The Vedas 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 Vedas present a multitude of gods, most of them related to natural forces such as storms, fire, wind, etc. The basic texts are the Samhita (Collections) of the four Vedas: 1. 2. 3. 4. Rig-Veda (Knowledge of the Hymns of Praise, for recitation) Mantra Sama-Veda (Knowledge of the Melodies, for chanting) Song Yajur-Veda (Knowledge of the Sacrificial formulas, for liturgy) Ritual Atharva-Veda (Knowledge of the Magic formulas, named after a kind of group of priests) Spells

The Rig Veda: The Book of Mantra The Rig Veda is a collection of inspired songs or hymns and is a main source of information on the Rig Vedic civilization. It is the oldest book in any Indo-European language and contains the earliest form of all Sanskrit mantras that date back to 1500 B.C. - 1000 B.C. Some scholars date the Rig Veda as early as 12000 BC - 4000 B.C. The Rig-Vedic samhita or collection of mantras consists of 1,017 hymns or suktas, covering about 10,600 stanzas, divided into eight astakas each having eight adhayayas or chapters, which are sub-divided into various groups. The hymns are the work of many authors or seers called rishis. There are seven primary seers identified: Atri, Kanwa,Vashistha, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni, Gotama and Bharadwaja. The rig Veda accounts in detail the social, religious, political and economic background of the Rig-Vedic civilization. Even though monotheism characterizes some of the hymns of Rig Veda, naturalistic polytheism and monism can be discerned in the religion of the hymns of Rig Veda. The Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda were compiled after the age of the Rig Veda and are ascribed to the Vedic period. The Sama Veda: The Book of Song The Sama Veda is purely a liturgical collection of melodies (saman). The hymns in the Sama Veda, used as musical notes, were almost completely drawn from the Rig Veda and have no distinctive lessons of their own. Hence, its text is a reduced version of the Rig Veda. As Vedic Scholar David Frawley puts it, if the Rig Veda is the word, Sama Veda is the song or the meaning, if Rig Veda is the knowledge, Sama Veda is its realization, if Rig Veda is the wife, the Sama Veda is her husband. The Yajur Veda: The Book of Ritual The Yajur Veda is also a liturgical collection and was made to meet the demands of a ceremonial religion. The Yajur Veda practically served as a guidebook for the priests who execute sacrificial acts muttering simultaneously the prose prayers and the sacrificial formulae (yajus). It is similar to ancient Egypts Book of the Dead. There are no less than six complete recessions of Yajur Veda Madyandina, Kanva, Taittiriya, Kathaka, Maitrayani and Kapishthala. The Atharva Veda: The Book of Spell The last of the Vedas, this is completely different from the other three Vedas and is next in importance to Rig-Veda with regard to history and sociology. A different spirit pervades this Veda. Its hymns are of a more diverse character than the Rig Veda and are also simpler in language. In fact, many

scholars do not consider it part of the Vedas at all. The Atharva Veda consists of spells and charms prevalent at its time, and portrays a clearer picture of the Vedic society.

The Rig-Veda HYMN I. Agni. 1 I Laud Agni, the chosen Priest, God, minister of sacrifice, The hotar, lavishest of wealth. 2 Worthy is Agni to be praised by living as by ancient seers. He shall bring hitherward the Gods. 3 Through Agni man obtaineth wealth, yea, plenty waxing day by day, Most rich in heroes, glorious. 4 Agni, the perfect sacrifice which thou encompassest about Verily goeth to the Gods. 5 May Agni, sapient-minded Priest, truthful, most gloriously great, The God, come hither with the Gods. 6 Whatever blessing, Agni, thou wilt grant unto thy worshipper, That, Agiras, is indeed thy truth. 7 To thee, dispeller of the night, O Agni, day by day with prayer Bringing thee reverence, we come 8 Ruler of sacrifices, guard of Law eternal, radiant One, Increasing in thine own abode. 9 Be to us easy of approach, even as a father to his son: Agni, be with us for our weal. HYMN II. Vyu. 1 BEAUTIFUL Vyu, come, for thee these Soma drops have been prepared: Drink of them, hearken to our call. 2 Knowing the days, with Soma juice poured forth, the singers glorify Thee, Vyu, with their hymns of praise. 3 Vyu, thy penetrating stream goes forth unto the worshipper, Far-spreading for the Soma draught. 4 These, Indra-Vyu, have been shed; come for our offered dainties sake: The drops are yearning for you both. 5 Well do ye mark libations, ye Vyu and Indra, rich in spoil! So come ye swiftly hitherward. 6 Vyu and Indra, come to what the Soma-presser hath prepared: Soon, Heroes, thus I make my prayer. 7 Mitra, of holy strength, I call, and foe-destroying Varua, Who make the oil-fed rite complete. 8 Mitra and Varua, through Law, lovers and cherishers of Law, Have ye obtained your might power 9 Our Sages, Mitra-Varua, wide dominion, strong by birth, Vouchsafe us strength that worketh well.

