The Vedas
Revealed Knowledge · ~1500-1200 BCE
The oldest sacred texts. Four collections of hymns, rituals, and philosophy.
The Vedas are the oldest sacred texts in Hinduism, and they form the foundation that everything else is built on. There are four of them. The Rig Veda is the oldest, containing over a thousand hymns praising gods like Agni (fire), Indra (thunder), and Surya (the sun). The Yajur Veda is a manual for priests performing rituals and ceremonies. The Sama Veda takes hymns from the Rig Veda and sets them to specific melodies for chanting. The Atharva Veda is the most practical, covering everyday matters like healing, protection, and philosophical inquiry. What makes the Vedas special is that Hindus believe they were not written by any human being. They were "heard" (shruti) by ancient sages called Rishis during states of deep meditation. The sages did not create these truths; they received them, like a radio receiving a signal. The sage Vyasa is credited with organizing the Vedas into their current four-part structure, which is why he is called "Veda Vyasa" (the one who divided the Vedas). The Vedas were originally composed in Vedic Sanskrit, an older form of the Sanskrit language. For thousands of years, they were passed down entirely by memory, from teacher to student through precise oral recitation. Even today, Vedic priests in South India, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, maintain this tradition. In Telugu families, you encounter the Vedas most often at temples and during important ceremonies. The priests chanting Sanskrit mantras at a wedding, a housewarming (griha pravesham), or a naming ceremony are reciting passages from the Vedas. During Kartika Masam or special pujas at home, families might hear Vedic hymns on TV or at the local temple. The famous phrase "Ekam Sat, Vipra Bahudha Vadanti" (Truth is one; the wise call it by many names) comes from the Rig Veda and captures one of Hinduism's most important ideas: that all paths lead to the same truth.
"Truth is one; the wise call it by many names.", Rig Veda 1.164.46
Related figures
- Brahma: Recites the four Vedas from his four mouths