VEDAS

[tana]

OM SAI RAM...

VEDAS


Veda means knowledge. The word comes from the Sanskrit language and is derived from the verb root vid, 'to know'. The Vedas are considered the earliest literary record of Indo-Aryan civilization, and the most sacred books of India

The Veda contain hymns, rituals, and mantras.

The four Vedas Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda are divided into four sections:

Samhitas: Mantras and Hymns

Brahmanas: Rituals

Aranyakas: Meditations

Upanishads: Philosophy, known as Vedanta, or the end of the Vedas

There are also auxiliary texts called Vedangas.

Vedanga (Ved = knowledge, anga = part) are the disciplines necessary to read and understand the Vedas fully. These are six in number:
 

a) Siksha, i.e. pronunciation and phonetics;
b) Chhanda, i.e. metre;
c) Vyakarana, i.e. grammar (Panini's rules and views);
d) Nirukta, i.e. etymology (Yaska's writings);
e) Jyotisha, i.e. astronomy;
f) Kalpa, i.e. rules for sacrifices and ceremonies in accordance with the Vedas. Also known as Kalpa-sutras or Sautra-sutras.

The Vedas are also divided into two parts, namely, the Karmakanda and the Jnanakanda. Karmakanda deals with rituals and sacrifices whereas Jnanakanda deals with the Vedanta philosophy. For thousands of years only Karmakanda was more popular as the real Veda. Vedanta part of the Vedas was meant only for the sanyasins (monks). It was Shri Shankaracharya who wrote Bhashyas (commentaries) on a few selected Upanishads, called the Principal Upanishads, and made their studies popular.



Keywords:


Atma--- Soul
Mana ---Mind
Paramatma ---Purest form of the Atma
Avatars ---Manifestation of God in a physical form
Satwik karma--- Deeds
Bramhanda--- Universe
Brahana--- Priest
Guru--- Teacher
Srishti--- Nature
Dharma ---Religion
Vyakarana--- Grammar
Netra--- Eyes
Panch Tatwa ---The five elemental forms of existence

JAI SAI RAM...