essay on vedas in sanskrit language

वेद पर संस्कृत निबंध- Essay on Vedas in Sanskrit

In this article, we are providing information about Vedas in Sanskrit- वेद पर संस्कृत निबंध- Short Essay on Vedas in Sanskrit Language. Vedas Par Nibandh

वेदः खलु मानवमात्रस्य प्राचीनतमः शब्दमयो ज्ञानराशिः। वेदशब्दस्य अर्थः ज्ञानमेव । वेदेषु मन्त्राः सन्ति । तेषु मन्त्रेष आध्यात्मिक तथा च जीवनस्य व्यावहारिक ज्ञानं सम्मिलितम। यदि वयं कस्यचित् जनस्य समाजस्य वा कर्तव्यविषये धर्मविषये वा किंचित् ज्ञातुमिच्छामस्तदा तत् सर्वं वेदेषु उपलभ्यते । अतएव भगवता मनुना मनुस्मृतौ साधूक्तं “वेदोऽखिलो धर्ममूलम् ।

वेदेषु प्राचीनतमं काव्यं दृश्यते । “अस्य विश्वस्य सृष्टिः कदा केन साधनेन केन वा पुरुषेण कृता’ इत्यस्मिन् विषये वेदेषु । विचारितम् । काः शक्तयः संसारे कथं कार्य सम्पादयन्ति इति वेदयति वेदः । वेदेनोच्यते यत् सर्वमेतद् जगत् यज्ञमयं वर्तते । मनुष्यः मनसा कथं विचारयति, कथं परमेश्वरः सर्वेषां जीवानां सञ्चालनं करोति, कथं च सर्वज्ञः सः सर्वं जानाति इत्येतत् सर्वं वेदाः बोधयन्ति । राज्ञां व्यवहारविषये, अध्यापकानां महत्त्वविषये, व्यापारिणामाचरणविषये, सर्वेषां स्वास्थ्यविषये च महत् ज्ञानं वेदेषु लभ्यते ।।

वेदानुसारेण सर्वे जनाः परस्परं स्नेहभावेन मित्ररूपेण वर्तन्तां म् –“सर्वा आशा मम मित्रं भवन्तु ।” वेदाः मनुष्य श्रेष्ठम् आर्य सज्जनं वा कर्तुम् इच्छन्ति । अतएवोच्यते”कृण्वन्तो विश्वमार्यम्” । मनुष्यः सत्यमेव मननशीलः परहितचिन्तकः स्यात्, अतः तत्र कथ्यते–“मनुर्भव’ इति । समाजे सर्वेषां गतिः वर्गभेदं विना समाना भवेत् येन राष्ट्रमुन्नतिं लभेत –“सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम् । वेदानामेव ज्ञानम् उपनिषत्सु, गीतायां, दर्शनग्रन्थेषु च विद्यते।

अस्माकं विवाहनामकरणचूडाकर्मादिषु संस्कारेषु समस्तभारतवर्षे वेदमन्त्राणामेवोच्चारणं क्रियते । प्रत्येक हिन्दूधर्मावलम्बिना-बालेनापि वैदिको गायत्रीमन्त्रोऽवश्यमुच्चार्यते ।

वेदाश्चत्वारः सन्ति-ऋग्वेदः, यजुर्वेदः, सामवेदः, अथर्ववेदश्च । भारतीयपरम्परा वेदान् सृष्टेरादौ परमेश्वरेण ऋषीणां हृदयेषु प्रकटितान् मन्यते ।

# Ved Vyas par Nibandh # Ved Vyas Essay in Sanskrit Language

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ध्यान दें – प्रिय दर्शकों Essay on Vedas in Sanskrit ( Article ) आपको अच्छा लगा तो जरूर शेयर करे ।

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essay on vedas in sanskrit language

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Sanskrit Essay on Ved ( वेदः )

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Essay in Sanskrit on Vedas

चत्वारः वेदाः भवन्ति । ऋग्वेदः, यजुर्वेदः, सामवेदः, अथर्ववेदश्चेति एकैकस्यापि संहिता, ब्राह्मणम्, आरण्यकम्, उपनिषत् इत्येवं विभागाः सन्ति । वेदाः उत्कृष्टाः साहित्यकृतयः भवन्ति । तानि च सूक्तानि प्रतिभावतांऋषीणां योगदानानि भवन्ति । एकैकस्यापि सूक्तस्य ऋषिः, छन्दः, देवता इति त्रितयमस्ति ।संस्कृतसाहित्ये वेदानां स्थानं सर्वोपरि वर्त्तते । भारते धर्मव्यवस्था वेदायत्तैव । वेदो धर्मनिरूपणे स्वतन्त्रभावनप्रमाणम्, स्मृत्यादयस्तु तन्मूलकतया । श्रुतिस्मृत्योर्विरोधे श्रुतिरेव गरीयसी । न केवलं धर्ममूलतयैव वेदाः समादृताः, अपि तु विश्वस्मिन् सर्वप्राचीनग्रन्थतयाऽपि । प्राचीनानि धर्मसमाज –व्यवहारप्रभृतीनि वस्तुजातानि बोधयितुं श्रुतय एव क्षमन्ते ।प्रधानतया वेदो द्विविधः मन्त्ररूपो ब्राह्मणरूपश्च । मन्त्रसमुदाय एव संहिताशब्देन व्यवहृतः । ब्राह्मणरूपो वेदभागस्तु संहिताभागस्य व्याख्यारूप एव । स चायं ब्राह्मणभागो यागस्वरूपबोधकतया वैदिकविधिप्रयोगविवरणया च प्रथितः । ब्राह्मणग्रन्थोऽपि त्रिधा विभक्तो भवति- ब्राह्मणम्, आरण्यकम् उपनिषदश्च । यज्ञस्वरूपप्रतिपादको ब्राह्मणभागः । अरण्ये पठिताः यज्ञस्याध्यात्मिकं रूपं विवेचयन्तो वेदभाग आरण्यकानि । उपनिषदो ब्रह्मबोधिकाः मोक्षसाधनानि, अयमेव भागो वेदस्यान्तरूपतया वेदान्त इत्युच्यते । ब्राह्मणभागो गृहस्थानामुपयोगी, आरण्यकभागो वानप्रस्थमाश्रितानाम्, उपनिषद्भागश्च संन्यस्तानामुपयोगीत्यपि कथयितुं शक्यते ।

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The Vedas – Origin and Brief Description of Vedas

The Vedas – Origin and Brief Description of Vedas

Considered as the earliest literary records of Sanskrit Literature, the Vedas compiled by Rishi Vyasa are believed to be the oldest holy books in Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma). The Vedas are the large body of vast knowledge and text; the religious and spiritual teachings of which encompasses all aspects of life.

