The word " Veda" means " Knowledge"," Knowledge par excellence, i.e, the sacred, spiritual Knowledge". It does not signify either any individual literary work as the "Koran", or even a collection of definite number of books arranged at a particular time, such as the Bible or the Tripitaka. It is a mass of literature which had grown up in course of many centuries and was orally handed down from generation to generation. It consists of three successive classes of literary productions, to each of which belonged a number of single works, some of which still exist, but many have completely disappeared.
These three classes are:-
1. The samhitas or Mantras. As the name signifies, these are collection of hymns, prayers, charms, litanies and sacrificial formulas.
2. The Brahamanas. These are massive prose texts which contain "speculation on the meaning of the hymns, give precepts for their application, relate stories of their origin in connection with that of sacrificial rites, and explain the secret meaning of the latter. In short, they form a kind of primitive theology and philosophy of the Brahmanas."
3. The Aranyakas and Upanishads. These are partly included in the Brahmanas or attached thereto, and partly exist as separate works. They embody philosophical meditations of the hermits and ascetics on soul, God, world, and man.
4. A large number of Samhitas must have existed amon the different schools of priests and singers. But many of them are only different recensions of one and the same samhita. There are, however, four samhitas which are notably different from one another, and each of which has reached us in several recensions. These are:-
1. The Rigveda Samhita- A collection of hymns
2. The Atharvaveda Samhita- A collection of spells and charms.
3. The Samaveda Samhita- A collection of songs mostly taken from the Rigveda.
4. The Yajurveda Samhita- A collection of sacrificial formulas.( There are two distinct forms of this samhita viz the samhitas of the Black Yajurveda and the samhitas of the white Yajurveda.
These four samhitas have formed the basis of four different Vedas, and every work belonging to the second and third classes of Vedic literature viz., the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads, is attached to one or other of these Samhitas and is said to belong to that particular Veda. There are thus not only Samhitas, but Brahmanas, Aranyaka and Upanishads of the Rigveda, and the same thing holds good with regard to the other three Vedas. Every single work of this vast literature belongs to the category of Veda, and the authors of these works are always referred to as ' Rishis' or sages. Sometimes, the names of these Rishis or sages denoted not so much an individual as a group, and thus the hymns attributed to Visvamitra,, for example were probably composed not by a single individual of that name, but by various members of his family or school. It may be noted that women and people of the lowest classes of society are mentioned as composers of some of these hymns.
Although the hymns are attributed to these Rishis, pious Hindus have always laid stress upon their divine origin. They maintain that these hymns were merely revealed to the sage and not composed by them. Thus the Vedas are called apaurusheya(not made by man), and nitya(existing in all eternity) while the Rishis, or sacred poets to whom they are ascribed, are knows as mantradrasthta,i.e inspired seers who saw ro received the mantra by sight directly form the Supreme Creator. These ideas about the sanctity of the Vedas have ever formed the cardinal doctrines of Hindusim, and no religious sect that refuses to subscribe to them can have any legitimate place within its fold.
The word " Veda" means " Knowledge"," Knowledge par excellence, i.e, the sacred, spiritual Knowledge". It does not signify either any individual literary work as the "Koran", or even a collection of definite number of books arranged at a particular time, such as the Bible or the Tripitaka. It is a mass of literature which had grown up in course of many centuries and was orally handed down from generation to generation. It consists of three successive classes of literary productions, to each of which belonged a number of single works, some of which still exist, but many have completely disappeared.
These three classes are:-
1. The samhitas or Mantras. As the name signifies, these are collection of hymns, prayers, charms, litanies and sacrificial formulas.
2. The Brahamanas. These are massive prose texts which contain "speculation on the meaning of the hymns, give precepts for their application, relate stories of their origin in connection with that of sacrificial rites, and explain the secret meaning of the latter. In short, they form a kind of primitive theology and philosophy of the Brahmanas."
3. The Aranyakas and Upanishads. These are partly included in the Brahmanas or attached thereto, and partly exist as separate works. They embody philosophical meditations of the hermits and ascetics on soul, God, world, and man.
4. A large number of Samhitas must have existed amon the different schools of priests and singers. But many of them are only different recensions of one and the same samhita. There are, however, four samhitas which are notably different from one another, and each of which has reached us in several recensions. These are:-
1. The Rigveda Samhita- A collection of hymns
2. The Atharvaveda Samhita- A collection of spells and charms.
3. The Samaveda Samhita- A collection of songs mostly taken from the Rigveda.
4. The Yajurveda Samhita- A collection of sacrificial formulas.( There are two distinct forms of this samhita viz the samhitas of the Black Yajurveda and the samhitas of the white Yajurveda.
