Vikas Kapoor
The Vedas are the oldest texts known to humankind, almost 10000 years ago approximately. They are considered sacred texts and mainly comprise hymns of praise to the elements that sustain us – Panchatatva (panch + tatva) means five elements or “panchamahabhutas”. These are: Prithvi (Earth), Jal (Water), Agni (Fire), Vayu (Air) and Akash (Space). The whole universe is created from these five elements.
The Upanishads are part of the Vedas, and therefore, also thought to be sacred. They are the last and newest layer of the Vedas, and was added 3500 Years ago but they are not hymns at all – infact, many are stories, and / or conversations between teacher and student.
The difference between Vedas & Upanishads is that Vedas were written to safeguard information about religious practices, traditions and philosophical thoughts where as Upanishads are written philosophical thoughts of men and women that primarily focus on spiritual enlightenment.
Upanishads are a subcategory of a Veda. Vedas are subclassified into 4 major text types – Samhitas (Mantras), Aranyakas (Texts on rituals, sacrifices, ceremonies), Brahmanas (it gives explanation of sacred knowledge, it also expounds scientific knowledge of Vedic Period) and the 4th type of text is Upanishads.
The difference between Vedas and Puranas is that Vedas is the religious text passed down orally, where as Puranas are the stories of religious legends and passed on through memory, one generation to another.
The Matsya Purana (IAST: Matsya Purana) is one of the eighteen major Puranas (Mahapurana), and among the oldest and better preserved in the Puranic genre of Sanskrit literature in Hinduism.
Names of 18 Puranas:- Vishnu, Naradiya, Padma, Garuda, Varaha, Bhagavata, Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Shiva, Skanda, Agni, Brahmanda, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavishya, Vamana, Vayu Purana.
Mahabharata and Ramayana are both Vedic epics. The Vedas came first, followed by the Bhagavad Gita.
The Vedas :
The Sruti – which includes the Vedas and Upanishads – are considered to be divinely inspired while the Smriti – which includes the Mahabharata (including the Bhagavad Gita) and Ramayana – are derived from great sages.The details of four Vedas as below :
A) Rigveda – is the oldest of the Vedas, the sacred texts of Hinduism. It means “The Knowledge of Verses”. Written in Sanskrit, consists of 1028 poems arranged into 10 circles or Mandalas. Each Mandalas have suktas or hymns. Rigveda is Vedic Sanskrit text from 1800-1100 BCE. It holds a significant place in ancient literature. Its name, Rigveda, translates to “Praise Knowledge.”
B) Yajurveda – Yajur Veda is divided into Krishna (Black/Dark) and Shukla (White/Bright).The oldest layer of the Yajur Veda contains 1875 verses, most of which are taken from the Rigveda.The Yajur Veda considered the second of the four Vedas, is commonly called the “book of rituals.” It was composed approximately one to two centuries after the compilation of the Rig Veda, dating back to 1000 to 800 BCE. This Veda comprises recitations, mantras, chants, and ritual worship formulas that play a direct role in various worship services.
C) Samaveda – The Samaveda contains 1549 verses, except 75 verses taken from the Rigveda. This Veda is renowned as the foundation of Indian classical music and dance and serves as a treasury of melodious chants. While it has fewer verses than the Rigveda, its texts are larger.
D) Atharvaveda – The Atharvaveda provides detailed guidance on the daily rituals and procedures of life. It comprises 730 hymns/sutras and 6000 mantras and is divided into 20 books. The Paippalada and Saunakiya are the two surviving recensions of the Atharvaveda. The 20 books of the Atharvaveda are arranged based on the length of the hymns they contain.
Significance of Vedas in daily life:
The Vedas, especially the Upanishads, would eventually form the foundational understanding of Sanatan Dharma and provide direction and purpose in the lives of adherents. It came to be understood that there was a single entity, Brahama, who not only created existence but was existence itself.
The Vedic tradition offers a multitude of different mantras, which also include healing mantras. Some of them address ailments in the body, some of them address diseases in the emotions or the mind. Mantras also help us to feel more calm and at peace, more centered and less stressed.
The chief impact of Vedic culture on Indian history has been the consolidation of the caste system. During ( 1500-1000 BC), the caste system was not rigid during the Early Vedic period but it took its form in hierarchical order.
Thus, Truth, non-violence, austerity, brotherhood, or universal friendship, security, peace, fearlessness and dedication are necessarily some of the prime ethical values of life, which find mention in innumerable prayers in the Vedas through which God is invoked for such blessings.
The Vedas urge individuals to lead a simple and modest life, focusing on their needs rather than their wants. By living within your means, you can avoid financial stress and ensure that you have enough resources to cover essential expenses, such as food, shelter, and healthcare.
Hindu philosophy or Vedic philosophy is the set of Indian philosophical systems developing alongside the religion of Hinduism and emerging in the Iron and Classical periods, which consists of six orthodox schools of thought (shad-darsana): Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.
One of the most prominent financial management lessons from Vedas comes from the Rig Veda, which advocates the conservation of resources (both physical and financial) to take care of your future requirements. On the other hand, the Vedic wisdom condemns poverty and advises you to take steps to eradicate it.
The four Vedas contain information on many aspects of arts, crafts, science and engineering. The Vedas and its concepts of science have always been linked to spirituality and this happens to be one of the reasons for their lack of recognition.
The first translations of the sections of the Veda known as the Upanishads was done under Akbar’s reign (1556-1586) into Persian. His great-grandson, Sultan Dara Shikon translated the 52 Upanishads and The Bhagwat Gita from Sanskrit to Persian Language in 1657.
Using this Vedic method, complex problems can be easily solved. Compared to general mathematics, Vedic mathematics offers students an edge they might not get from general mathematics. In fact, Vedic Maths is so versatile that even NASA has applied certain concepts from Vedic Mathematics to artificial intelligence.
The Vedic educational system aims to shape young students into people who can live a full and complete life based on Dharma values. The educated in the society were those who have both character and knowledge. Sons, wives, teachers, and visitors are among the Vedic students who are taught to respect their elders
Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha are the essence of Vedas. Moksha or supreme bliss is considered as the highest goal of human life and is impossible without acquiring the knowledge of absolute reality. The essence of all the Vedas and Sastras can be summed up in one sentence: The Atma that resides in all beings and in you is one only. Seeking liberation, man adores crores of deities in the three worlds.
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