The Rigveda-Samhitaa is the oldest and has a pre-eminent place in the Vedic literature. It is a collection of suktaas or hymns revealed to various rishis or sages at different periods of time. Consequently we can notice a variety of styles of language, grammar, ideas as also historical and cultural factors.
Though it is said to have had 21 Saakhaas, only five are known to be extant:Saakala, Baaskala, Asvalaayana, Saankhaayana and Maandukeya.
Since ancient days, two methods of dividing this Veda are in vogue. In the first, it is divided into eight astakas. Each astaka is again subdivided into vargas, containing mantras. This mode of division has been done obviously with a view to facilitating memorization, since the number of vargas in each astaka and the mantras in each varga are more or less the same. A total of 10,552 mantras are spread over 2,024 vargas, included in the 64 adhyaayas of the 8 astakas.
In the second method, the whole Samhitaa has been divided into ten mandalas. The mandalas are subdivided into anuvaakas, the anuvaakas into suktas and the suktas into mantras. The number of anuvaakas is 85, that of the suktaas 1,028, the total numbers of mantras being, of course, the same.
The latter method seems to be the more ancient one and has universal approval among the modern Vedic scholars.
There seems to be some method and order in the arrangement of the suktas into the ten mandalas. The six mandalas (two to seven) contain suktas revealed to the rishis of the same generic group (vamsa). For instance, if the seers of the suktas in the second mandala belong to the lineage of Gritasamada, those in the third belong to the descendants of Visvaamitra and so on.
The first and the eighth mandalas contain respectively the suktas of Satarcins and Pragaathas. The suktas of the ninth mandala are all in praise of a single deity-Some Pavamaana-and are classified according to their metres. The last, the tenth mandala, is a miscellany of suktas inclined more towards metaphysical subjects.
The topics death with in the Rigveda-samhitaa fall roughly into three groups. The first group deals with the deities like Agni, Indra, Varuna, and others. The second group is concerned with philosophical speculations like the origin of the universe and the real nature of human beings. The third group deals with several secular subjects like marriage, wars of kings, eulogy of generosity and so on.
The Vedic deities are usually enumerated as 33-8 Vasus, 11 Rudras, 12 Adityas, Indra and Prajaapati. These deities are assigned to the three regions of the earth (prithvi), heavens (dyaus) and the intermediary space (antariksa). Though they appear like personifications of forces of nature, they are all actually facets of Brahman, the Supreme Truth.
The mantra in which the well-known statement, ekam sat,
vipraah bahudhaa vadanti ['Truth is one' sages call It by various names.'] (1.164.46) occurs, is proof enough of this fact. However, it may be noted that Indra, Agni, Varuna and Mitra have been given the pride of place in the hymns.
Coming to the philosophical speculations of this Veda, we find it is the origin and repository of almost all the later ideas of Vedant including jnaana (knowledge) and bhakti (devotion), though some of them are in a seed form. This forces us to concede that it is not a book of laudatory hymns only as some try to make it out.
As already pointed out above, it teaches eka-devata-vaada or monotheism and not polytheism, as is often mistakenly assumed. However, advocacy of sagunopaasanaa (worship of God with form and qualities) is predominant.
God creates this world out of Himself and rules over it is omnipresent omniscient and omnipotent He is ever perfect ( But He is infinitely compassionate ( easily approachable by the devotees He is our dearest friend and grants us immortality
As regards the actual process of creation, we find two streams of thought, creation and evolution, both of which have been found in the later Vedantic literature.
Though the existence of the soul as an eternal entity is accepted and amrutatva or immortality is prayed for, the life here and now is not relegated to the background. Life here and life hereafter have been nicely harmonized.
From the group of suktas dealing with the secular side of life, we can get an inkling into the nature of the society of those times. Social life was permeated by spiritual consciousness. But people strongly believed in samnavaya or harmonizing the life of this world with the one in the next. Satya (truth) and Dharma (righteousness) are extolled and Amartatva (immortality) as the goal of life accepted.
Varna system had already taken roots. Monogamy, polygamy and svayamvara system (that of a bride choosing her husband)-all existed side by side. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the chief means of livelihood. Civilization was well-developed and fine arts encouraged. Priests and kings were powerful. System of sacrifices had evolved to a high degree of perfection.
Hindu tradition strongly advocates a knowledge of the rishi, the devata and the chhandas of any mantra before using it in the religious rites. Then only will it be effective. Rishi is the sage to whom the mantra was revealed; devataa is the deity to whom the mantra is addressed; and chhandas is the metre in which it is composed. According to once calculation the number of rishis exceeds 800 whereas the number of chandas is 19 including the minior variations.
