THE FOUR

VEDAS AND
THEIR SUB
DIVISION
 THE FOUR VEDAS AND THEIR
SUB DIVISION
Name – Nandini Sharma
Branch – Humanities
Course – B.A. Economic Honour’s
Registration Number – 22BECN019
Topic – The Four Vedas And Their Sub Division
 CONTENT
1. Introduction
2. The Basic Vedic Texts
3. Types Of Veda
4. Rig Veda
5. Sam Veda
6. Atharva Veda
7. Yajur Veda
8. Parts Of Veda
 INTRODUCTION
The Vedas are a collection of hymns and
other religious texts composed in India
between about 1500 and 1000 BCE. It
includes elements such as liturgical
material as well as mythological accounts,
poems, prayers, and formulas considered
to be sacred by the Vedic religion.
 The Basic Vedic Texts
The basic Vedic texts are the Samhita "Collections"
of the four Vedas:
1. Rig-Veda "Knowledge of the Hymns of Praise“
2. Sama-Veda "Knowledge of the Melodies“
3. Yajur-Veda "Knowledge of the Sacrificial
formulas“
4. Atharva-Veda "Knowledge of the Magic
formulas"
 VEDAS
TYPES

RIG YAJUR SAMA ATHARVA

VEDA VEDA VEDA VEDA
 RIG VEDA
“Wisdom of the Verses”
Rig Veda consists of 10,552 verses (collected into 10 books) of
hymns and mantras used by the hotri priests.
The hymns of the Rig Veda focus on pleasing the principal gods
Indra (war, wind and rain), Agni (the sacrificial fire), Surga (the
sun) and Varuna (the cosmic order) through ritual sacrifices. the
Vedic gods also forgive wrongdoing and mete out justice in the
afterlife.
 SAMA VEDA
“Wisdom of the Chants”
 The "Sama Veda" is an ancient Hindu text and one of Hinduism's four
primary Vedas.
 It is also known as the "Book of Song," "Veda of Chants," or even
"Yoga of Song." It is a compilation of tunes and chants. It's essentially
the "Rig Veda" words set to music.
 The words of the Samaveda are all designed to be repeated at the rituals of
the Soma-sacrifice and processes derived from it, and the Samaveda is
compiled purely for ritual use.
 Samaveda was written during 1200-800 BCE. This Veda also has something to
do with public worship.
 Chandogya Upanishad and Kena Upanishad are two Upanishads found in
Samaveda.
 The Samaveda is the foundation for Indian classical music and dance.
 It is regarded as a repository for lovely chants.
 It has fewer verses than the Rigveda, but its texts are longer.
 The text of the Samaveda has three recensions:Kauthuma, Raayaniya, and
Jaimaniya.
 The Samaveda, like other Vedas, has numerous layers of text, the oldest of
which is the Samhita and the youngest of which is the Upanishads.
 Samaveda Samhita is not intended to be read as a text; rather, it is intended to
be listened to as a musical score sheet.
 ATHARVA VEDA
“Wisdom of the Sacrificial
Formulas”
Was added significantly later than the first three
Samhitas, perhaps as late as 500 BC. It consists of
20 books of hymns and prose, many of which
reflect the religious concerns of everyday life.
This sets the Arharva Veda apart from the other
Vedas, which focus on adoring the gods and
performing the liturgy of sacrifice, and makes it
an important source of information on the
practical religion and magic of the time.
 YAJUR VEDA
“Wisdom of the Sacrifical Formula”
liturgical works consisting primarily of
selections from the Rig Veda. The
Yajur Veda was used by udgatri priests
and contains brief prose to accompany
ritual acts, many of which are
addressed to the ritual instruments and
offerings.
 PARTS OF VEDAS
Each Veda Has Four Parts :

 Hymnal portion (mantras)

 Ritual portion (brahmanas)
 Forest teachings (aranyakas)
 Philosophical portion
(upanishads)
 The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts, the Sukla and the Krishna. The Krishna or the
Taittiriya is the older book and the Sukla or the Vajasaneya is a later revelation to sage
Yajnavalkya from the resplendent Sun God.
 The Rig-Veda is divided into twenty-one sections, the Yajur-Veda into one hundred and nine
sections, the SamaVeda into one thousand sections and the Atharva-Veda into fifty sections. In
all, the whole Veda is thus divided into one thousand one hundred and eighty sections.
 Each Veda consists of four parts: the Mantra-Samhitas or hymns, the Brahmanas or
explanations of Mantras or rituals, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads. The division of the
Vedas into four parts is to suit the four stages in a man's life. The Mantra-Samhitas are hymns
in praise of the Vedic God for attaining material prosperity here and happiness hereafter. They
are metrical poems comprising prayers, hymns and incantations addressed to various deities,
both subjective and objective. The Mantra portion of the Vedas is useful for the Brahmacharins.
 The Brahmana portions guide people to perform sacrificial rites. They are prose explanations
of the method of using the Mantras in the Yajna or the sacrifice. The Brahmana portion is
suitable for the householders.
 The Aranyakas are the forest books, the mystical texts which give philosophical interpretations
of the rituals. The Aranyakas are intended for the Vanaprasthas or hermits who prepare
themselves for taking Sannyasa.
 The Upanishads are the most important portion of the Vedas. The Upanishads contain the
essence or the knowledge portion of the Vedas. The philosophy of the Upanishads is sublime,
Profound, lofty and soul stirring. The Upanishads speak of the identity of the individual soul
and the Supreme Soul. They reveal the most subtle and deep spiritual truths. The Upanishads
are useful for the Sannyasins.
 The subject matter of the whole Veda is divided into Karma-Kanda, Upasana-Kanda and Jnana-
Kanda. The Karma-Kanda or Ritualistic Section deals with various sacrifices and rituals. The
Upasana-Kanda or Worship Section deals with various kinds of worship or meditation. The
Jnana-Kanda or Knowledge-Section deals with the highest knowledge of Nirguna Brahman.
The Mantras and the Brahmanas constitute Karma-Kanda; the Aranyakas Upasana-Kanda; and
the Upanishads Jnana-Kanda.