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 kno ledge encompassing all aspects of our life. Vedic literature ith its philosophical ma!ims 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 isdom, kno ledge or vision, and it manifests the language of the gods in human speech. The la s 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. o e their allegiance to the Vedic ritual. They dra forth the thought of successive generation of thinkers, and so contain ithin 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 hen the earliest portions of the Vedas came into e!istence. 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 ith 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, hich ere handed do n through generations by the ord of mouth from time immemorial. The general assumption is that the Vedic hymns ere either taught by $od to the sages or that they ere revealed themselves to the sages ho ere the seers or "mantradrasta# of the hymns. The Vedas ere mainly compiled by Vyasa %rishna & aipayana around the time of 'ord %rishna (c. )*++ ,-. Classification of the Vedas The Vedas are four/ The 0ig-Veda, the 1ama Veda, the 2a3ur Veda and the Atharva Veda, the 0ig Veda being the main. The four Vedas are collectively kno n as "-hathurveda, # of hich the first three Vedas viz., 0ig Veda, 1ama Veda and 2a3ur Veda agree in form, language and content. Structure of the Vedas 4ach Veda consists of four parts 5 the 1amhitas (hymns., the ,rahmanas (rituals., the Aranyakas (theologies. and the 6panishads (philosophies.. The collection of mantras or hymns is called the 1amhita. The ,rahmanas are ritualistic te!ts and include precepts and religious duties. 4ach Veda has several ,rahmanas attached to it. The 6panishads 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 6panishads and the Aranyakas are the concluding portions of the ,rahmanas, hich discuss philosophical problems. The Aryanyakas (forest te!ts. intend to serve as ob3ects of meditation for ascetics ho live in forests and deal ith mysticism and symbolism.

The Vedas present a multitude of gods, most of them related to natural forces such as storms, fire, ind, etc. The basic te!ts are the 1amhita ("-ollections#. of the four Vedas/ ). 9. :. ;. 0ig-Veda ("%no ledge of the Hymns of 7raise#, for recitation. 8antra 1ama-Veda ("%no ledge of the 8elodies#, for chanting. 1ong 2a3ur-Veda ("%no ledge of the 1acrificial formulas#, for liturgy. 0itual Atharva-Veda ("%no ledge of the 8agic formulas#, named after a kind of group of priests. 1pells

The Rig Veda: The Book of Mantra The 0ig Veda is a collection of inspired songs or hymns and is a main source of information on the 0ig Vedic civilization. It is the oldest book in any Indo-4uropean language and contains the earliest form of all 1anskrit mantras that date back to )*++ ,.-. - )+++ ,.-. 1ome scholars date the 0ig Veda as early as )9+++ ,- - ;+++ ,.-. The 0ig-Vedic <samhita= or collection of mantras consists of ),+)> hymns or <suktas=, covering about )+,?++ stanzas, divided into eight <astakas= each having eight <adhayayas= or chapters, hich are sub-divided into various groups. The hymns are the ork of many authors or seers called <rishis=. There are seven primary seers identified/ Atri, %an a,Vashistha, Vish amitra, @amadagni, $otama and ,harad a3a. The rig Veda accounts in detail the social, religious, political and economic background of the 0ig-Vedic civilization. 4ven though monotheism characterizes some of the hymns of 0ig Veda, naturalistic polytheism and monism can be discerned in the religion of the hymns of 0ig Veda. The 1ama Veda, 2a3ur Veda and Atharva Veda ascribed to the Vedic period. The Sama Veda: The Book of Song The 1ama Veda is purely a liturgical collection of melodies (<saman=.. The hymns in the 1ama Veda, used as musical notes, ere almost completely dra n from the 0ig Veda and have no distinctive lessons of their o n. Hence, its te!t is a reduced version of the 0ig Veda. As Vedic 1cholar &avid Ara ley puts it, if the 0ig Veda is the ord, 1ama Veda is the song or the meaning, if 0ig Veda is the kno ledge, 1ama Veda is its realization, if 0ig Veda is the ife, the 1ama Veda is her husband. The Ya ur Veda: The Book of Ritual The 2a3ur Veda is also a liturgical collection and as made to meet the demands of a ceremonial religion. The 2a3ur Veda practically served as a guidebook for the priests ho e!ecute sacrificial acts muttering simultaneously the prose prayers and the sacrificial formulae (<ya3us=.. It is similar to ancient 4gypt=s ",ook of the &ead#. There are no less than si! complete recessions of 2a3ur Veda 8adyandina, %anva, Taittiriya, %athaka, 8aitrayani and %apishthala. The !thar"a Veda: The Book of S#ell The last of the Vedas, this is completely different from the other three Vedas and is ne!t in importance to 0ig-Veda ith regard to history and sociology. A different spirit pervades this Veda. Its hymns are of a more diverse character than the 0ig Veda and are also simpler in language. In fact, many ere compiled after the age of the 0ig Veda and are

