The word Veda is derived from the root ‘Vid’, which means knowledge. The name of divine knowledge is the Vedas.

यस्य निःश्वसितं वेदा यो वेदेभ्योऽखिलं जगत्। 

निर्ममे तमहं वन्दे विद्यातीर्थं महेश्वरम्।।

(Meaning: I worship Lord Shiva, whose breath is the Vedas, who created the entire universe through the Vedas and who is the pilgrimage of knowledge.)

The Vedas are the knowledge of God or the Vedas are the breath of God. This means that just as God is eternally indestructible, so the Vedas are eternally indestructible. God was never ignorant or lifeless. Therefore, the Vedas are eternal like God.

God did not create the Vedas, at the beginning of creation He reveals the Vedas-His knowledge.

What is constant in the Vedas?

The word order of the mantras of the Vedas is constant. That is, the word order of each mantra of the Vedas is constant; however, the order of one mantra after another keeps changing.

The Veda is One

There are neither three nor four Vedas. There is only one Veda. The Vedas have been divided into four sections for their intended purpose, and this division was done by Lord Krishna Dwaipayan Vyasji in the Dwapara period. The late Shripad Damodar Satvalekar has also published the entire Veda in one form under the name ‘Daivata Samhita’.

Vedatrayi

It does not mean three Vedas. This name has misled many great Vedic researchers. They believed that only three Vedas were the main ones and the fourth was perhaps later. But this belief is completely misleading.

Vedatrayi means the Trikanda Veda. The Vedas describe these three subjects: knowledge, action, and worship. All the mantras of the entire Vedas address one or another of these subjects. Because they expound these three subjects, the Vedas are called ‘Trayi’.

The Four Vedas

Four Vedas are renowned in society. These four Vedas are:

1- Rigveda

2- Yajurveda

3- Samaveda

4- Atharvaveda

However, these four are neither four completely different texts nor four sections of a single text. Ved Vyasji divided the Vedas into these four forms, keeping in mind the ritual of ‘Yagya’.

There are four main performers in Yagya:

1-Hota, 2-Adhvaryu, 3-Udgata, and 4-Brahma

The collection of mantras used by Hota is called the Rigveda. The collection of mantras used by Adhvaryu is called the Samaveda, and the mantras used by Brahma are called the Atharvaveda.

Mantras used by two, three, or all four are found in their respective Vedas. Thus, many mantras from the Samaveda are found in the Rigveda, and some in the Atharvaveda as well. This division of the Vedas is not meant to divide any text. The mantras used by Hota, Adhvaryu, and others have been collected in these four forms.

The Rishi, Deity, Meter, and Appropriation of a Vedic Mantra

These four things are necessarily memorized along with a Vedic Mantra. The purpose of memorizing them is:

Appropriation – It reveals the purpose for which the Mantra will be used.

Method – The meter reveals how the Mantra should be pronounced.

Rishi – Vedic Mantras are a type of sutra. Their complete meaning cannot be known through the Nirukta. The Rishi who has seen the meaning of a Mantra in meditation is called the Rishi who has seen that Mantra. The texts of that Rishi explain the meaning of that Mantra.

Deity – If the Rishi’s texts are destroyed, the meaning of that Mantra will be realized in the meditation that occurs by chanting the Mantra while meditating on the Mantra’s Deity. A similar thing applies to the Gayatri Mantra. Its first sage was Vasishtha, then Vishwamitra.

Vedapatha-pranali

The Vedas are called Sruti. The recitation of Vedic mantras should be absolutely pure only by hearing from each other. Improper or erroneous recitation of Vedic mantras is harmful to the reciter. Therefore, there are many methods of reading the Vedas. These methods are also used to ensure the placement of every word and letter of the Vedic mantra. There should be no confusion in it. These text systems are:

1-Kramapatha 2-Ghanapatha 3-Jatapatha 4-Rekhapatha 5-Malapatha 6-Dhwajapatha 7-Dandapatha and 8-Rathapatha.

