Veda (disambiguation)

Veda or Vedas may refer to:

Hinduism

The Vedas (English plural form), part of a set of Hindu texts. The Vedas are considered the oldest Hindu texts. Scholars believe that they were written down some 4,500 years ago, though the tradition often dates them to the beginning of Kali-yuga (circa 3000 BCE). The following is an overview of the four Vedas, which comprise more than 20,000 hymns. The Vedas have been preserved throughout time, passed down through oral recitation by priests. Only until recent, have the contents been written down into formal scriptures. Attempts by western scholars – to name only a few: Muller-Ortega, Mark Dyczkowski, Alexis Sanderson, Lilian Silburn, Andre Padoux, Raffaele Torella, Alexander Wynne, and David Shulman, all attempted to translate Hindu's sacred scriptures. Unfortunately the literal translation does not reflect the true meaning. No one can translate these texts with just a dictionary. The Vedas, among many other texts cannot be known by mere scholarship, no matter how prestigious, even with the best dictionaries and multiple cross-references to other textual usage. To begin with, English is a language of commerce and the subtle textured layered meanings encoded within one Sanskrit word cannot be fully and precisely translated into a very limited linear language such as English.

God revealed these sacred truths to the ancient sages (Rishis), and these sages composed hymns and texts in the Sanskrit language to express these truths.

The Vedas area also called Shruti (heard knowledge). When the Rishis (holy men of pure minds and thoughts) sat in meditation, God revealed unto the Rishis the knowledge of the Vedas and the Vedas are said to be Divine Knowledge. The Rishis, in turn, explained the revealed knowledge to the people.

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