The Vedas, collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo-Aryan
religious literature that are considered by adherents of
Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. The word Veda means Knowledge
and is cognate with the word "wit" in English (as well as
"vision" through Latin). Many Hindus believe the Vedas existed
since the beginning of creation. The texts of the Vedas have
several references to specific patterns in the ancient flows of
the Ganges River, which coincide with the sites of its ancient
(but now dried) tributaries.
Many historians regard the Vedas as the oldest surviving text of
humanity. The newest parts of the Vedas are estimated to date
back to around 500 BCE. The oldest text (RigVeda)
found is now dated to around 1,500 BCE, but most Indologists
agree that a long oral tradition possibly existed before it was
written down. They represent the oldest stratum of Indian
Literature and according to modern scholars are written in forms
of a language which evolved into Sanskrit. They consider the use
of Vedic Sanskrit for the language of the texts an anachronism,
although it is generally accepted.
The Vedas consist of several kinds of texts, all of which date
back to early times. The core is formed by the Mantras which
represent hymns, prayers, incantations, magic and ritual
formulas, charms etc. The hymns and prayers are addressed to a
pantheon of gods (and a few goddesses), important members of
which are Rudra, Varuna, Indra, Agni, etc. The mantras are
supplemented by texts regarding the sacrificial rituals in which
these mantras are used as well as texts exploring the
philosophical aspects of the ritual tradition, narratives etc.
The Mantras are collected into anthologies called Samhitas.
There are four Samhitas: the Rig (poetry), Saman (song), Yajus
(prayer), and Atharvan (a kind of priest). They are commonly
referred to as the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda
respectively.
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Rigveda
Samaveda
Yajurveda
Atharva Veda
