Vedas are the literary heritage of India. They are the books of hymns and verses, melodies, and sacrificial formulas composed in hoary antiquity by successive generations of sages over many centuries. They are the records of elevated thoughts of an age long past, spread over thousands of years representing invocations and incantations, mysteries and mysticism, religion and philosophy, and metaphysics and science. They were orally transmitted from generation to generation through the centuries with every little and most minute detail of tone and stress. The hermitages, the humble thatched huts were the spiritual and educational center in those days where the teachers and the taught lived together, worked together, and explored together the mysteries of the universe and its creator. In this way, this priceless collection, the oldest indo- European literary monument, was preserved in its pristine purity, without interpolation and corruption by the generation of sages through the centuries.
This literary collection was three-fold, consisting of ricas (verses), and samans (melodies)- both composed on various meters as well as Yajus (sacrificial formula) composed in prose. In the Vedic language, yaj means to worship. The yajnas were the modes of worship in those days in which the sacred fire was kindled and offerings were made to Gods while the hymns were recited, melodies were sung and the sacrificial formulas were uttered by the respective officiating priests. This large collection accumulated with additions of new revelations from time to time was originally called Brahman, the magnum opus; a student studying these literary works a Brahrnacari, and a teacher in charge a Brahmarsi, who not only taught the students but also composed new hymns. The word Veda to denote these priceless divine revelations became popular only much later.
With time, these huge literary collections grew to such a great extent that the Brahmacaris felt it very hard to learn and memorize the entire collections of this magnitude, within the time limit of their brahmacharya, their studentship. Apprehended of the deterioration of standards and gradual depletion of this precious heritage, Krsna Dvaipayana, on the request of Brahmarsis, living in the solitude of the Himalayas classified and arranged these collections in the order of their employment in sacrificial rites into four-fold: Rgveda-Samhita with a collection of rcas that belonged to Hotr priest, Samaveda- Samhita with a collection of races on which samans were rendered, together with two classes of melodies sung on these rcas which belong to Udgatr priest, Atharvaveda-Samhita with a collection of miscellaneous rcas covering incantations, magic spells, etc. about Brahma priest and Yajurveda-Samhita with a collection of sacrificial formulas and Teas belonging to Adhvaryu priest. Krsna Dvaipayana after having taught these samhitas to four of his chosen disciples viz., Rgveda to Paila, Yajurveda to Vaisampayana, Samaveda to Jaimini and Atharvaveda to Sumantu-asked them to establish Asramas and promote the Vedic learning all over the Aryavarta. Having thus accomplished this Herculean task of classification and orderly arrangement of a massive gigantic collection accumulated through centuries Krsna Dvaipayana became better known later as Vedavyasa in Indian history.
Eventually, some more works but of different classes were added to each of these four Samhitas. They are Brahrnanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads, on the one hand, and Vedangas on the other, comprising books on phonetics, etymology, grammar, metrics, and astronomy and the Kalpasutras representing Srautasutras dealing with the sacrificial rites, Sulbasutras containing the rules for measurement and- the building of Yajnasala (sacrificial hall), fire-alter, etc., Grhyasutras treating the domestic rites and the Dharmasutras consisting of spiritual and secular law. Among these, the sutras, the manuals of rules composed in aphoristic prose style, are peculiar to Indian literature and nothing like these sutras can be seen in the entire literature of the world. In these sutras, the science condensed into a few words as far as possible is so systematically arranged that a student can easily commit the entire subject to memory, recollect any number of sturas at any time and act strictly according to the rules. Again among these, the Sulbasutras are the oldest works in Indian Geometry and also the oldest contribution of Vedic India to the history of Mathematical science.
The word 'Veda' philologically means knowledge. But in Indian tradition, it implies the sacred knowledge that was divinely vouchsafed to the sages of yore. The word goes back to the Indo- European period having its cognate roots in Greek Oida, Latin Videre, German Wissen, and English wit. The Veda which embodies the knowledge revealed to the sages is regarded as sacred, and the knowledge concealed and preserved therein, as eternal, valid for all times and climes amrta, as it is called since it leads one to amrta, immortality, the ultimate goal sought by a sadhaka. The Veda assures us that one who seeks the eternal truth, guided by it, the cosmic Law, will not miss the path of immortality, the path of ultimate truth.
The Veda which forms the basic source of all schools of thought,-religious, philosophical, and secular,-originated in the Aryavarta, the home of the Vedic Aryans, which represented one of the most ancient civilizations of the world that campaigned to make the entire world, a happy heaven, where noble ideas and idealism could flourish-'krnvanto visvam aryam.'
All branches of Indian knowledge science, pure and applied, as well as arts, and social institutions, whether religious or secular, proudly trace their origin back to the Veda. Gautama, a descendant of the great Vedic sage Gotam of the Angirasa clan, clearly says:- The Veda is the source of dharma and the tradition and practices of those who know it." The Veda is held to be the indisputable final authority, Vedah pramanam,-on all matters that are intimately related to the secular, religious, and spiritual culture of a Hindu, in fact to his very existence, from time immemorial. In distress and happiness, in suffering and joy, in poverty and prosperity, - in short, in all situations and circumstances, in all happenings and events in one's life, the Veda has provided the guidelines, the codes of conduct for all I" including those treading the dust path of life. To practice austerity and not to indulge in extravagance, to restrain cravings and not to allow the sense organs to run amuck, to cultivate contentment with whatever has fallen to one's lot, and to get by no means tempted by other's wealth-these are some of the basic principles, moral lessons, given to us in the Vedas. Whenever there arises a doubt regarding any of these matters and an easy solution is not forthcoming, one is asked to seek the answer in the Veda. It may be noted that the Veda has guided the destiny of the people of this great land for thousands of years in all circumstances, holding indisputable authority in matters relating to their secular and religious life. In short, the Veda is a veritable treasure- a house of ancient wisdom. It is regarded as an encyclopedia of universal knowledge and has formed the very basis of the all-around development of the Aryan civilization.