Branches of the Vedas

The term “branch” of a Veda does not have the same meaning as a section of a text. A branch refers to a different order of editing. For example, a sage had one of his disciples memorize a Veda according to the order of the deities. He had him memorize the mantras of one deity at a time. Another disciple had him memorize the mantras according to the verse order, a third according to the sage order, and a fourth according to the Viniyoga order. This difference in order resulted in four branches. The mantras in each branch are complete and the same, but their order is different. Therefore, if one finds even one branch of a Veda, one obtains the entire Veda. The disappearance of a branch does not result in the loss of any part of the Veda.

The details of the branches of the Vedas are as follows:

Rigveda – It had 21 branches. Of these, only the Shakalya branch is available in its pure form.

The Yajurveda has two versions. One is called the Shukla Yajurveda and the other is called the Krishna Yajurveda.

Shukla Yajurveda – It had 15 branches. Of these, two branches, Kavya and Madhyanandigo, are now available.

Krishna Yajurveda – It had 85 branches. Of these, five branches, Taittiriya, Maitrayani, Katha, Kapisthal, and Shvetashvatara, are now available.

Samaveda – This is the Veda of singing. In music, it has the most branches, depending on the genre. It once had 1,000 branches, but now only three survive: 1. Kauthumi, 2. Jaiminiya, and 3. Rayaniya.

Of these, the third is incomplete.

Atharvaveda – Of its nine branches, only two, Paippaladi and Shaunkiya, are now available in their pure form.

Supplementary Literature to the Vedas

Some consider only the Mantra Samhitas to be Vedas; however, Sanatan Dharma scholars also consider the supplementary texts to be Vedas. The division of these supplementary texts is as follows:

1- Brahmana Texts

2- Aranyakas and Upanishads

3- Shrauta Sutras

4- Grihyasutras and Dharmasutras

5- Pratishakhyas

6- Anukramani

These six types of supplementary texts are for each Veda. Therefore, they are presented in the order of the Vedas as they are now available.

Brahman- granth

These texts explain how to use the Vedic mantras in sacrifice.

The Aitareya Brahmana and the Shayayana Brahmana of the – Rigveda (or Kaushitiki Brahmana)

The Shatapatha Brahmana of the – Shulka Yajurveda 

(it is of two types, 17 Kandakas of the Kavya branch and 14 Kandakas of the Madhyanandini branch)

The Taitriya Brahmana and the Taitriya Samhita Intermediate Brahmins- Krishna Yajurveda

Samaveda -1-Tand (Panchavinsh) Brahmin 2-Shadvinsh Brahmin 3-Samvidhan-Brahmin 4-Aashaya Brahmin 5-Mantra Brahmin 6-Devtadhyaya Brahmin 7-Vansh Brahmin 8-Samhitop Nishad Brahmin 9-Jaiminia Brahmin 10-Jaiminia Upanishad Brahmin.

The Ka-Gopath Brahmana of the Atharva Veda.

Aranyakas and Upanishads

The parts of the Brahmana texts that are suitable for forest reading are called Aranyakas. These texts expound knowledge or worship. Currently, approximately 275 Upanishads are extant. Many of these were composed later, and therefore, not all are considered authentic. Thirteen Upanishads are the main ones, on which commentaries have been written by the Acharyas. Their names are:

1. Isha
2. Kena
3. Katha
4. Prashna
5. Mundaka
6. Mandukya
7. Taittiriya
8. Aitareya
9. Chandogya
10. Brihadaranyaka
11. Svetasvatara
12. Kaushitaki
13. Maitri

Of these, the Ishvasyopanishad is in the original code of the Yajurveda and Atharvaveda.

Shrauta Sutra

There are four types of Sutrabhagas of the Vedas:

1-Shrauta Sutra 2-Grhya Sutra 3-Dharma Sutra 4-Shulba Sutra

The rituals of the Mantra-Samhita are explained in the Shrauta sutra.

The Shrautasutras available at this time are described as follows:

The-1-Ashwalayana and 2-Shankhyayana Shrautasutras of the Rigveda.

