Veda means a mass of knowledge and is considered as the most ancient literature known to humans. Unlike any other literature, the Vedic one is apauruṣeya (non-human), i.e. not authored by human beings. Uninterrupted tradition tells us that Veda had emanated from Brahmā at the beginning of Creation. Since Creation repeats, Veda is considered as “anādi” (beginningless) and “ananta” (endless) and as such it is indestructible.

Veda can be divided into two major parts – the first one deals with Karma (rituals) and the second one with Jñāna (cognition). A careful survey of Veda leads us to believe that apart from the above two goals, Veda also offers – guidelines to protect the Elements, purification of mind, harmony in the society, personality development etc.
The roots of Dharma can be traced to Veda.

Until Vedavyāsa, a sage, ventured to divide, there was a single mass of Veda. Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda have emerged after the division. Originally Ṛgveda had had 21 branches; Yajurveda, 100 branches; Sāmaveda, 1000 branches; and Atharvaveda, 9 branches. Presently only 12 branches of all Vedas are available. Ṛgveda contains Ṛks (hymns) that praise the deity. Yajurveda consists of Yajus (sentences) that explain the performance of rituals. Sāmaveda is nothing but Ṛgveda associated with music (Sāmagāna). Atharvaveda consists of a blend of prose and poetry. Apart from spiritual matters, Atharvaveda deals with matters of mundane importance such as health, polity etc. also.

Dichotomy of Veda

Broadly Veda can be put under two headings – Mantrabhāga and Brāhmaṇabhāga. The term “mantra” literally means, “the one that protects if recited with meditation”. Mantras are used in Yajñas (sacrifices and rituals) and other Karmas (rites). Saṃhitā is a synonym of Mantrabhāga. Brāhmaṇas explain the Mantras. Āraṇyakas and Upaniṣads are also included in Brāhmaṇas.

Dichotomy of Purpose

Following the two kinds of purpose that is being served, Veda can be divided into two parts – the former that proposes Karmas (rites such as Yajña) that would help in attaining Svarga (heaven) and the latter that proposes Jñāna (cognition) that is required to attain Mokṣa (union of individual soul with universal soul). According to Muṇḍakopaniṣat of Atharvaveda (1-1-4 & 5) the earlier parts of Vedas and Vedāṅgas is called Aparā vidyā whereas the Upaniṣats are Parā vidyā.

Cultural Background

The Indian Culture stands on four pillars called Puruṣārthas (purposes of human life) – Dharma, Artha (money matters), Kāma (married life) and Mokṣa. The term Dharma is pregnant with meaning, and hence is untranslatable.
Some people offer the word “religion” for Dharma but it is bad translation as back translation fails – “religion” means “matam” (liked by one or a group of people). Dharma is universal – “satyam vada” (speak the truth), “ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ” (non-violence is the best Dharma) etc. are examples.

Dharma as the base

The Vedic tradition firmly stands on a base called Dharma, i.e. one can attain Mokṣa (by which the cycle of birth and death is arrested once and for all) only by following Dharma and one should see that both Artha and Kāma are associated with Dharma. Dharma leads one to Svarga (heaven) and Mokṣa, whereas Adharma (non-dharma) would cause Naraka (hell).

Theory of Karma

Further, any activity associated with Dharma would cause Sukham (all-round comfort) in the next birth whereas the one associated with Adharma causes Duḥkham (misery) in the next birth. This is the essence of the Theory of Karma, or Karmasiddhānta.

Threefold Karmas

The Karmas (rituals) to be performed by a human being as ordained by Veda are of three types –

1. Nityakarma (regular rites): Sandhyāvandanam (worship during dawn and dusk), Agnihotram (worship of fire), Svādhyāya (reciting Veda) etc. are called Nityakarma, i.e. a Karma that is mandatory and regular.
2. Naimittikakarma (a rite caused by an event): Ābdīkam (death ceremony), Gṛhapraveśa (entering a new house / housewarming ceremony) etc. are called Naimittikakarma.
3. Kāmyakarma (rite with a desire): Vivāha (marriage) is for children, Jyotiṣṭoma (a sacrifice) is done to attain Svarga (heaven) – such Karma is called Kāmyakarma.

While the first two, i.e. Nitya and Naimittika are meant for Cittaśuddhi (cleansing the mind), Kāmyakarma is to get the desired result. One may perform a Kāmyakarma without desire and it, then, yields Cittaśuddhi.

Four Āśramas (the four stages of life)

As per the Vedic tradition one would go through four stages of life:

1. Brahmacaryam (as a celibate involved in learning Veda, Vedāṅgas etc.)
2. Gārhasthyam (as a house-holder, i.e. living with wife)
3. Vānaprastham (living in a forest with / without wife)
4. Saṃnyāsam (life of a hermit)

People belonging to the first three Āśramas would perform all the three kinds of Karmas mentioned earlier, whereas Nitya and Naimittika are mandatory even for a Saṃnyāsin. The term Saṃnyāsa literally means “giving up Kāmyakarmas”. On the other hand a Brahmacārī may skip the second and third Āśramas and prefer Saṃnyāsa, if he so wishes.