Origin of Vedas

The Vedas (word of Sanskrit origin, translating to ‘Knowledge’ or ‘To know’), as the records point out to be originated in the Indian Sub-continent and its written form origin dates back to 1600 BCE. The Rig Veda, the oldest of 4 Vedas is said to be authored in and around 1600 BCE. However, no definite date can be ascribed to the composition of the Vedas as the generational descend of the texts in Vedic periods was by literary oral tradition, which was then a precise and elaborate technique. The first of the written Vedas date to 1st millennium BCE, though the surviving ones now date only to somewhere in between 11th and 14th century mostly due to the ephemeral nature of the manuscript materials; the birch barks or palm leaves. The tales tell humans did not compose the revered compositions of the Vedas, but the knowledge was discovered by intense meditation and sadhana (Yogic practice) by ancient sages, who then handed them down through generations by word of mouth. Also, the followers of the Vedic Philosophy regard the Vedas as Apaurusheya; meaning, not of a man or impersonal, and according to the Vedanta and Mimamsa schools of philosophy, the Vedas are considered as svatah pramana (In Sanskrit, meaning “self-evident means of knowledge”). Some schools of thought even assert that the Vedas as of eternal creation, mainly in the Mimasa tradition. In the Mahabharata, the creation of Vedas is credited to Brahma, the Supreme Creator. However, the Vedic hymns themselves assert that they were skillfully created by Rishis (sages), after inspired creativity. Vedas There are four Vedas: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda, and all of them together are attributed to as ‘Chaturveda’. The Rig Veda serves as the principal one and all three but the Arthaveda agree with one another in form, language, and content. Each Veda has been sub classified into four major text types – The Samhitas, the most ancient layer of text in the Vedas, consisting of mantras, hymns, prayers, and benedictions which has in literary terms put together or joined the other three texts; the Aranyakas which constitute the philosophy behind the ritual sacrifice, the Brahmanas which in turn has the commentary on hymns of four Vedas and the Upasanas, the one that focuses on worship.

  • Srimad Bhagavad Gita
  • Hinduism, Indian culture, Vedic Science, Yoga, Spirituality, India

essay on vedas in sanskrit language

Brief Introduction to the Vedas

“The One Truth the sages call by many names.”  ~ Rig Veda

The Vedas are considered the earliest literary record of Ancient Indian 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.

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.

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 ancient 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.

ganesha reading veda

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 Egypt’s “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.

~ by Subhamoy Das & Manoj Sadasivan

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essay on vedas in sanskrit language

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वेद पर संस्कृत निबंध – Essay on Vedas in Sanskrit

हेलो स्टूडेंट्स, यहां हमने  वेद पर संस्कृत निबंध- Essay on Vedas in Sanskrit  के बारे में लिखा हैं। यह निबंध स्टूडेंट के परीक्षा में बहुत सहायक होंगे | इस निबंध को हिंदी मेडिअम के स्टूडेंट्स को ध्यान में रख कर बनाये है |

वेद पर संस्कृत निबंध- Essay on Vedas in Sanskrit

वेदः खलु मानवमात्रस्य प्राचीनतमः शब्दमयो ज्ञानराशिः। वेदशब्दस्य अर्थः ज्ञानमेव । वेदेषु मन्त्राः सन्ति । तेषु मन्त्रेष आध्यात्मिक तथा च जीवनस्य व्यावहारिक ज्ञानं सम्मिलितम। यदि वयं कस्यचित् जनस्य समाजस्य वा कर्तव्यविषये धर्मविषये वा किंचित् ज्ञातुमिच्छामस्तदा तत् सर्वं वेदेषु उपलभ्यते । अतएव भगवता मनुना मनुस्मृतौ साधूक्तं “वेदोऽखिलो धर्ममूलम् ।

वेदेषु प्राचीनतमं काव्यं दृश्यते । “अस्य विश्वस्य सृष्टिः कदा केन साधनेन केन वा पुरुषेण कृता’ इत्यस्मिन् विषये वेदेषु । विचारितम् । काः शक्तयः संसारे कथं कार्य सम्पादयन्ति इति वेदयति वेदः । वेदेनोच्यते यत् सर्वमेतद् जगत् यज्ञमयं वर्तते । मनुष्यः मनसा कथं विचारयति, कथं परमेश्वरः सर्वेषां जीवानां सञ्चालनं करोति, कथं च सर्वज्ञः सः सर्वं जानाति इत्येतत् सर्वं वेदाः बोधयन्ति । राज्ञां व्यवहारविषये, अध्यापकानां महत्त्वविषये, व्यापारिणामाचरणविषये, सर्वेषां स्वास्थ्यविषये च महत् ज्ञानं वेदेषु लभ्यते ।।

वेदानुसारेण सर्वे जनाः परस्परं स्नेहभावेन मित्ररूपेण वर्तन्तांम् –“सर्वा आशा मम मित्रं भवन्तु ।” वेदाः मनुष्य श्रेष्ठम् आर्य सज्जनं वा कर्तुम् इच्छन्ति । अतएवोच्यते”कृण्वन्तो विश्वमार्यम्” । मनुष्यः सत्यमेव मननशीलः परहितचिन्तकः स्यात्, अतः तत्र कथ्यते–“मनुर्भव’ इति । समाजे सर्वेषां गतिः वर्गभेदं विना समाना भवेत् येन राष्ट्रमुन्नतिं लभेत –“सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम् । वेदानामेव ज्ञानम् उपनिषत्सु, गीतायां, दर्शनग्रन्थेषु च विद्यते।

अस्माकं विवाहनामकरणचूडाकर्मादिषु संस्कारेषु समस्तभारतवर्षे वेदमन्त्राणामेवोच्चारणं क्रियते । प्रत्येक हिन्दूधर्मावलम्बिना-बालेनापि वैदिको गायत्रीमन्त्रोऽवश्यमुच्चार्यते ।

वेदाश्चत्वारः सन्ति-ऋग्वेदः, यजुर्वेदः, सामवेदः, अथर्ववेदश्च । भारतीयपरम्परा वेदान् सृष्टेरादौ परमेश्वरेण ऋषीणां हृदयेषु प्रकटितान् मन्यते । हम आशा करते है कि यह Essay on Vedas in Sanskrit आपकी स्टडी में उपयोगी साबित हुए होंगे | अगर आप लोगो को इससे रिलेटेड कोई भी किसी भी प्रकार का डॉउट हो तो कमेंट बॉक्स में कमेंट करके पूंछ सकते है | आप इन्हे अपने Classmates & Friends के साथ शेयर कर सकते है |

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In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section The Vedas

Introduction, general overviews.

