The Vedic Period

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The two main phases are the Early Vedic Period, from 1500 BCE to 1000 BCE, and the Later Vedic Age, from 1000 BCE to 500 BCE. The Early Vedic Period is linked with the first settlement of Aryans in In…

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It is called the Early Vedic Period because most of the hymns of the Rig Veda were composed during this time. These hymns give important information about the life, society, and religion of Early Vedi…

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The Rig Veda is the oldest of the four Vedas and the oldest religious text in the world. It is divided into 10 mandalas and contains the famous Gayatri Mantra. It is often called The First Testament o…

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The Sama Veda means Sweet Song or melody. It contains hymns borrowed from the Rig Veda and these hymns were sung by priests during sacrifices.

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The Yajur Veda deals with hymns recited during yajnas. It has two recensions, called Krishna or Black Yajur Veda and Shukla or White Yajur Veda. It gives information about rituals and religious life.

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The Atharva Veda deals with magic, charms against evil spirits and diseases, and medicines. It also includes hymns related to knowledge, action, and invocation.

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Shruti refers to Vedic literature believed to be revealed by God and passed on orally from generation to generation. Smriti refers to literature composed by the Rishis. These are the two broad parts o…

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The Later Vedic texts include the remaining Vedas and their branches such as the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads. They belong mainly to the Later Vedic Age.