There are forty Saṃskāras (rituals) that start with Garbhādhānam (impregnation) and end with Aparam (death related ritual) enumerated in Smṛtis. Sixteen of them are considered as important (Ṣoḍaśasaṃskārāḥ). By and large, the very purpose of all Karmas is achieving Cittaśuddhi (cleansing of mind), which in turn would help in attaining Mokṣa through Jñānam.

The latter part of Veda, called Upaniṣads or Vedānta (end part of Veda) advocates Jñānam, which would directly lead to Mokṣa.

Vedaśākhas named after Ṛṣis

In Vedic literature we come across certain Branches named after sages – Kāṭhaka, Kālāpaka etc. This does not mean that those sages, viz. Kaṭha, Kalāpa etc. had authored those particular Vedic branches. Rather, it should be taken that those Ṛṣis had specialized or propagated the branches named after them. One thing should be noted – Śabda is Nitya (immutable). So the Veda, in its full form, was recited and is there. After some time, only some branches were being learnt and the rest were not known to people. In such a situation, Ṛṣis did perform Tapas (leading an ascetic life) and perceived certain portions of Veda. Then they, popularly called Mantradraṣṭāraḥ (who perceived Mantras), propagated those Mantras for the benefit of common people. Therefore, it is decided in Mīmāṃsā, Vyākaraṇa etc. that Veda is Apauruṣeya (non-human) and the names are that of specialists or propagators.

Vedāṅgas

The Vedas, if recited with the knowledge of meaning, would be fruitful. The Vedic literature is supported by six Vedāṅgas and six Upāṅgas / Darśanas, which are essential to have a first-hand knowledge of the content. The chart given in Appendix 1 shows the fourteen Vidyāsthānas. The six Vedāṅgas (limbs of Veda personified – Vedapuruṣa) are:

1. Śikṣā (Phonetics): This is considered as the nose of Vedapuruṣa and deals with impeccable pronunciation, Svaras (accents) etc.
2. Vyākaraṇam (Grammar): It is considered as the mouth of Vedapuruṣa and deals with the form of Śabda. A Śabda is acceptable to Vyākaraṇam fetches Dharma.
3. Niruktam (Etymology): This is considered as the two ears of Vedapuruṣa and discusses the meanings of Vaidikaśabdas.
4. Chandas (Prosody): Chandas is the two feet of Vedapuruṣa and explains the meter etc. of Vedic hymns.
5. Jyotiṣam (Astrology): Considered as the eyes of Vedapuruṣa, Jyotiṣam deals with movement of stars and planets, auspicious and inauspicious time etc., that is required to fix time for rites.
6. Kalpaḥ (the practical part of Veda): Kalpa is the two hands of Vedapuruṣa. It deals with the practical part of rites – how to do.

Upāṅgas / Darśanas (Systems of Indian Philosophy)

The six Darsanas among the Upāṅgas are important —

1. Pūrvamīmāṃsā: The term Mīmāṃsā means discussion. Pūrva means earlier. This system deals with the earlier part of Veda, i.e. related to Karma, leading to Svarga (heaven).
2. Uttaramīmāṃsā: Also called Vedānta. Uttara means “latter”. This system deals with the latter part of Veda, called Upaniṣat, i.e. related to Jñāna, leading to Mokṣa.
3. Sāṅkhyam: This system deals with the twenty-four entities and shows the way to Kaivalyam (Mokṣa).
4. Yogaḥ: Yoga means “arresting the behaviour of mind”. “Aṣṭāṅgayoga” is a means of achieving Kaivalyam through cleansing the mind.
5. Nyāya: This system is popularly known as Logic. The noumenon of things can be known through Pramāṇas (means of knowledge) such as Pratyakṣam (Perception), Anumānam (Inference) etc. and such a cognition would lead to Mokṣa – says Nyāyadarśanam.
6. Vaiśeṣikam: This System discusses seven entities and advocates the theory of Atom. There are similarities between Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika.

Bhakti, Karma and Jñānam (Devotion, Rituals and Cognition)

Veda advocates three ways to achieve the final Puruṣārtha (purpose of life), viz. Mokṣa:

1. Bhakti (Devotion): This is meant for one who is not intelligent or one who cannot for some reason or the other, perform the rituals (Karmas), that require a lot of patience, health and sometimes even wealth. Total surrender to God and different kinds of worship are the hallmarks of Bhakti.
2. Karma (Rituals): Karma is meant for people who can sustain the complicated procedures of different Karmas ordained by Veda and Kalpa, following it.
3. Jñānam (Cognition or spiritual knowledge): The path of Jñāna is for people with intellect. Learning Upaniṣadic texts, meditating and concentrating on the meaning of such texts would help one in attaining Jñānam, which, in turn, would burn the accumulated Karma (saṃcita karma) and pave the way to Mokṣa directly.