These four samhitas have formed the basis of four different Vedas, and every work belonging to the second and third classes of Vedic literature viz., the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads, is attached to one or other of these Samhitas and is said to belong to that particular Veda. There are thus not only Samhitas, but Brahmanas, Aranyaka and Upanishads of the Rigveda, and the same thing holds good with regard to the other three Vedas. Every single work of this vast literature belongs to the category of Veda, and the authors of these works are always referred to as ' Rishis' or sages. Sometimes, the names of these Rishis or sages denoted not so much an individual as a group, and thus the hymns attributed to Visvamitra,, for example were probably composed not by a single individual of that name, but by various members of his family or school. It may be noted that women and people of the lowest classes of society are mentioned as composers of some of these hymns.
Although the hymns are attributed to these Rishis, pious Hindus have always laid stress upon their divine origin. They maintain that these hymns were merely revealed to the sage and not composed by them. Thus the Vedas are called apaurusheya(not made by man), and nitya(existing in all eternity) while the Rishis, or sacred poets to whom they are ascribed, are knows as mantradrasthta,i.e inspired seers who saw ro received the mantra by sight directly form the Supreme Creator. These ideas about the sanctity of the Vedas have ever formed the cardinal doctrines of Hindusim, and no religious sect that refuses to subscribe to them can have any legitimate place within its fold.
The word " Veda" means " Knowledge"," Knowledge par excellence, i.e, the sacred, spiritual Knowledge". It does not signify either any individual literary work as the "Koran", or even a collection of definite number of books arranged at a particular time, such as the Bible or the Tripitaka. It is a mass of literature which had grown up in course of many centuries and was orally handed down from generation to generation. It consists of three successive classes of literary productions, to each of which belonged a number of single works, some of which still exist, but many have completely disappeared.
These three classes are:-
1. The samhitas or Mantras. As the name signifies, these are collection of hymns, prayers, charms, litanies and sacrificial formulas.
2. The Brahamanas. These are massive prose texts which contain "speculation on the meaning of the hymns, give precepts for their application, relate stories of their origin in connection with that of sacrificial rites, and explain the secret meaning of the latter. In short, they form a kind of primitive theology and philosophy of the Brahmanas."
3. The Aranyakas and Upanishads. These are partly included in the Brahmanas or attached thereto, and partly exist as separate works. They embody philosophical meditations of the hermits and ascetics on soul, God, world, and man.
4. A large number of Samhitas must have existed amon the different schools of priests and singers. But many of them are only different recensions of one and the same samhita. There are, however, four samhitas which are notably different from one another, and each of which has reached us in several recensions. These are:-
1. The Rigveda Samhita- A collection of hymns
2. The Atharvaveda Samhita- A collection of spells and charms.
3. The Samaveda Samhita- A collection of songs mostly taken from the Rigveda.
4. The Yajurveda Samhita- A collection of sacrificial formulas.( There are two distinct forms of this samhita viz the samhitas of the Black Yajurveda and the samhitas of the white Yajurveda.
These four samhitas have formed the basis of four different Vedas, and every work belonging to the second and third classes of Vedic literature viz., the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads, is attached to one or other of these Samhitas and is said to belong to that particular Veda. There are thus not only Samhitas, but Brahmanas, Aranyaka and Upanishads of the Rigveda, and the same thing holds good with regard to the other three Vedas. Every single work of this vast literature belongs to the category of Veda, and the authors of these works are always referred to as ' Rishis' or sages. Sometimes, the names of these Rishis or sages denoted not so much an individual as a group, and thus the hymns attributed to Visvamitra,, for example were probably composed not by a single individual of that name, but by various members of his family or school. It may be noted that women and people of the lowest classes of society are mentioned as composers of some of these hymns.
Although the hymns are attributed to these Rishis, pious Hindus have always laid stress upon their divine origin. They maintain that these hymns were merely revealed to the sage and not composed by them. Thus the Vedas are called apaurusheya(not made by man), and nitya(existing in all eternity) while the Rishis, or sacred poets to whom they are ascribed, are knows as mantradrasthta,i.e inspired seers who saw ro received the mantra by sight directly form the Supreme Creator. These ideas about the sanctity of the Vedas have ever formed the cardinal doctrines of Hindusim, and no religious sect that refuses to subscribe to them can have any legitimate place within its fold.
Anupamaa
