Vedas facts for kids

Hindu texts

Śruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihasas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Gherand Samhita Gita Govinda Hatha Yoga Pradipika

The Vedas are four very old and holy books for people who follow Hinduism. Many Hindus believe these books came from God and were shared by wise people, called sages, over thousands of years.

Each Veda is made up of four main parts:

• The Samhitas: These are collections of prayers and blessings, like songs or chants.
• The Brahmanas: These parts explain how to do religious ceremonies and rituals.
• The Aranyakas: These texts are about special rituals and sacrifices, sometimes with symbolic meanings.
• The Upanishads: These sections talk about deep ideas like meditation, life's meaning, and spiritual knowledge.

The Vedas are written in an ancient language called Vedic Sanskrit. Even today, many different types of Hinduism respect these ancient books.

The four main Vedas are:

• The Rigveda
• The Yajurveda
• The Samaveda
• The Atharvaveda

What is the Rigveda?

The Rigveda is the first and oldest of the four Vedas. Its name means "Veda of praise." This book is a collection of many verses, also called hymns, which are like poems or songs of worship. It is considered one of the most important Hindu holy books.

Understanding the Yajurveda

The Yajurveda is the second Veda. Its name means "Veda of the Yajus." Yajus were special chants or prayers used during religious activities and ceremonies.

The Yajurveda has two main parts:

• Black Yajurveda (Taittiriya): This part includes both the prayers and explanations for how to use them. The Taittirīya Upanishad is a famous text found within this part. It was likely written around 600 BC.
• White Yajurveda (Vajasaneyi): This part mostly contains the prayers, with the explanations found in separate texts.

Exploring the Samaveda

The Samaveda is the third Veda. It is known as the "Veda of sacred songs." This Veda also contains many hymns, similar to the Rigveda. However, these hymns are set to music and were sung by Hindu priests and other people during religious events.

Discovering the Atharvaveda

The Atharvaveda is the fourth Veda. Its name means "Veda of knowledge." This Veda is special because it contains a lot of ancient knowledge about different sciences. For example, it includes information about medicine and other practices. Some of its facts are still being studied and understood today.

Images for kids

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  The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the Atharvaveda.

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  Rigveda manuscript in Devanagari

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  A page from the Taittiriya Samhita, a layer of text within the Yajurveda

See also

In Spanish: Vedas para niños