  • Vedic Religion
  • Vedic Mythology
  • Vedic Ritual
  • History and Culture
  • Early Iron Age
  • Painted Gray Ware Culture
  • Material Culture
  • Word Indexes and Dictionaries
  • Bibliographies and List of Editions
  • History of Vedic Studies
  • Linguistic and Historical Levels
  • Difficulties in Establishing the Absolute Dates of Vedic Texts
  • Transmission
  • First Writing of Vedic Texts
  • Survival of Recitation
  • Materials at Hand for Study
  • Social Context
  • Political Context
  • Poets, their Clans and Migrations
  • Collection and Ordering of Rig Vedic Hymns
  • Rig Vedic Schools (śākhā)
  • Rig Veda Editions
  • Rig Vedic Dictionaries and Indexes
  • Dialogue Hymns
  • Speculative and “Philosophical” Hymns
  • The System of Rig Vedic Mythology
  • Other Important Deities
  • Asuras/Ādityas
  • The Ādityas (Asuras) as Social Deities
  • Devas and Asuras
  • Contests between Devas and Asuras
  • Other and Late Rig Vedic Deities
  • Reconstruction of Rig Vedic Ritual
  • The Soma Ritual
  • Fire Rituals
  • Liminal Rituals
  • The Kuru Time Vedic Texts and the Four Main Groups of Priests
  • Interpretation of Śrauta Rituals
  • Summary Descriptions and Interpretations
  • Structure of Śrauta Rituals
  • Interpretation as Circle of Exchanges
  • Offerings to the Somatic and Spiritual Ancestors
  • Ṛta and the Cycle of Exchanges and Offerings
  • Social Exchanges in Ritual
  • Outward Appearance of the Śrauta Ritual
  • Participants in the Śrauta Ritual
  • Liminal Rituals: From Evening to Seasonal
  • Animal Sacrifice
  • The Various Forms of Soma Rituals and their Constituents
  • Royal Rituals and Agnicayana
  • Sāmaveda Editions
  • Atharvaveda
  • Structure of the Atharvaveda Texts
  • Editions and Translations of the Śaunaka Atharvaveda
  • The Paippalāda Atharvaveda
  • The New Orissa Version of the Paippalāda Saṃhitā
  • Philological Study of the Paippalāda Saṃhita
  • History of the Paippalāda School
  • New Partial Editions of the Paippalāda Saṃhitā
  • History of Yajurveda Mantras
  • Arrangement of Yajurveda Mantras
  • Historical Background
  • Political Situation and Geographical Location
  • Archaeological Background and Localization of Yajurveda Schools
  • Black Yajurveda Prose Texts
  • Black Yajurveda Brāhmaṇa Style Texts
  • Correlations: The “Philosophy” of the Brāhmaṇa-Style Texts
  • Development of Brāhmaṇa Discussions and Speculation
  • Editions and Translations of Black Yajurveda Saṃhitās
  • White Yajurveda of the Vajasaneyin
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  • Āraṇyakas as Open-Ended Texts
  • Additions to the Āraṇyaka Texts
  • Rig Veda Āraṇyakas
  • Yajurveda Āraṇyakas
  • Upaniṣad Concordances
  • Upaniṣads: Embedded in Āraṇyaka Texts, and their Contents
  • Background of the Discussions in the Upaniṣads
  • Upaniṣads and the History of Thought
  • Development of New “Doctrines”
  • Cycle of Rebirths and Ritual Merit
  • Development of the Karma Concept
  • Origin and Spread of the Karma-Rebirth Theory
  • Explanations Given for Upaniṣadic Developments
  • Role of the Kṣatriyas?
  • Other Alleged Origins of Upaniṣadic Thought
  • Upaniṣads as Qualitative Breakthrough
  • Kosala-Videha
  • Editions and Translations of Upaniṣads
  • Middle Level (Verse) Upaniṣads
  • “New” and Post-Vedic Upaniṣads
  • Understanding the Early Upaniṣads and Advaita
  • Spread of Kuru Orthopraxy and Sutra Texts
  • Development of Sūtra Technique and Style
  • Content of the Śrauta Sūtras
  • Śrauta Appendixes
  • Translations of Śrauta Sūtras
  • Editions and Translations of Śrauta Sūtras
  • Historical Background of Domestic Rituals
  • Funeral Rituals and Ancestor Worship
  • Other Life Cycle Rituals, Vrātya
  • Role of Women
  • Magic and Sorcery
  • Customs and Beliefs
  • Translations
  • Later Dharma Texts, Manu
  • Smṛti Texts
  • Characteristics of Smṛti Texts
  • Editions and Translations of Dharma Sūtras
  • Smṛti Translations
  • The Appendix to the Atharvaveda, the Atharvaveda-Pariśiṣta

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The Vedas by Michael Witzel LAST MODIFIED: 30 March 2015 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195399318-0146

The four Vedas are the earliest Indian texts composed orally in archaic Sanskrit during the late Bronze and early Iron Ages ( c . 1400–400 BCE ). They consist of religious poetry and ritual formulas, followed by text layers of explanatory prose, early philosophy, and, finally, voluminous ritual manuals. Veda means “knowledge,” that is, the fourfold knowledge of the most ancient verses (Rig Veda), of the subsequent melodies (Sāma-veda) employed, of the ritual formulas (Yajur-veda) and of the sorcery and speculative stanzas of the Atharvans and Aṅgirasas (Atharva-veda). Later text layers traditionally include the Brāhmaṇas, Āraṇyakas, and Upaniṣads, but they exclude the late Vedic ritual manuals, the sūtras. The latter exclusion was made only in post-Vedic Hindu tradition, according to which the four Vedas down to the Upaniṣads are called Śruti, “something (revealed to and) heard,” by the primordial sages (Ṛṣi), while Smṛti, “something learnt by heart,” is restricted to the Vedic sūtras that are believed to have been composed by human beings.

Works that broadly deal with the Vedas as literature, religion, mythology, ritual, and canonization as well as those that view its contents against a historical background, including archaeology, social set up, and political developments, include the volumes cited here. A general overview of the Vedas and their impact on later periods, though dated, is found in the small volume of Renou 1971 and in Gonda 1960 . A new updated summary is badly needed. Questions of canon formation are dealt with in Patton 1994 and Witzel 1997 . A description and analysis of Hinduism, including its Vedic and current forms, is found in Michaels 2004 .

Gonda, Jan. Die Religionen Indiens . Vol. 1, Veda und älterer Hinduismus . Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 1960.

Useful but dated description of Vedic religion and early Hinduism. French translation: Les religions de l’Inde (Paris: Payot, 1962–1966).

