Principles and Practice of Hindu Religion
Chapter - IV : The Scriptures and The Sacred Works
An Analysis of the Texts Available that gives the Divine Message
for Every One to Study, Understand and Follow as a Way of Life
 
   
 
Lesson - 55 :
Selections and Collections of Rig and Yajur Vedas
What are the divisions and how much of it we have got
 
 
 
 

 

 

Rig Veda Samhita consists of 10,170 Riks, or hymns, collected as 1028 Sookthas, divided into 21 Sakhas [Sections]. Rig Veda is written wholly in the form of hymns in praise of various devathas like Agni or fire. It is taken to elevate the Soul's Consciousness or the glow of the soul's awakening. They are mostly prayers to Vedic Deities and rituals of sacrifice for fire. In Rig Veda, one can see the earliest human thoughts, prayers to natural elements and early versions of poetry and drama with artistic dialogues in Hindu literature. There should have been five Samhiathas for this: 1. Sakala, 2. Bashkala, 3. Asvalayana, 4. Sankhayana and 5. Mandukayana. Of these we have Sakala and small fragments of Bashkala that are scattered. We have Two Brahmanas, Two Aranyakas and Three Upanishads in this Veda. We see the earliest ideas that Atman produces everything and we see the thoughts of Evolution and Creation of the Universe in this Veda. Yajur Veda contains 109 Sakhas.

 

In Yajur Veda, the term Yajus refers to worship, "Yajna" or sacrificial rites. It gives the mantras of Rig Veda in the form of a Yajna or worship. It describes in prose the procedural details of performing different rituals and Yajnas using the hymns of Rig Veda. There are two branches of Yajur Veda. The earlier Krishna Yajur Veda was taught by Sage Vaisampaayana. Later, Rishi Yaajnavalkya is believed to have brought the Sukla Yajur Veda or Vaajsaneyi Samhitha from Sun-God as a different version. Here "Krishna" means dark or impure, and this form of Yajur Veda was said to be arranged in a wrong order. It is said that when Sage Vaisampayana refused to teach his version Yajur to Yaagnavalkya, the latter is said to have got his divine teachings directly from Sun-God himself in the correct order and called it Sukla or Pure. Today we have two samhithas in Sukla Yajur Veda, Madhyadhina and Kanva Samhitha. Krishna Yajur Veda has four, Thaitthiriya, Maithrayani, Katha and Kapishthala Katha Samhithas.

 
   
 
Rig Veda - First three verses
Agnimeele'Purohitham Yagyasya De'vam Rithvijam
Hothaaram Rathna Dhaathamam - [ Rik - 1 ]
1. I pray to Agni, the household priest who is the god of the sacrifice,
the one who chants and invokes and brings most treasure.
Agnih' Poorve'bhirrishibhi Ridhyo' Noothanairutha
Sa De'vaan E'ha Vakshathi - [ Rik - 2 ]
2. Agni earned the prayers of the ancient sages, and of those of the present too;
he will bring the gods here.
Agninaa Rayimashshnavath Poshameva Dhive'dive'
Yashasam Veervaththamam - [ Rik - 3 ]
3. Through Agni one may win wealth, and growth from day to day,
glorious and most abounding in heroic sons.
 
   
 
Lessons: - 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 .