The Vedas, or “Books of Knowledge,” are are a large body of texts originating in ancient India and are the foremost sacred texts in Hinduism. The Vedas contain hymns, incantations, and rituals from ancient India and are the most ancient religious texts still in existence. As well as their spiritual value, they also offer scholars a unique view of everyday life in IndiaB India four thousand years ago. They have also proven valuable in the study of comparative linguistics, as they are the most ancient texts written in the precursor of modern Asian languages.
Hindus consider the Vedas to be revelations seen by ancient sages after intense meditation. The creation of the Vedas is credited to Brahma, the ancient Hindu god of creation. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. These books, written from around 1200 BCE to 100 CE, began with four Vedas, or mantras: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. These expanded over time to include Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. The Vedas constitute the most foundational work of Hinduism which every Hindu tradition and sect claims as its source. They have not been modified or edited since they were revealed thousands of years ago.
The Vedas were first translated into English between 1895 and 1899, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, an English scholar of Indology, but others have also translated certain sections of the works. The literary style of the Vedas is very obscure, and filled with allusions and metaphors which are difficult to understand.
Works Cited
Dulcinea Media. Hindu Sacred Text: The Vedas. 2016. 23 January 2016. <http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Religion-and-Spirituality/Sacred-Texts.pg_01.html>.
Hare, J.B. Hinduism. 2010. 23 Januaary 2016. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/>.
The Vedas. 2015. 23 January 2016. <http://www.hinduwebsite.com/vedicsection/vedaindex.asp>.
Vedas. 28 November 2015. 23 January 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/203.87.13.209>.
Violatti, C. The Vedas. 18 January 2013. 23 January 2016. <http://www.ancient.eu/The_Vedas/>.