The Sama-Veda DECADE I Agni 1. Come, Agni, praised with song, to feast and sacrificial offering: sit As Hotar on the holy grass! 2. O Agni, thou hast been ordained Hotar of every sacrifice, By Gods, among the race of men. 3. Agni we choose as envoy, skilled performer of this holy rite, Hotar, possessor of all wealth. 4. Served with oblation, kindled, bright, through love of song may Agni, bent On riches, smite the Vritras dead! 5. I laud your most beloved guest like a dear friend, O Agni, him Who, like a chariot, wins us wealth. 6. Do thou, O Agni, with great might guard us from all malignity, Yea, from the hate of mortal man! 7. O Agni, come; far other songs of praise will I sing forth to thee. Wax mighty with these Soma-drops! 8. May Vatsa draw thy mind away even from thy loftiest dwelling place! Agni, I yearn for thee with song. 9. Agni, Atharvan brought thee forth by rubbing from the sky, the head Of all who offer sacrifice. 10. O Agni, bring us radiant light to be our mighty succour, for Thou art our visible deity! DECADE II Agni 1. O Agni, God, the people sing reverent praise to thee for strength: With terrors trouble thou the foe 2. I seek with song your messenger, oblation-bearer, lord of wealth, Immortal, best at sacrifice. 3. Still turning to their aim in thee the sacrificer's sister hymns Have come to thee before the wind. 4. To thee, illuminer of night, O Agni, day by day with prayer, Bringing thee reverence, we come. 5. Help, thou who knowest lauds, this work, a lovely hymn in Rudra's praise, Adorable in every house! 6. To this fair sacrifice to drink the milky draught art thou called forth: O Agni, with the Maruts come! 7. With homage will I reverence thee, Agni, like a long-tailed steed, Imperial lord of holy rites. 8. As Aurva and as Bhrigu called, as Apnavana called, I call The radiant Agni robed with sea. 9. When he enkindles Agni, man should with his heart attend the song: I kindle Agni till he glows.

10. Then, verily, they see the light refulgent of primeval seed, Kindled on yonder side of heaven. The Yajur-Veda KANDA I PRAPATHAKA I The New and Full Moon Sacrifices i. 1. 1. a For food thee, for strength thee! b Ye are winds, ye are approachers. c Let the god Savitr impel you to the most excellent offering. d O invincible ones, swell with the share for the gods, Full of strength, of milk, rich in offspring, free from sickness, from disease. e Let no thief, no evil worker, have control over you. f Let Rudra's dart avoid you. g Abide ye, numerous, with this lord of cattle. h Do thou protect the cattle of the sacrificer. i. 1. 2 a Thou art the substance of the sacriflee. b The Raksas is burned up, the evil spirits are burned up. c The Vedi hath come to the sacrificial straw, Made by Manu, fashioned with the Svadha call. The sages fetch it from in front, The delightful straw for the gods to sit on here. d Thou art impelled by the gods. e Thou art made to grow by the rains. f O divine straw, lot me not hit thee either across or along, g Let me hit thy joints, h Let me come to no harm in cutting thee. i O divine straw, rise with a hundred shoots, Let us rise with a thousand shoots. k Guard from the contact of earth. l I gather thee with good gathering. m Thou art the girdle of Aditi, the cord of Indrani. n Let Pusan tie a knot for thee, that knot shall mount me. o I hold thee up with the arms of Indra, I seize thee with the head of Brhaspati. p Fare along the wide atmosphere. q Thou art going to the gods. The Atharva-Veda.

VI, 105. Charm against cough. 1. As the-soul with the soul's desires swiftly to a distance flies, thus do thou, O cough, fly forth along the soul's course of flight! 2. As a well-sharpened arrow swiftly to a distance flies, thus do thou, O cough, fly forth along the expanse of the earth! 3. As the rays of the sun swiftly to a distance fly, thus do thou, O cough, fly forth along the flood of the sea! II, 8. Charm against kshetriya, hereditary disease. 1. Up have risen the majestic twin stars, the vikritau ('the two looseners'); may they loosen the nethermost and the uppermost fetter of the kshetriya (inherited disease)! 2. May this night shine (the kshetriya) away, may she shine away the witches; may the plant, destructive of kshetriya, shine the kshetriya away! 3. With the straw of thy brown barley, endowed with white stalks, with the blossom of the sesame--may the plant, destructive of kshetriya, shine the: kshetriya away! 4. Reverence be to thy ploughs, reverence to thy wagon-poles and yokes! May the plant, destructive of kshetriya, shine the kshetriya away! 5. Reverence be to those with sunken eyes reverence to the indicenous (evils?), reverence to the lord of the field! May the plant, destructive of kshetriya, shine the kshetriya away! IV, 7. Charm against poison. 1. This water (vr) in the (river) Varanvat shall ward off (vraytai)! Amrita (ambrosia) has been poured into it: with that do I ward off (vraye) poison from thee. 2. Powerless is the poison from the east, powerless that from the north. Moreover the poison from the south transforms itself into a porridge. 3. Having made thee (the poison) that comes from a horizontal direction into a porridge, rich in fat, and cheering, from sheer hunger he has eaten thee, that hast an evil body: do thou not cause injury! 4. Thy bewildering quality (madam), O (plant?) that art bewildering (madivati), we cause to fall like a reed. As a boiling pot of porridge do we remove thee by (our) charm. 5. (Thee, O poison) that art, as it were, heaped about the village, do we cause to stand still by (our) charm. Stand still as a tree upon its place; do not, thou that hast been dug with the spade, cause injury! 6. With broom-straw (?), garments, and also with skins they purchased thee: a thing for barter art thou, O plant! Do not, thou that hast been dug with the spade, cause injury! 7. Those of you who were of yore unequalled in the deeds which they performedmay the), not injure here our men: for this very purpose do I engage you!