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 e !raised y living as y ancient seers. "e shall ring hitherward the Gods. # Through Agni man o taineth wealth, yea, !lenty wa$ing day y day, %ost rich in heroes, glorious. & Agni, the !erfect sacrifice which thou encom!assest a out 'erily goeth to the Gods. ( %ay Agni, sa!ient)minded Priest, truthful, most gloriously great, The God, come hither with the Gods. * Whatever lessing, Agni, thou wilt grant unto thy worshi!!er, That, A+giras, is indeed thy truth. , To thee, dis!eller of the night, - Agni, day y day with !rayer .ringing thee reverence, we come / 0uler of sacrifices, guard of Law eternal, radiant -ne, Increasing in thine own a ode. 1 .e to us easy of a!!roach, even as a father to his son2 Agni, e with us for our weal. HYMN II. Vyu. 1 .3A4TI54L '6yu, come, for thee these 7oma dro!s have een !re!ared2 8rin9 of them, hear9en to our call. 2 :nowing the days, with 7oma ;uice !oured forth, the singers glorify Thee, '6yu, with their hymns of !raise. # '6yu, thy !enetrating stream goes forth unto the worshi!!er, 5ar)s!reading for the 7oma draught. & These, Indra)'6yu, have een shed< come for our offered dainties= sa9e2 The dro!s are yearning for you oth. ( Well do ye mar9 li ations, ye '6yu and Indra, rich in s!oil> 7o come ye swiftly hitherward. * '6yu and Indra, come to what the 7oma)!resser hath !re!ared2 7oon, "eroes, thus I ma9e my !rayer. , %itra, of holy strength, I call, and foe)destroying 'aru?a, Who ma9e the oil)fed rite com!lete. / %itra and 'aru?a, through Law, lovers and cherishers of Law, "ave ye o tained your might !ower 1 -ur 7ages, %itra)'aru?a, wide dominion, strong y irth, 'ouchsafe us strength that wor9eth well.

The Sama-Veda DECADE I Agni 1. @ome, Agni, !raised with song, to feast and sacrificial offering2 sit As "otar on the holy grass> 2. - Agni, thou hast een ordained "otar of every sacrifice, .y Gods, among the race of men. #. Agni we choose as envoy, s9illed !erformer of this holy rite, "otar, !ossessor of all wealth. &. 7erved with o lation, 9indled, right, through love of song may Agni, ent -n riches, smite the 'ritras dead> (. I laud your most eloved guest li9e a dear friend, - Agni, him Who, li9e a chariot, wins us wealth. *. 8o thou, - Agni, with great might guard us from all malignity, Aea, from the hate of mortal man> ,. - Agni, come< far other songs of !raise will I sing forth to thee. Wa$ mighty with these 7oma)dro!s> /. %ay 'atsa draw thy mind away even from thy loftiest dwelling !lace> Agni, I yearn for thee with song. 1. Agni, Atharvan rought thee forth y ru ing from the s9y, the head -f all who offer sacrifice. 1B. - Agni, ring us radiant light to e our mighty succour, for Thou art our visi le deity> DECADE II Agni 1. - Agni, God, the !eo!le sing reverent !raise to thee for strength2 With terrors trou le thou the foe 2. I see9 with song your messenger, o lation) earer, lord of wealth, Immortal, est at sacrifice. #. 7till turning to their aim in thee the sacrificerCs sister hymns "ave come to thee efore the wind. &. To thee, illuminer of night, - Agni, day y day with !rayer, .ringing thee reverence, we come. (. "el!, thou who 9nowest lauds, this wor9, a lovely hymn in 0udraCs !raise, Adora le in every house> *. To this fair sacrifice to drin9 the mil9y draught art thou called forth2 - Agni, with the %aruts come> ,. With homage will I reverence thee, Agni, li9e a long)tailed steed, Im!erial lord of holy rites. /. As Aurva and as .hrigu called, as A!navana called, I call The radiant Agni ro ed with sea. 1. When he en9indles Agni, man should with his heart attend the song2 I 9indle Agni till he glows.