Michaels, Axel. Hinduism: Past and Present . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2004.

Deals with the Vedic roots of much of Hinduism (especially of Nepal), and its current forms in religious thought, ritual, and festivals. Stresses its underlying “identificatory habitus.”

Patton, Laurie, ed. Authority, Anxiety, and Canon: Essays in Vedic Interpretation . Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994.

Deals, to some extent, with canonization issues related to the Vedas.

Renou, Louis. Vedic India . Delhi: Indological Book House, 1971.

Useful overview for students. Originally published 1957.

Witzel, Michael. “The Development of the Vedic Canon and Its Schools: The Social and Political Milieu.” In Inside the Texts, Beyond the Texts: New Approaches to the Study of the Vedas: Proceedings of the International Vedic Workshop, Harvard University, June 1989 . By Michael Witzel, 257–345. Harvard Oriental Series, Opera Minora 2. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies, 1997.

Deals with formation and canonization of the Vedic texts, from the Rig Veda down to the Vedic sūtras.

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Universal Knowledge: Swami Vivekananda on the Vedas (2016)

Profile image of Jeffery Long

Reflections on Swami Vivekananda's interpretation of the Vedas, published in On Meaning and Mantras: Essays in Honor of Frits Staal, edited by George Thompson and Richard K. Payne, 2016.

Related Papers

Swami Medhananda

The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Vedānta is a groundbreaking volume of sixteen newly commissioned chapters written by leading international scholars of Vedānta. The volume highlights the diversity of philosophical traditions within Vedānta, exploring their contemporary relevance and charting out new directions for research. Contributors include Neil Dalal, Marcus Schmücker, Michael Williams, Ravi M. Gupta, Jeffery D. Long, Stephen Phillips, Andrew J. Nicholson, Ankur Barua, Klara Hedling, Francis X. Clooney, Daniel Raveh, Anand Vaidya, Ethan Mills, Arindam Chakrabarti, and Ayon Maharaj. The hardcover edition of the book will be available on 25 June 2020. Endorsements: “"Showcasing material from a commendably wide range of Vedāntin traditions and time periods, this Research Handbook provides tantalising tasters of intra-Vedāntin debates, ways of approaching texts, and modes of engaging Vedānta in cross-cultural conversations. With orienting introductions and bibliographies opening up the work of other important scholars in the field, this collection should provoke further specialist investigations and prove a rich source for those who are not specialists in Vedānta but would like to engage with these Indian examples of Asian Philosophy.”” – Jacqueline Suthren Hirst, Honorary Research Fellow in South Asian Studies, University of Manchester, UK “The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Vedānta brings the work of scholars shaping the field of Indian philosophy into a volume that presses forward into the future of Vedānta scholarship. The book refutes misconceptions, and corrects for the historical imbalance in the coverage of this diverse set of traditions, by covering the philosophy of Viśiṣṭādvaita, Dvaitādvaita, Bhedābheda, and Advaita too, ranging from the earliest authoritative texts of the traditions to the most influential modern and contemporary thinkers. Ayon Maharaj's precise overview of Vedānta in the introduction makes the book accessible to the eager, beginning student of Indian philosophy, even as the articles push the reader into unexplored material, original theses, and innovative cross-cultural work. The book deserves a place among even small collections of contemporary research on Indian philosophy.” – Christopher Framarin, Professor of Philosophy, University of Calgary, Canada

essay on vedas in sanskrit language

Swami Vedatitananda

How have Swami Vivekananda's ideas influenced the thought currents of the world? An article exploring this topic:

"Swami Med­hananda’s Swami Vivekananda’s Vedāntic Cosmopolitanism (Oxford University Press) is an extraordinary achievement. A brilliant, deep and searching exploration of Swami Vivekananda, this may also be the best book in English on philosophical debates in modern Hinduism, and philos­ophy of religion more generally." -- Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Princeton University *** The South Asian edition of the book is now available for purchase in India and Bangladesh through Amazon.in and Advaita Ashrama: https://shop.advaitaashrama.org/product/swami-vivekanandas-vedantic-cosmopolitanism/

International Journal of Hindu Studies

The link to this Special Issue of the International Journal of Hindu Studies (April 2023): https://link.springer.com/journal/11407/volumes-and-issues/27-1 The six contributions to this Special Issue are as follows: "Religions as Yogas: How Reflection on Swami Vivekananda’s Theology of Religions Can Clarify the Threefold Model of Exclusivism, Inclusivism, and Pluralism" Jeffery D. Long "Hindu-Christian Dialogue on the Afterlife: Swami Vivekananda, Modern Advaita Vedānta, and Roman Catholic Eschatology" Michael Stoeber "From Good to God: Swami Vivekananda’s Vedāntic Virtue Ethics" Swami Medhananda "A Religion 'Based Upon Principles, And Not Upon Persons': The Heart of the “Strategic Fit” of Swami Vivekananda’s Promotion of Vedānta?" Gwilym Beckerlegge "Living in the World by Dying to the Self: Swami Vivekananda’s Modernist Reconfigurations of a Premodern Vedāntic Dialectic" Ankur Barua "Swami Vivekananda and Knowledge as the One Final Goal of Humankind" Christopher G. Framarin

Swami Narasimhananda

Exploring the retelling of Vedanta by Swami Vivekananda

Aditya Zanjad

Journal of Business, Ethics and Society (October_2023) (V-3_I-2) 102-110

Sreejit Datta

This is a longish review of Oxford historian Prof. Ruth Harris's new biography of Swami Vivekananda, appropriately titled "Guru to the World: The Life and Legacy of Vivekananda".

VEDA'S JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE [JOELL]

The concept of the Vedic dharma is that the four Vedas are the boost of true knowledge. Study of the Vedas is essential. The Vedas contain the seeds of all knowledge. Vedas are the oldest books in the library of man. There is no bar or restrictions of country, period, caste, creed, sex or color for the study of the Vedas. knowledge of Vedas is for all human beings, any discrimination in studying, reciting, teaching or learning the Vedas is not only unacceptable but condemnable too.

Swami Sarvapriyananda

Philosophical Discourse: Thought Consciousness and Ethics

Purbayan Jha

In O. Mahaldar, G.N. Mondal, & K. Bhadra (Eds.), Kolkata: Cognition Publications

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Classical Hindu Thought: An Introduction

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  • Published: July 2001
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This chapter discusses the significance of the Vedas as books. The Vedas are the sacred books of the Hindus. They are to the Hindus what the Bible is to the Christians, and the Qur'ān to the Muslims. According to the traditional Hindu view of the Vedas, these books are eternal, beginning-less, not made by man, and moreover, they are the source of all religion. Modern Western scholarship considers the following features of great significance in relation to the Vedas as books: the purity of the texts; the antiquity of the texts; and the importance of the texts in the history of Hinduism. The essence of the significance of the Vedas as books lies in the fact that the Vedas are ‘the book of origins’. They are the original Indo–European work, and contain the origins of later Hindu development in the religious and even secular fields.