The Braahmanas, Aaranyakas and the Upanisads of this Veda are:
1. Aitareya and Kausitaki Braahmanas;
2. Aitareya and Saakhaayana Aaranyakas; and,
3. Aitareya and Kausitaki Upanishads.
Though it is said to have had 21 Saakhaas, only five are known to be extant:Saakala, Baaskala, Asvalaayana, Saankhaayana and Maandukeya.
Since ancient days, two methods of dividing this Veda are in vogue. In the first, it is divided into eight astakas. Each astaka is again subdivided into vargas, containing mantras. This mode of division has been done obviously with a view to facilitating memorization, since the number of vargas in each astaka and the mantras in each varga are more or less the same. A total of 10,552 mantras are spread over 2,024 vargas, included in the 64 adhyaayas of the 8 astakas.
In the second method, the whole Samhitaa has been divided into ten mandalas. The mandalas are subdivided into anuvaakas, the anuvaakas into suktas and the suktas into mantras. The number of anuvaakas is 85, that of the suktaas 1,028, the total numbers of mantras being, of course, the same.
The latter method seems to be the more ancient one and has universal approval among the modern Vedic scholars.
There seems to be some method and order in the arrangement of the suktas into the ten mandalas. The six mandalas (two to seven) contain suktas revealed to the rishis of the same generic group (vamsa). For instance, if the seers of the suktas in the second mandala belong to the lineage of Gritasamada, those in the third belong to the descendants of Visvaamitra and so on.
The first and the eighth mandalas contain respectively the suktas of Satarcins and Pragaathas. The suktas of the ninth mandala are all in praise of a single deity-Some Pavamaana-and are classified according to their metres. The last, the tenth mandala, is a miscellany of suktas inclined more towards metaphysical subjects.
The topics death with in the Rigveda-samhitaa fall roughly into three groups. The first group deals with the deities like Agni, Indra, Varuna, and others. The second group is concerned with philosophical speculations like the origin of the universe and the real nature of human beings. The third group deals with several secular subjects like marriage, wars of kings, eulogy of generosity and so on.
The Vedic deities are usually enumerated as 33-8 Vasus, 11 Rudras, 12 Adityas, Indra and Prajaapati. These deities are assigned to the three regions of the earth (prithvi), heavens (dyaus) and the intermediary space (antariksa). Though they appear like personifications of forces of nature, they are all actually facets of Brahman, the Supreme Truth.
The mantra in which the well-known statement, ekam sat,
vipraah bahudhaa vadanti ['Truth is one' sages call It by various names.'] (1.164.46) occurs, is proof enough of this fact. However, it may be noted that Indra, Agni, Varuna and Mitra have been given the pride of place in the hymns.
Coming to the philosophical speculations of this Veda, we find it is the origin and repository of almost all the later ideas of Vedant including jnaana (knowledge) and bhakti (devotion), though some of them are in a seed form. This forces us to concede that it is not a book of laudatory hymns only as some try to make it out.
As already pointed out above, it teaches eka-devata-vaada or monotheism and not polytheism, as is often mistakenly assumed. However, advocacy of sagunopaasanaa (worship of God with form and qualities) is predominant.
God creates this world out of Himself and rules over it is omnipresent omniscient and omnipotent He is ever perfect ( But He is infinitely compassionate ( easily approachable by the devotees He is our dearest friend and grants us immortality
As regards the actual process of creation, we find two streams of thought, creation and evolution, both of which have been found in the later Vedantic literature.
Though the existence of the soul as an eternal entity is accepted and amrutatva or immortality is prayed for, the life here and now is not relegated to the background. Life here and life hereafter have been nicely harmonized.
From the group of suktas dealing with the secular side of life, we can get an inkling into the nature of the society of those times. Social life was permeated by spiritual consciousness. But people strongly believed in samnavaya or harmonizing the life of this world with the one in the next. Satya (truth) and Dharma (righteousness) are extolled and Amartatva (immortality) as the goal of life accepted.
Varna system had already taken roots. Monogamy, polygamy and svayamvara system (that of a bride choosing her husband)-all existed side by side. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the chief means of livelihood. Civilization was well-developed and fine arts encouraged. Priests and kings were powerful. System of sacrifices had evolved to a high degree of perfection.
Hindu tradition strongly advocates a knowledge of the rishi, the devata and the chhandas of any mantra before using it in the religious rites. Then only will it be effective. Rishi is the sage to whom the mantra was revealed; devataa is the deity to whom the mantra is addressed; and chhandas is the metre in which it is composed. According to once calculation the number of rishis exceeds 800 whereas the number of chandas is 19 including the minior variations.
The Braahmanas, Aaranyakas and the Upanisads of this Veda are:
1. Aitareya and Kausitaki Braahmanas;
2. Aitareya and Saakhaayana Aaranyakas; and,
3. Aitareya and Kausitaki Upanishads.
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