1B. Then, verily, they see the light refulgent of !rimeval seed, :indled on yonder side of heaven. The Yajur-Veda KANDA I PRAPATHAKA I The New and Full Moon Sacrifices i. . .

a 5or food thee, for strength thee> Ae are winds, ye are a!!roachers. c Let the god 7avitr im!el you to the most e$cellent offering. d - invinci le ones, swell with the share for the gods, 5ull of strength, of mil9, rich in offs!ring, free from sic9ness, from disease. e Let no thief, no evil wor9er, have control over you. f Let 0udraCs dart avoid you. g A ide ye, numerous, with this lord of cattle. h 8o thou !rotect the cattle of the sacrificer. i. .!

a Thou art the su stance of the sacriflee. The 0a9sas is urned u!, the evil s!irits are urned u!. c The 'edi hath come to the sacrificial straw, %ade y %anu, fashioned with the 7vadha call. The sages fetch it from in front, The delightful straw for the gods to sit on here. d Thou art im!elled y the gods. e Thou art made to grow y the rains. f - divine straw, lot me not hit thee either across or along, g Let me hit thy ;oints, h Let me come to no harm in cutting thee. i - divine straw, rise with a hundred shoots, Let us rise with a thousand shoots. 9 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 9not for thee, that 9not shall mount me. o I hold thee u! with the arms of Indra, I seiDe thee with the head of .rhas!ati. ! 5are along the wide atmos!here. E Thou art going to the gods. The A"har#a-Veda.

VI$

%&. Charm again'" ()ugh.

1. As the)soul with the soulCs desires swiftly to a distance flies, thus do thou, cough, fly forth along the soulCs course of flight> 2. As a well)shar!ened arrow swiftly to a distance flies, thus do thou, - cough, fly forth along the e$!anse of the earth> #. As the rays of the sun swiftly to a distance fly, thus do thou, - cough, fly forth along the flood of the sea> II$ *. Charm again'" +'he"riya$ heredi"ary di'ea'e. 1. 4! have risen the ma;estic twin stars, the vi9ritau FCthe two loosenersCG< may they loosen the nethermost and the u!!ermost fetter of the 9shetriya Finherited diseaseG> 2. %ay this night shine Fthe 9shetriyaG away, may she shine away the witches< may the !lant, destructive of 9shetriya, shine the 9shetriya away> #. With the straw of thy rown arley, endowed with white stal9s, with the lossom of the sesame))may the !lant, destructive of 9shetriya, shine the2 9shetriya away> &. 0everence e to thy !loughs, reverence to thy wagon)!oles and yo9es> %ay the !lant, destructive of 9shetriya, shine the 9shetriya away> (. 0everence e to those with sun9en eyes reverence to the indicenous FevilsHG, reverence to the lord of the field> %ay the !lant, destructive of 9shetriya, shine the 9shetriya away> IV$ ,. Charm again'" -)i')n. 1. This water FvIrG in the FriverG 'aranIvatJ shall ward off FvIrayItaiG> Amrita Fam rosiaG has een !oured into it2 with that do I ward off FvIrayeG !oison from thee. 2. Powerless is the !oison from the east, !owerless that from the north. %oreover the !oison from the south transforms itself into a !orridge. #. "aving made thee Fthe !oisonG that comes from a horiDontal direction into a !orridge, rich in fat, and cheering, from sheer hunger he has eaten thee, that hast an evil ody2 do thou not cause in;ury> &. Thy ewildering Euality FmadamG, - F!lantHG that art ewildering FmadivatiG, we cause to fall li9e a reed. As a oiling !ot of !orridge do we remove thee y FourG charm. (. FThee, - !oisonG that art, as it were, hea!ed a out the village, do we cause to stand still y FourG charm. 7tand still as a tree u!on its !lace< do not, thou that hast een dug with the s!ade, cause in;ury> *. With room)straw FHG, garments, and also with s9ins they !urchased thee2 a thing for arter art thou, - !lant> 8o not, thou that hast een dug with the s!ade, cause in;ury> ,. Those of you who were of yore uneEualled in the deeds which they !erformed) may theG, not in;ure here our men2 for this very !ur!ose do I engage you>