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Vedas ( What They Are Commonly Known As ) and the Upanishads

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Vedas ( What They Are Commonly Known As ) and the Upanishads Introduction In hinduism there are multiple sacred documents, not like in Christianity or Judaism where there is a singular book ( the Torah or the Bible for example ). There are 5 main texts in hinduism and they tell the story of hinduism from its beginnings. The first the ‘Vedic Verses’, the oldest book written between 1500 to 900 BCE, second, the Upanishads, third the Laws of Manu, fourth, Ramayana and fifth Mahabharata. These five books are split into two sections, the ‘Shruti’ and ‘Smirti’. Shruti meaning ‘what is heard’ consists of the Vedic verses or Vedas ( what they are commonly known as ) and the Upanishads. These are books that were heard directly from the Gods by sages - they are considered more meaningful, however, they are not used by ordinary practicing hindus but rather sages and other religious figures. The books more commonly used are the Smirti which means ‘ what is remembered ‘ - these include the remaining three books. They were written by the sages and are thought to be interpretations of the Shruti, they are more reader friendly and are more commonly used. These classifications are based on the origins of the books not who wrote them. About the Vedas Veda translates as ‘knowledge’ in sanskrit. They are the most ancient text in hinduism and describe what hindu’s believe to be the truth - also known as Brahman. Brahman is the absolute reality that is the true essence of all existence, God. The Vedas were brought to India by the Aryans, mostly the indo-iranians ( as the term aryan is cultural not racial and includes europeans such as the romans, greeks and germanics ). Hindus believe that these texts come from the mouth of God from scholars through spiritual moments. The Vedas consist of 4 parts ( and in these parts there are separate parts ). The four parts are the rig veda, the yajur veda, the sama veda and the atharva veda. As the religious text was passed on from the Aryans, there is a lot of emphasis on sacrifice which has been left out of hindu traditions today - the similarities between early iranian religions and hinduism leave scientists to believe that they started from the same origins and branched apart. On the other hand, the vedas were not written down for a very long time and mostly passed down orally so we cannot be sure of a time frame of when the Vedas started to exist so many scientists and theologians doubt the aryan story. Orthodox Hindu denominations recognise the Vedas as a major religious text, however reform hindu movements base their beliefs more on the Smirti, leaving many of the major gods in the Vedas forgotten whereas minor gods such as Shiva or Vishnu are now major figures in modern day hinduism. The four types of scripture The Samhitas - These are the oldest parts of the Vedas and consists of Hymns to God The Brahmanas - These are rituals, prayers and commentaries to guide priests during hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh worship. The Aranyakas - These involve worship and meditation The Upanishads - These are the mythical and philosophical teachings of Hinduism hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ( more down below) Rig Veda This is the first and oldest chapter of the vedas, it is also seen as one of the most important texts to hindu monks orthodox hindu believers. Rig Veda itself is comprised of 10 books, 1028 hymns and 10,600 verses.All of the Rig Veda is based on universal vibrations as understood by sages at the time. They were first written in an archaic language, but overtime got translated into sanskrit. The hymns and verses talk about the deities and have thought-provoking content. They talk about the praise and worship of deities ( these include Indra, Agni, Vishnu, Rudra and Varuna ). The hymns also address societal questions of the time. Generally, all the vedas content fits into four categories ( the content in the same category will differ on the chapter of the veda ), samhitas,brahmanas,aranyakas and upanishads. In the Rig Veda, the samhita consists of hymns to the deities, the brahmanas contain the commentary about the hymns, the aranyakas also known as ‘ the forest book’ were made to read in a forest - so for priests or sages. The upanishads in the rig veda were stories about the deities that could be taught to aspiring priests. The most famous prayers include the Purusha Shukta and the Gayatri mantra. Near the end of the Rig Veda questions such as ‘What are the origins of the universe?’ and ‘Do even the gods know the answer?’ are asked to the gods. Samaveda The samaveda is a collection of chants and texts which are meant to be sung at sacrifices. It mostly uses pieces of writing from the Rig Veda and turns them into a chant form. It consists of 1549 stanzas. It has two major parts, part one is a collection of the melodies ( also known as gana ) and part two contains 3 books of verse ( which are meant to be chanted or sung ). The content of the Samaveda is generally dedicated to the deities Indra and Agni. Many people say that the Samaveda represents the force of spiritual knowledge and the power of devotion. As it takes most of its written work from the Rig Veda many Hindus see the Samaveda as an alternative to the Rig Veda as it is more interesting to listen to. As the vedic scholar, David Frawley once said “ if Rig Veda was the wife, Samaveda would be the husband ” An interesting fact is that a lot of yoga in religious settings is set to chants from the Samaveda. Yajur Veda The yajur veda is less useful in modern day hinduism as it is a handbook for priests, teaching them about how to complete a sacrifice. It contains recitations, ritual worship formulas and mantras. An example of a ritual is the yajna fire. It has 1,875 verses and is split into two sections, the ‘dark Yajur Veda’ and the ‘light Yajur Veda’. The dark section refers to the chapter of the Yajur veda which is very unclear on its meaning and the light section refers to the section in which we know its meaning. Like the Rig Veda the Yajur Veda also includes some Samhitas and Brahmanas, in the dark section the samhita is mixed with brahmana commentary making it motley and confusing whereas in the light section there are two separate chapters making it easier for readers to understand. Many of the rituals are meant to be performed side by side with the chants in Samaveda. Each of the four vedas are assigned a type of priest and the priest for the Yajur Veda is the executive priest as it oversees sacrifices and gives orders. As well as this, although it was also based on the Rig Veda ( like the Samaveda ),it only describes how the sacred rituals are carried out, some of the verses are entirely dedicated to ritual offerings, which symbolize Brahaman ( the ultimate truth ). Atharva Veda The Atharva Veda originates from around 900 BCE and consists of 20 books containing hymns, chants, spells and prayers. It differs hugely from the other three vedas as it is about magic and how to ward off evil. It covers healing illnesses, prolonging life, black magic and rituals to heal anxieties. Unlike the other vedas which cover more high brow topics the Atharva veda talks about problems which affected the normal people of the time. However, because of its content ( black magic etc. ) many scholars reject the idea that this is one of the original vedas and many branches of Hinduism do not condone this chapter either. On the other hand, some sources say this is the start of modern medicine as it recalls healing illnesses from herbs. It might have also been the birthplace of yoga as it contains references to breathing techniques and early yoga techniques. The Atharva veda is the primary source for historians who want to learn more about the culture of people who live in the Aryan world at the time ( the Vedic People ) as it contains many of their customs and traditions from marriage to funerals as well as the aspirations and frustrations of day to day life. More about the Upanishads The upanishads are generally the last part of each veda and are meant to illustrate difficult to understand passages in the form of stories. The word upanishad means to ‘ sit up close’ like a student would a master. They are generally prose and verse ( not hymns or chants as they are meant to explain to students what the chants and hymns mean ). There are twelve major Upanishads, most of which are written to offer guidance on the holy way of living life and the meaning of rituals. They are meant to help the student understand the way in which they should lead their life. Other Upanishads cover the fact that there are connections between our bodies and cosmic entities, they explain Brahman, Atman and the Ultimate reality. They are the foundations of Hindu philosophy and have influenced hindu traditions for centuries..
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