The Vedas

THE VEDAS (India, c. 1500-900 BCE)

The Vedas are the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. There are four: the Rigveda: probably the best known in the west, a collection of hymns; the Yajurveda: prose mantras for worship rituals; the Samaveda: melodies and chants, largely taken from the Rigveda; and the Atharvaveda: religious procedures for everyday life. Each Veda is further divided into four parts: the Samhitas (the main, metrical texts), the Brahmanas (commentaries on the Samhitas); the Aranyakas (meditations on the Samhitas by forest mystics); and the Upanishads (philosophical works).

• Veda means "knowledge."

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