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VedicFeed

Vedic Wisdom for the Modern World

A Closer Look at Four Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva

essay on vedas in sanskrit language

Considered the earliest literary records of Sanskrit Literature , the Vedas compiled by Rishi Vyasa are the oldest holy books in Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma). The Vedas are a large body of vast knowledge and text, the religious and spiritual teachings of all aspects of life.

The Four Vedas

What are the Vedas?

Veda means “Knowledge.” It is a Sanskrit word from the root “Vid,” which means finding, knowing, acquiring, or understanding. What you acquire or understand is knowledge. As a common noun, Veda means “knowledge” or “To know.”

The ideas, teachings, and practices described in the Vedas formed the basis for the six major schools of Hindu philosophy – Nyaya, Vaisheshika , Samkhya , Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta .

The Vedas are the ancient sacred scriptures of Hinduism, comprising a vast collection of hymns, rituals, and philosophical teachings that are foundational texts of profound spiritual knowledge and guide individuals on matters of morality, duty, and the pursuit of ultimate truth.

Sruti and Smriti

Sruti, also known as Shruti, means “that which is heard” and includes the Vedas themselves. Smriti, on the other hand, refers to the category of texts that are based on memory and human composition. The Vedas are something that is heard.

All Vedas, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda, fall under the category of Sruti texts. They are considered the ultimate and authoritative scriptures of Hinduism, believed to be revealed to ancient sages through divine inspiration.

Smriti texts, which are derived from the Sruti texts, include the Mahabharata (including the Bhagavad Gita), Ramayana, Puranas, Dharma Shastras (such as Manusmriti), and other secondary scriptures. These texts are composed of sages, scholars, and poets, and they provide additional narratives, elaborations, interpretations, ethical teachings, and practical guidance based on the principles found in the Vedas.

Origin of Vedas

As the records point out, the Vedas originated in the Indian Sub-continent. Its  written form origin dates back to 1600 BCE . The Rig Veda, the oldest of 4 Vedas, was authored in and around 1600 BCE. The date of the Vedas’ composition cannot be confirmed as the texts were passed down orally through generations in the Vedic period. This was done using a precise and elaborate technique.

The surviving ones now date only somewhere between the 11th and 14th centuries, mostly due to the transient nature of the manuscript materials; the birch barks or palm leaves.

The tales tell humans did not compose the revered compositions of the Vedas. Still, the knowledge was discovered through intense meditation and sadhana (Yogic practice) by ancient sages, who then handed them down through generations by word of mouth.

Also, the Vedic philosophy regards the Vedas as Apaurusheya , meaning not of a man or impersonal. According to the Vedanta and Mimamsa schools of philosophy , the Vedas are considered Svatah Pramana (In Sanskrit, meaning “self-evident means of knowledge”) .

Some schools of thought even assert that the Vedas are eternal creations, mainly in the Mimasa tradition. In the Mahabharata , the creation of Vedas is credited to Brahma, the Supreme Creator . However, the Vedic hymns assert that they were skillfully created by Rishis (sages) after inspired creativity.

The 4 Vedas

There are four Vedas: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda, and all of them together are attributed as ‘ Chatur Veda .’ The Rig Veda serves as the one principal and all three, but the Arthaveda agree in form, language, and content. There are a total of 20379 mantras in all the Vedas.

Each Veda has been subclassified into four major text types or four portions.

  • The Samhitas , the most ancient layer of text in the Vedas, consisting of mantras, hymns, prayers, and benedictions which have, in literary terms, put together or joined the other three texts;
  • The Aranyakas , which constitute the philosophy behind the ritual sacrifice,
  • The Brahmanas , which in turn have the commentary on hymns of four Vedas and
  • The Upanishads , which consist of conversations between teachers and students, clarify the Vedas’ philosophical message.

The Rig Veda

Rig Veda XVII

Rig Veda is the oldest and most popular among the four Vedas. Two Sanskrit words Rig and Veda constituting it translate to ‘praise or shine’ and ‘knowledge,’ respectively. A collection of 1,028 hymns and 10,600 verses is organized into ten different Mandalas (or the books; Sanskrit). It  is the principal and oldest of the four Vedas.

The cultural-linguistic records, mainly the variation in Sanskrit used (from present-day), point out the origin of the Rig Veda to have been around 1600 BCE. However, a more comprehensive approximation of 1700–1100 BCE has also been given by experts. The initial written Rig Veda dates back to the 1st millennium BCE, although the extant ones today date only somewhere between the 11th and 14th centuries, primarily due to the transient nature of the manuscript materials, palm leaves, or birch barks.

Like the other three Vedas, many regard the Rig Veda as Apauruṣeya, meaning not of a man or impersonal and not belonging to a particular author . The hymns and the verses were written by the Rishis (Sages), and as the ardent believers of the Sanatana dharma claim, the revered Lord himself taught the Vedic hymns to the sages, who then handed them down through generations by word of mouth.

Rig Veda has been sub-classified into four-part , Samhitas or hymns that sing the praises of the Rig Vedic deities , some of whom are Indra, Agni, Soma, Ushas , Varuna , and Ishwara, the supreme God. Brahmanas have the commentary of the ancient sacred rituals; Aranyakas constitute the philosophy behind the ritual sacrifice and the Upanishads , commonly referred to as Vedanta.

The ten Mandalas, or Books of the Rig Veda, were composed by poets from different priestly groups over several centuries and structured on clear principles.

As the text progresses, the hymns, meticulous with meters from Jagati and Tristubh to Anustubh and Gayatri , reveal the history of the Vedic period, hinting at the primitive slash and burn agriculture, cattle raising and horse-racing, deeply aesthetic society practicing henotheism where they believed all God as one. Still, they accepted its manifested deities, vividly evident from the central thought of Hindus’ Brahman is everywhere, God inside everybody. ‘

But, what is worth speculating on is the pre-dominant discussions about cosmology, mystic forces, the existence of the Universe , and other metaphysical issues bringing the central theme of metaphysics ‘not about what exists, but about what it is to exist.’

Shifting from praises from early Mandalas of Nasadiya to later ones such as in the Sukta. Suktas contain philosophical questions about the origin of the Universe , the nature of God, the virtue of dāna (charity), and rituals that are said to be the religious duties of a human being raised.

