The Four Vedas

Definition

The four foundational texts of Vedic Sanskrit literature (the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda), composed during the Vedic Age (roughly 1500 to 600 BCE) and central to early Indian religion and society.

Key points

• Rigveda: the oldest, a collection of hymns (suktas) in praise of gods; the Gayatri Mantra and the Purushasukta (which mentions the four varnas) appear here.
• Samaveda: hymns mainly borrowed from the Rigveda, set to melody; regarded as the root of Indian classical music.
• Yajurveda: ritual formulae and procedures for sacrifices; in prose and verse, divided into Shukla (White) and Krishna (Black) recensions.
• Atharvaveda: charms, spells, and remedies for everyday life; the latest of the four and a source for early medicine and folk belief.
• Each Veda has four parts: the Samhitas (hymns), Brahmanas (ritual explanations), Aranyakas (forest treatises), and Upanishads (philosophy); the Vedas are called Shruti (heard, revealed).

Why it matters for CAPF

Veda-to-content matching (hymns, music, rituals, charms), the location of the Gayatri Mantra and Purushasukta in the Rigveda, and the Shruti versus Smriti distinction are standard Vedic-age facts.

Common confusion

Shruti (the Vedas, revealed) versus Smriti (remembered texts like the epics, Puranas, and Dharmashastras); the Upanishads are the concluding philosophical part of the Vedas (hence Vedanta), not a separate fifth Veda.

Parent note

vedic age