The Katyayana (or Paraskara) Shrauta Sutra of the Shukla Yajurveda.

Of the Krishna Yajurveda-1-Apasthamba Shrautasutta 2-Hirankeshiya (Satyashadha) Shrautasuta 3-Baudhayana Shrautasuta 4-Bharadwaja 5-Vaikhanasa 6-Vadhula 7-Manava and 8-Varaha Shrautasutta.

Samaveda-1-Mashaka Sutra 2-Lahyayana Sutra 3-Drahyayana Sutra 4-Khadir Sutra.

Vaitana Shrautasutta of the- Atharva Veda.

Household formula

The Grhya Sutra describes the Kulachar.

The 1-Ashwalayana Grihyasutra and 2-Shankhyayana Grihyasutra of the Rigveda.

1-Paraskara Grihyasutra of the Shukla Yajurveda There are seven Sanskrit commentaries on it by Karka, Jairam, Gadadhara etc.

Krishna Yajurveda -1- Manav Grihyasutra 2-Kathaka Grihyasutra 3-

Apasthamba Grhya Sutra 4-Baudhayana Grhya Sutra 5-Vaikhanasa Grhya Sutra 5-Hiranyakeshiya Grhya Sutra.

Sama Veda -1-Jaimini Grhya Sutra 2-Govhil Grhya Sutra 3-Khadir Grhya Sutra 4-Drahyayana Grhya Sutra.

Atharva Veda -1-Kausika Grhyasutra 2-Varaha Grhyasutra 3-Vaikhanasa Grhyasutra.

Dharma Sutras

The Dharm Sutras describe Dharmachara. Smritis were created on the basis of these formulas. Smritis are a kind of works on the Dharm Sutras.

The Rigveda-Vashishta Dharma Sutra- has many commentaries in this para-Sanskrit.

In the Shukla Yajurveda, 1-Katyayana Dharm Sutra 2-Vishnu Dharm Sutra.

The Krishna Yajurveda contains-1-Manava Dharm Sutra 2-Kathaka Dharm Sutra 3-Apasthamba Dharm Sutra 4-Bodhayana Dharm Sutra 5-Vaikhanasa Dharm Sutra 6-Hiranyakeshiya Dharma Sutra.

Samaveda-1-Gautama Dharm Sutra (it contains Makkari commentary and Mitaakshara Vritti.) 2-Chhandogaparishishta.

Atharva Veda – It has no Dharm Sutra.

Shulba Sutras

These Sutras described physics; but they have been completely lost. Now, only the Katya Yan Shulba Sutra of the Yajurveda is extant. It contains a detailed description of geometry.

The rule is that each branch of the Veda should have a Grihyasutra, a Dharmasutra, a Shrauta Sutra, a Shulba Sutra, and a Pratishakhya. The number of branches of the Vedas mentioned earlier, all contained all four types of Sutra texts and Pratishakhyas; but these texts have disappeared. Especially with the disappearance of the Shulba Sutras, Vedic physics has been lost.

Pratishakhyas are a type of Vedic grammar texts. Their names are based on the names of the Vedas, such as the Rigvedic Pratishakhya, Yaju Pratishakhya, Sama Pratishakhya, and Atharva Pratishakhya. These are available only in the four Vedas.

Indexing

The purpose of these texts is to protect the Vedas and explain the meaning of the Vedas.

Only the indexical texts of the Rigveda and Yajurveda would now be available

The Rigveda says:

1 – Arshanukramani-It contains the names of the sages in the order of the mantras.

2-Index of verses 3-Index of deities 4-Index of Anuvakas 5-Index of all 6-Vrihadaivata 7-Rigvijnana 8-Bahavricha Appendix9-Appendix of Shankhyayana 10-Appendix of Ashvalayana 11-Rik Pratishakhya.

Shukla Yajurveda-

1-Prati Shakhya Sutra 

2-Katyayana Anu Kramani.

Krishna Yajurveda:

1-Aatreyayanukramani 2-Charayayiyanukramani 

3-Taittariy Pratishakhya.