Speculation reaches its epitome when questions such as ‘Do even Gods know the answer’ are raised; clearly, religious scriptures should be the last place to doubt the in-depth knowledge of God, but in the Vedas, it seems it ain’t.

Rigveda, in contemporary Hinduism, has been a reminder of the ancient cultural heritage and a point of pride for Hindus, with some hymns still in use in major rites of passage ceremonies. Still, to some experts, the literal acceptance of most of the textual essence is long gone.

Lack of faith, treachery, arguments and animosity only breed malevolence. It is in the best interest of all to avoid this and tread on the path of progress. Even God blesses only those who are contemplative, intelligent and the protectors of the weak. Rig Veda

The Sama Veda

Samaveda

The words of Rig Veda are put to music and are to be sung rather than just read or recited. Sama Veda, also the Veda of Melodies and Chants , is the third in the four principal scriptures of Hinduism – The four Vedas.

Widely referred to as the ‘ Book of Songs ,’ it is derived from two words, Saman, of Sanskrit, meaning Song, and Veda, meaning knowledge. The Sama Veda has served as the principal root of the classical Indian music and dance tradition, and proudly the tradition boasts itself as the oldest in the world. As the tradition had followed, the verses of Sama Veda are sung using specifically indicated melodies called Samagana by Udgatar priests at rituals dedicated to different diets.

The Sama Veda is divided into two major parts: the four melody collections, or the Saman , the songs, and the latter, the Arcika, or the verse books, a collection (Samhita) of hymns, portions of hymns, and detached verses. A liturgical text relating to public worship, all but 75 verses of 1875, is derived from the Rig Veda.

As it is the words of Rig Veda put to music, no wonder, similar to the Rigveda, the early sections of Samaveda typically begin with singing the hymns of Rig Vedic deities, but the latter part shifts to abstract speculations and philosophy. The nature and existence of the Universe and God himself are questioned, and so are a man’s social and religious duties in society. The purpose of Samaveda is liturgical .

Two of the 108 Upanishads are still embedded in the Sama Veda: Chandayoga Upanishad and Kena Upanishad. Upanishads, in a way the essence of Vedas, are ancient Sanskrit texts that contain some of the central philosophical concepts and ideas of Hinduism and are also shared in other religions like Buddhism and Jainism.

The Chandayoga Upanishad speculates about the origin of the Universe and about space and time. In their Udgithas or chanting, three proficient men put forward some logical speculations even modern science could not outrightly reject. The Kena Upanishad tells us how every man born has an innate longing for spiritual knowledge and that bliss comes only from spiritual attainment.

To quote the exact words of V. Raghavan, a Sanskrit scholar, and musicologist,

“Our music tradition [Indian] in the North as well as in the South, remembers and cherishes its origin in the Samaveda… the musical version of the Rigveda.”

Such has been the influence of Sama-veda on Indian classical music and dance. So much so that the very essence of classical Indian music and dance tradition is rooted in the sonic and musical dimensions of the Sama-Veda itself. In addition to singing and chanting, the Samaveda mentions instruments and the specific rules and regulations of playing them to preserve the sanctity of those ancient instruments.

If one were to summarize the significance of the Sama Veda in a single line, in contemporary Hinduism, Sama Veda has been a reminder of the glorious ancient cultural heritage and a point of pride for Hindus; not to mention that it still finds its usage in today’s society.

The Yajur Veda

Yajurveda

Yajur Veda, of Sanskrit origin, is composed of Yajus and Veda; the two words translate to ‘prose mantras dedicated to religious reverence or veneration’ and knowledge. Third of four Vedas, this liturgical collection is famous as the ‘ book of rituals .’

Yajur Veda is a compilation of rituals offering formulas or prose mantras to be chanted or muttered repeatedly by a priest. At the same time, an individual performs the ascertained ritual actions before the sacrificial fire or the Yajna .

Since the Vedic times, the primary source of information about sacrifices and associated rituals, more importantly, has served as a practical guidebook for the priest, or the Purohits, who execute the acts of ceremonial religion.

The scholarly consensus points out that the bulk of Yajur Veda dates to 1200 or 1000 BCE. When analyzed is younger than Rig Veda, whose origin has been approximated around 1700 BCE but is contemporary to the hymns of Sama Veda and Atharva Veda.

However, like the other Vedic texts, no definite date can be ascribed to its composition; instead, they are believed to be generational descent from Vedic periods by literary oral tradition, which was a precise and elaborate technique.

The Yajurveda is broadly grouped into Krishna Yajurveda and Shukla Yajurveda , also referred to as the Black Yajurveda and the White. About the verses of the Krishna Yajurveda being un-arranged, unclear, and disparate or dissimilar, the collection is too often referred to as Black Yajurveda . In contrast, the well-arranged and imparting a particular meaning, the Shukla Yajurveda is known as the White Yajurveda.

The earliest and most ancient layer of Yajur Veda Samhita includes about 1,875 verses that are distinct yet borrowed from and built upon the foundation of verses in Rigveda. The middle layer includes the Satapatha Brahmana, one of the most extensive Brahmana texts in the Vedic collection.

The youngest layer of the Yajur Veda text includes the largest collection of primary Upanishads, six in number, influential to various schools of Hindu philosophy. These include the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the Isha Upanishad , and the Taittiriya Upanishad , to name a few.

Sixteen recensions, or revised editions of a text, of the Shukla Yajurveda, have been known, of which only two recessions have been discovered to have survived. While the Krishna Yajurveda may have had as many as 86 recensions, of which only four have survived into modern times. Madhyandina and Kanva, the two recensions of the Yajurveda that have survived, are nearly the same in contrast to the four surviving recensions of the Shukla Yajurveda, which are very different versions compared to one another.

Yajurveda, in contemporary Hinduism, has been a reminder of the ancient cultural heritage and a point of pride for Hindus. The text is a valuable source of information about agriculture, economic, and social life during the Vedic era. The verse, translated from the Shukla Yajurveda, lists the types of crops considered important in ancient India.

May my rice plants and my barley, and my beans and my sesame, and my kidney-beans and my vetches, and my pearl millet and my proso millet, and my sorghum and my wild rice, and my wheat and my lentils, prosper by sacrifice. Shukla Yajurveda 18.12.

The Atharva Veda

Atharva Veda

The fourth and final of the revered text of the Hindu dharma, the Vedas, the Atharva Veda, in short, is depicted as the “knowledge storehouse of Atharvāṇas,” Atharvāṇas meaning formulas and spells intended to counteract diseases and calamities, or “the procedures for everyday life.”

A late addition to the Vedic scriptures, the word owes its roots to Sanskrit, and the widely used epithet for the scripture is ‘ the Veda of Magic formulas .’ It sides with popular culture and tradition of the day rather than preaching religious and spiritual teachings. It is often viewed not in connection with the three other Vedas but as a discrete scripture.

