In a more general sense, however, Veda means the wisdom and authority of the whole Hindu tradition. The Upanishads and their interpretations are sometimes called Vedanta, literally the “end of the Vedas.” Each Veda is attached to associated literature called Brahmanas, which are concerned especially with rituals, and Upanishads, which explore a deeper philosophical understanding of the universe. The four Vedas are the Rig Veda, which consists of hymns to the various gods the Sama Veda, which consists of chants and melodies the Yajur Veda, which is comprised of ritual instructions and formulae and the Atharva Veda, which contains hymns, popular incantations, and folklore. The four collections of Vedic hymns were kept in perfect memory by lineages of brahmin priests. It is called shruti, literally, what is “heard.” The Vedas were not read on the page, but recited orally in metered verse. Specifically it refers to a body of ancient hymns and chants in which the “wisdom” of the ancient sages can be heard. The term Veda means “wisdom” and, as such, it has both a specific and a general meaning. The earliest literary sources of the Hindu tradition are the Vedas, the legacy of the ancient Aryans.
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