ABSTRACT
Indian thought emerged from sacred Hindu writings called the Vedas (meaning “knowledge”). They are among the oldest religious texts in the world. There are four Vedas-Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva. The Rig is the earliest, largest, and most important. The Sama and Yajur draw heavily on the Rig, while the Atharva follows its own course. The four Vedas began as collections (Samhitas) of hymns praising and petitioning a host of deities believed to control the elements of nature. In time, other types of scriptures were added to these four Samhitas. Brahmanas were added first, then Aranyakas, and finally Upanishads. The Brahmanas are manuals used by priests while conducting elaborate fire sacrifices to the deities; the Aranyakas contain allegorical interpretations of the fire sacrifice; and the Upanishads are mystical texts often cast as dialogues. Once finished, each of the four Vedas was a compilation of four types of material.
