Question

Name the four Vedas

Answer 1

Hint: The Vedas are the oldest scriptures in Hindu religion. They are written in Sanskrit. They originated in ancient India.

Complete answer: The names of the four Vedas are Rig, Yajur, Atharva and the Sama Veda. Vedas are different from religious texts, in the sense that they are in the form of shruti which means hearing whereas religious texts are smriti which is to be remembered. In Hinduism, the Vedas are regarded as superhuman and authorless. From the 2nd century BCE, the Vedas are being transmitted orally. The practices and Vedic rituals are laid down in the Vedas.
The Rigveda is regarded as the oldest Veda which contains 1028 hymns. The hymns are called ‘Suktas’ and they are divided into a collection of 10 which are called Mandalas. The metres that are used to form the mantras are called Gayatri, Anustubh, Trishtubh and Jagati. Gayatri and Trishtubh are the most important ones. The Yajur Veda are of two types. The Krishna is the Black one and the Shukla which is white and bright. 1875 verses are there in the oldest version of the Yajur Veda which has been taken from the Rig Veda. The Atharva Veda contains 730 hymns, 6000 mantras which are divided into 20 books. Hymns are mostly unique except a few. The Sama Veda has 1549 hymns altogether. However, almost 75 of its verses have been taken from the Rig Veda. The Sama Veda is popular for its melodic chants.

Note: The Vedas define the truth about the Hindu religion which is why they are very important. The Rig Veda contains hymns about mythology, the Yajur Veda gives details about religious instructions, the Atharva Veda consists of spells which are useful against enemies, diseases and other evils and the Sama Veda consists of musical hymns about religious rituals.