In popular context with being widely popular as the Veda of Magic formulas, Atharva Veda is a mixture of hymns, chants, spells, and prayers; and involves issues such as healing of illnesses, prolonging life, and as some claim also the black magic and rituals for removing disorders and anxieties.

However, many books of the Atharva Veda are dedicated to rituals without magic and to theosophy, a philosophy asserting that God’s knowledge can be achieved through spiritual practice or intuition.

It is a collection of 730 hymns with about 6,000 mantras, divided into 20 books, with three Upanishads embedded in it; Mundaka Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad, and Prashna Upanishad. However, not all but a considerable part of it is the adaptation of Rig Veda, the most ancient of all Vedic Scripture.

The Samhitas in the Atharva Veda has written accounts of Surgical and medical speculations; it includes mantras and verses for treating various ailments. For instance, the verses in hymn 4.15 of the recently discovered Paippalada version of the Atharvaveda discuss dealing with an open fracture and wrapping the wound with the Rohini plant (Ficus Infectoria, native to India).

Some hymns were even about peaceful prayers and philosophical speculations, the origin of the Universe, and the existence of God himself. It is a collection of all sorts of speculation that often bewilders us.

The Atharva Veda still finds its relevance in today’s contemporary society. It has been a pioneer in influencing modern medicine and healthcare, culture and religious celebrations, and even literary tradition in the Indian subcontinent. It contains the oldest known mention of the Indic literary genre. The fourth and final of the four Vedas is still one of the most cherished books today for any Vedic scholar.

One hundred fortunes have born all together with the birth of the body of the mortal (man) (upon which he has right by birth) of those we cast away those which leads us to sinful acts. O God, the knower of entire creation please let us have those fortunes which will prove blessings to us. Atharva Veda 7.115.5

Upavedas (उपवेदाः)

Upavedas (Samskrit : उपवेदः) or subsidiary Vedas, are said to be four in number forming auxiliaries to the four Vedas as given below [1]

  • Ayurveda (आयुर्वेदः)
  • Dhanurveda (धनुर्वेदः)
  • Arthaveda (अर्थवेदः)
  • Gandharvaveda (गन्धर्ववेदः)
  • 1 Introduction
  • 2.1 आयुर्वेदः ॥ Ayurveda
  • 2.2 धनुर्वेदः ॥ Dhanurveda
  • 2.3 गन्धर्ववेदः॥ Gandharvaveda
  • 2.4 अर्थशास्त्रम् ॥ Arthashastra
  • 2.5 शिल्पवेदः॥ Shilpaveda or Sthapatyaveda (स्थापत्यवेदः)
  • 3 References

Introduction

Upavedas when treated separately from Vedas and added to the list of Chaturdasha vidyasthanas, form the Ashtadasha Vidyasthanas as accounted by Vishnupurana. [2] [3]

आयुर्वेदो धनुर्वेदो गान्धर्वश्चैव ते त्रयः । अर्थशास्त्र चतुर्थन्तु विद्या ह्मष्टादशैव ताः ।। २९ ।। (Vish. Pura. 3.6.29)
āyurvēdō dhanurvēdō gāndharvaścaiva tē trayaḥ । arthaśāstra caturthantu vidyā hmaṣṭādaśaiva tāḥ ।। 29 ।। (Vish. Pura. 3.6.29)

Shilpaveda (शिल्पवेदः) or Sthapatyaveda (स्थापत्यवेदः) is considered as the Upaveda instead of Arthashastra according to Charanavyuha [4] and Katyayana [5] . The Upavedas supplement the Vedas with more specific applications of Vedic teachings into the cultural field. Upavedas are considered as a part of Veda and not as a separate entity according to a few scholars, in such case there are Chaturdhasha (14) Vidyasthanas only. [6]

Brief Description of Upavedas

A brief description of the Upavedas are as follows

आयुर्वेदः ॥ Ayurveda

Ayurveda is related to the secret of longevity and medicines to cure diseases. Ancient rshis have, with their research and experience, practically shown the way to lead a happy life by protecting and enriching the health of healthy person (स्वस्थस्य स्वास्थ्यरक्षणम् preventive) and curing the disease of a patient (व्याध्युपसृष्टानां व्याधिरपिमोक्षः curative). Any shastra has two parts - Siddhanta (सिद्धान्तभागः theoretical aspects) which defines the basic rules and Karmabhaga (कर्मभागः practical application) which define the practical usage of those rules. Ayurvedic study involves both the siddhanta and applications in curing the diseases. [7] The originator of Ayurveda is supposed to be Dhanwantari, who originated as one of the treasures during samudra-manthan. Apart from him, other prominent names are Aitareya, Kashyapa, Harit, Agnivesha, and Bhedamuni. At present, three important books of Ayurveda are: Charaka Samhita , Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam. These three books are collectively called Brihat-trayi. Patanjali has also authored text on Ayurveda. [1]

In the most referred Sanskrit-Sanskrit dictionaries like Shabdakalpadruma & Vachaspatyam, Ayurveda is mentioned as Upaveda of both Atharvaveda and Rigveda.

According to Sushruta Samhita and भावप्रकाशः Ayurveda is Upaveda of Atharvaveda

इह खल्वायुर्वेदं नामोपाङ्गमथर्ववेदस्यानुत्पाद्यैवप्रजाः श्लोकशत सहस्र-मध्यायसहस्रं च कृतवान् स्वयम्भूः ततोऽल्पायुष्ट्वमल्पमेध स्त्वं चालोक्य नराणां भूयोऽष्टधा प्रणीतवान् ६ (Sush. Samh. 1.6) [8]
विधाताथर्व्वसर्वस्वमायुर्वेदं प्रकाशयन्। स्वनाम्ना संहितां चक्रे लक्षश्लोकमयीमृजुम्” इति भावप्रकाशोक्तेः । (Bhavaprakasha)
iha khalvāyurvedaṁ nāmopāṅgamatharvavedasyānutpādyaivaprajāḥ ślokaśata sahasra-madhyāyasahasraṁ ca kr̥tavān svayambhūḥ tato'lpāyuṣṭvamalpamedha stvaṁ cālokya narāṇāṁ bhūyo'ṣṭadhā praṇītavān 6
vidhātātharvvasarvasvamāyurvedaṁ prakāśayan। svanāmnā saṁhitāṁ cakre lakṣaślokamayīmr̥jum" iti bhāvaprakāśokteḥ ।

