The
Vedas are the ancient scriptures or revelation (Shruti)
of the Hindu teachings. They manifest the Divine Word in
human speech. They reflect into human language the language
of the Gods, the Divine powers that have created us and
which rule over us.
There
are four Vedas, each consisting of four parts. The primary
portion is the mantra or hymn section (samhita). To this
are appended ritualistic teachings (brahmana) and theological
sections (aranyaka). Finally philosophical sections (upanishads)
are included. The hymn sections are the oldest. The others
were added at a later date and each explains some aspect
of the hymns or follows one line of interpreting them.
The
Vedas were compiled around the time of Krishna (c. 3500
B.C.), and even at that time were hardly understood. Hence
they are very ancient and only in recent times has their
spiritual import, like that of the other mystery teachings
of the ancient world, begun to be rediscovered or appreciated
even in India. Like the Egyptian teachings they are veiled,
symbolic and subtle and require a special vision to understand
and use properly.
The
great compiler of the Veda and Puranas was Vyasa Krishna
Dwaipayana. He was said to be the twenty-eighth of the Vyasas
or compilers of Vedic knowledge. He was somewhat older than
the Avatar Krishna and his work continued after the death
of Krishna. Perhaps he is symbolic of a whole Vedic school
which flourished at that time, as many such Vedic schools
were once prominent all over India and in some places beyond.
The Rig Veda
The
Rig Veda is the oldest of the Vedas. All the other Vedas
are based upon it and consist to a large degree of various
hymns from it. It consists of a thousand such hymns of different
seers, each hymn averaging around ten verses. The Rig Veda
is the oldest book in Sanskrit or any Indo-European language.
Its date is debatable. Many great Yogis and scholars who
have understood the astronomical references in the hymns,
date the Rig Veda as before 4000 B.C., perhaps as early
as 12,000. Modern western scholars tend to date it around
1500 B.C., though recent archeological finds in India (like
Dwaraka) now appear to require a much earlier date. While
the term Vedic is often given to any layer of the Vedic
teachings including the Bhagavad Gita, technically it applies
primarily to the Rig Veda.
The Rig Veda is the book of Mantra. It contains the oldest
form of all the Sanskrit mantras. It is built around a science
of sound which comprehends the meaning and power of each
letter. Most aspects of Vedic science like the practice
of yoga, meditation, mantra and Ayurveda can be found in
the Rig Veda and still use many terms that come from it.
While
originally several different versions or rescensions of
the Rig Veda were said to exist, only one remains. Its form
has been structured in several different ways to guarantee
its authenticity and proper preservation through time.
The
Yajur Veda
The
Yajur Veda seen by the outer vision is the Veda of ritual.
On an inner level, it sets forth a yogic practice for purifying
the mind and awakening the inner consciousness.
Several
versions of the Yajur Veda exist, which differ in a number
of respects. It was the main Veda used by the priests in
ancient India and has much in common with the Egyptian Book
of the Dead.
Its
deities are the same as the Rig Veda. The purpose of the
ritual is to put together and recreate within ourselves
the Cosmic Man or Indra. The ritual is to recreate the universe
within our own psyche and thereby unite the individual with
the universal. Its series of sacrifices culminate in the
Atmayajna or the self-sacrifice wherein the ego is offered
up to the Divine. While the lesser sacrifices win the lesser
worlds, the Self-sacrifice wins all the worlds and gains
the greatest gift of immortality.
The
Sama Veda
The
Sama Veda is the Yoga of Song. It consists of various hymns
of the Rig Veda put to a different and more musical chant.
Hence the text of the Sama Veda is a reduced version of
the Rig Veda.
Its
secret is in its musical annotation and rendering. The Sama
Veda represents the ecstasy of spiritual knowledge and the
power of devotion. The Rig Veda is the word, the Sama Veda
is the song or the meaning. The Rig Veda is the knowledge,
the Sama Veda its realization. Hence the two always go together
like husband and wife. The Rig Veda is the wife and the
Sama is the husband.
The
Atharva Veda
The
Atharva Veda is the last of the Vedas. It has not always
been accepted as a Veda, which are often spoken of as three.
It still contains many hymns from the Rig Veda but also
has some more popular magic spells which are outside of
the strictly ritual-knowledge orientation of the other Vedas.
Like
the Rig Veda it is a collection of hymns but of a more diverse
character, some very exalted like the Rig Veda others of
more common nature. As such it gives us a better idea of
the life of common people in Vedic times.
Atharvan
is also an important figure in the Zoroastrian religion.
Atar is the Persian name for fire and the Atharvan is the
fire priest. The deities of the Atharva Veda are also the
same as the Rig Veda although Rudra-Shiva assumes a more
visible role. The language is a little simpler and less
variable in its forms.
