the forms of creation at their base." The various Indian philosophies and Hindu sects have taken differing positions on the Vedas. Schools of Indian philosophy that acknowledge the importance or primal authority of the Vedas comprise Hindu philosophy specifically and are together classified as the six "orthodox" (âstika) schools. However, æramaGa traditions, such as Charvaka, Ajivika, Buddhism, and Jainism, which did not regard the Vedas as authoritative, are referred to as "heterodox" or "non-orthodox" (nåstika) schools. The different forces of nature comprised the Aryan pantheon. The elemental gods of the predecessors of modern Hindus were tangible or semi-tangible. Almost every natural phenomenon was a divinity for the Aryans. The Indian Vedas are the oldest, most sacred scriptures of Hinduism, composed in Sanskrit around 1500 BCE, comprising four main texts: Rigveda (hymns), Yajurveda (rituals), Samaveda (melodies), and Atharvaveda (spells/charms). These texts outline the paths of knowledge, devotion, and action, originally passed down orally. These sacred texts, which are classified as Shruti ("that which is heard"), have served as the foundation of Indian philosophy and culture for thousands of years. There were Vedic schools that believed in polytheism in which numerous gods had different natural functions, henotheistic beliefs where only one god was worshipped but others were thought to exist, monotheistic beliefs in a single god, agnosticism, and monistic beliefs where "there is an absolute reality that goes beyond the gods and that includes or transcends everything that exists." Indra, Agni, and Yama were popular subjects of worship by polytheist schools. Each of the four Vedas were shared by the numerous schools, but revised, interpolated and adapted locally, in and after the Vedic period, giving rise to various recensions of the text. Some texts were revised into the modern era, raising significant debate on parts of the text which are believed to have been corrupted at a later date. Informative and comprehensive for those who want to explore Vedic faith but may not know Sanskrit.
Dr. Awadh Narayan earned his M.A. and D.phil degree from Allahabad University, Prayagraj U.P.A seasoned teacher and keen researcher, He has participated in a number of National/International Seminars, conferences and workshops where he presented his research papers. A prolific writer his many papers have already published in various professional and proceedings. Dr. Narayan is associate professor in the department of history, culture and archaeology Dr. Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
The Vedas, sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samavedaand the Atharvaveda. Each Veda has four subdivisions - the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Brahmanas (commentaries on and explanation of rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices - Yajñas), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolicsacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge). The Indian Vedas are the oldest, most sacred scriptures of Hinduism, composed in Sanskrit around 1500 BCE, comprising four main texts: Rigveda (hymns), Yajurveda (rituals), Samaveda (melodies), and Atharvaveda (spells/charms). These texts outline the paths of knowledge, devotion, and action, originally passed down orally. These sacred texts, which are classified as Shruti ("that which is heard"), have served as the foundation of Indian philosophy and culture for thousands of years. Informative and comprehensive for those who want to explore Vedic faith but may not know Sanskrit.
Vedas (1253)
Upanishads (524)
Puranas (637)
Ramayana (779)
Mahabharata (382)
Dharmasastras (175)
Goddess (540)
Bhakti (252)
Saints (1752)
Gods (1319)
Shiva (417)
Journal (180)
Fiction (69)
Vedanta (387)
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