According to Charanavyuha of Shaunaka it is Upaveda of Rigveda

चरणव्यूहमते ऋग्वेदस्योपवेदः आयुर्वेदः [ citation needed ]
caraṇavyūhamate r̥gvedasyopavedaḥ āyurvedaḥ

धनुर्वेदः ॥ Dhanurveda

This Upaveda explains civil and military defense, war and politics. The art of warfare, well known for bringing victory in ancient days, has now been reduced to obscurity and these days, unfortunately, it is mentioned as the art of using bows and arrows. Starting from the Samhitas and Brahmanas there is a mention of this shastra, terms of battlefield instruments such as Ashti, Vajri, Shatagni, which gives us evidence of their usage even in vedic times. Later in the Ramayana and Mahabharata a good deal of light is thrown upon this science and art, particularly in the descriptions of battles. This shastra has it origins from Brahma as given in Shrutis, Smrtis and puranas. Rigveda sukta (9.112) describes the art of making bows and arrows (grinding of the tips of arrows and carving stones using them) apart from praises of Indra, Varuna, Agni, Rudra as great warriors wielding the bows. [4] The most ancient books of Dhanurveda are not available, but some of the known books are Dhanurvidhi, Drauna Vidya, Kodanda Mandana and Dhanurveda Samhita. [1]

गन्धर्ववेदः॥ Gandharvaveda

Gandharva veda is the science of music, derived from the Sama-Veda as evidenced by the list of pravartakas seen in Samaveda Anukramanikas. Starting from Ranaayani to Jaimini, 13 seers have given gandharva vidya in Bharatavarsha, later developed by maharshi Jaimini and his students. This ancient veda was the root of Ganavidya which gave musical notes and spread as classical musical tradition is evident from Narada shiksha. Yamalashtaka tantra (यामळाष्टक तन्त्रम्) describes the existence of Gandharvaveda (containing 36000 slokas), but it is at present unavailable. Gandharvaveda is treated and studied as a part of 64 Kalas in the present ages. [4]

अर्थशास्त्रम् ॥ Arthashastra

Dr. R. Shamasastry, who first translated Kautilya's Arthashastra [9] , elaborately discusses, in the preface to his translation, the authorship of Arthashastra and mentions the different aspects given in various works like Vishnupurana (4.24), Nitisara of Kamandaka, Shakuntaka of Kalidasa, Dandi's work, Kadambari of Bana, Panchatrantra etc. Kautilya also known as Vishnugupta and Chanakya, has been ascribed to the authorship of Arthashastra, though there is little clarity whether all these names refer to one person.

Nevertheless, the work itself is a masterpiece that covers a whole gamut of topics covered in 15 Adhikaranas and 150 Adhyayas (total of 6000 slokas). Kautilya in his opening statement offering salutations to Sukra and Brhaspati mentions that

"This Arthashastra is made as a compendium of almost all the Arthasastras, which, in view of acquisition and maintenance of the earth, have been composed by ancient teachers." [9]

Topics dealt with include discipline, restraint of sense organs, creation of Councillors and priests, institution of spies, ministers, duties of a raja, maharaja, his duty to protect his parivara (harem) and personal safety, duties of the government incharges and superintendents, sovereignty, formation of villages, division of land, construction of forts, revenue, armoury, treasury, agriculture, weaving, slaughter-houses, forest produce, ships, chariots, infantry, resolution of legal disputes, recovery of debts, cooperative undertakings, rules for slaves and laborers, dealing with betting and gambling, robbery, defamation among many other laws and policies relating to war, invasion, army, strategic planning and secret punishments.

शिल्पवेदः॥ Shilpaveda or Sthapatyaveda (स्थापत्यवेदः)

Few scholars treat Shilpaveda or Sthapatyaveda as the Upaveda instead of Arthashastra. [1] [5] It deals with architecture and various arts. Also considered as one of the 64 Kalas now, Shilpashastra originally dealt with architectural sites including waterbodies (tataka), rest houses (aramas), temples (alayas) etc. [4] According to Shukra-niti there are a number of arts but 64 are considered to be more prominent. More commonly called  Vastu , it shows the right design of structures to bring in wholesome earth and spatial energies. Yoga uses Vastu for the orientation of temples, ashrams and meditation rooms. [1]

  • ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 All About Hinduism, Swami Sivananda, Page 33
  • ↑ Vishnupurana ( Amsha 3 Adhyaya 6 )
  • ↑ Introduction to Upavedas given in Vedic Heritage Portal
  • ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Malladi, Sri. Suryanarayana Sastry (1982) Samskruta Vangmaya Charitra, Volume 2 Laukika Vangmayam Hyderabad : Andhra Sarasvata Parishad
  • ↑ 5.0 5.1 Shri. Kishore Mishra's Article : Vaidik Vangmay ka Shastriya Swaroop in Vedic Heritage Portal.
  • ↑ Raghunathacharya, S. B. (1982) Arshavijnana Sarvasvamu, Volume 1 : Vedasamhitalu (Telugu) Tirupati : Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam
  • ↑ Acharya Baldeva Upadhyaya (1969) Sanskrit Shastron Ka Itihas. Varanasi : Sharada Mandir
  • ↑ Sushruta Samhita ( Sutrasthana Adhyaya 1 )
  • ↑ 9.0 9.1 Dr. R. Shamasastry. (1915 First Edition, 1929 Third Edition) Kautilya's Arthasastra. Mysore : Weslevan Mission Press
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Hinduism and Tribal Religions pp 1–5 Cite as

Vedas, Overview

  • R. P. Singh 6  
  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online: 14 July 2021

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

The four Vedas – Rigveda , Yajurveda , Samaveda , and Atharvaveda – are recognized as important cultural texts not only for India, but as a significant part of the heritage of human civilization. According to Vedic tradition, the knowledge and philosophy enshrined in these texts were inherited from Guru (preceptor) to Shishya (disciple) in the convention of listening, memorizing, and transferring the exact version of the text. Listening and memorizing under the training and blessings of a preceptor Rishi was a fundamental part in Vedic education, and it is partly due to this reason that the Vedic scriptures are also called Shruti (something that is heard). The Vedas are believed to be the words of Ishvara (God) and accumulate quite significant knowledge for the sake of humanity. They are considered as sacred scriptural texts in Hinduism and offer the records of the sociocultural, religious, and spiritual life of the Indo-Aryan civilization. The history of the Vedas goes back to the...

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Department of English and Modern European Languages, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India

R. P. Singh

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Department of Religion and Asian Studies, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA, USA

Jeffery D. Long

The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA, USA

Rita D. Sherma

Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, TX, USA

Pankaj Jain

Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

Madhu Khanna

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Singh, R.P. (2021). Vedas, Overview. In: Long, J.D., Sherma, R.D., Jain, P., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_269-1

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