It may be noted that Bhakti and Karma slowly cause Cittaśuddhi (cleansing the mind) and generate Jñānam. So, Bhakti and Karma cannot directly be instrumental in achieving Mokṣa, but through Jñānam. A Jñāni can get his saṃcitakarma (the karma accrued through earlier incarnations) burnt but has to undergo the Prārabdhakarma (the Karma already started in this life). Here, the term Karma (Saṃcita / Prārabdha) means “the result of Karma” and it can be good or bad, i.e. caused by Puṇyam or Pāpam (sin).

What is Veda?

Veda is a device that provides non-mundane solutions for getting the desired things and averting the undesired ones.

Yāga and Yajña (sacrifice / ritual)

Both the terms are synonyms. They are formed through the verbal root “yuj” (to worship). There are a number of Yāgas described in Veda, such as Darśapūrṇamāsa (performed during new moon day and full moon day). One desirous of Svarga (heaven) should perform this Yāga –

darśapūrṇamāsābhyāṃ svargakāmo yajeta.
Yajña, on the other hand, is a term used in the sense of Yāga and other kinds of worship as well – the Pañcamahāyajñas, enumerated in Taittirīyāraṇyakam (2-10-1) are to be performed regularly:

पञ्च वा एते महायज्ञास्सतति प्रतायन्ते सतति सन्तिष्ठन्ते। देवयज्ञः पितृयज्ञो भूतयज्ञो मनुष्ययज्ञो ब्रह्मयज्ञ इति। यदग्नौ जुहोत्यपि समिधं तद्देवयज्ञस्सन्तिष्ठते। यत्पितृभ्यस्स्वधाकरोत्यप्यपस्तत्पितृ-यज्ञस्सन्तिष्ठते। यद्भूतेभ्यो बलिं हरति तद्भूतयज्ञस्सन्तिष्ठते। यद्ब्राह्मणेभ्योऽन्नं ददाति तन्मनुष्य-यज्ञस्सन्तिष्ठते। यत्स्वाध्यायमधीयीतैकामप्यृचं यजुस्साम वा तद्ब्रह्मयज्ञस्सन्तिष्ठते। . . . ॥ तैत्तिरीयारण्यकम्, २-१॰-१॥

pañcavāetemahāyajñāssatatipratāyantesatatisantiṣṭhante. devayajñaḥpitṛyajñobhūtayajñomanuṣyayajñobrahmayajñaiti. yadagnaujuhotyapisamidhaṃtaddevayajñassantiṣṭhate. yatpitṛbhyassvadhākarotyapyapastat-pitṛyajñassantiṣṭhate. yadbhūtebhyobaliṃharatitadbhūtayajñassantiṣṭhate. yadbrāhmaṇebhyo’nnaṃdadātitanmanuṣyayajñassantiṣṭhate. yatsvādhyāyam-adhīyītaikāmapyṛcaṃyajussāmavātadbrahmayajñassantiṣṭhate. . . .॥Taittirīyāraṇyakam, 2-10-1 ॥

These five, viz. Devayajñaḥ, Pitṛyajñaḥ, Bhūtayajñaḥ, Manuṣyayajñaḥ and Brahmayajñaḥ are called Pañcamahāyajñas.

1. Devayajñaḥ (Worship of Gods): At least one “samit” (small stick of specific trees) should be offered to Agni (Fire) and this is called Devayajña.
2. Pitṛyajñaḥ (Worship of forefathers etc.): Tarpaṇam (offering holy water) has to be performed to forefathers who passed away, viz. father, his father and the latter’s father, mother, her mother-in-law and the latter’s mother-in-law. This is called Pitṛyajña or Pitṛtarpaṇam.
3. Bhūtayajñaḥ (Worship of beings): Offering food to beings is called Bhūtayajña.
4. Manuṣyayajñaḥ (Worship of a Brāhmaṇa): A Brāhmaṇa ( Brahmajñānī ) has to be offered food and it is called Manuṣyayajña. Depending on the financial status more than one Brāhmaṇa can be worshipped.
5. Brahmayajñaḥ (Worship of Veda): At least one Ṛk / Yajus / Sāma has to be recited and it is called Brahmayajña. Some Mantras from all the four Vedas and some Sūtras from Vedāṅgas are recited as per the tradition of Brahmayajña.

Vedas are Multifaceted and Universal

If we conduct a careful survey of even the available Vedic literature we come across a number of issues concerning Creation, non-pollution of Elements, non-polluted mind, personality development, social unity, treatment of elders, conjugal relationship, polity, economic prosperity etc., which are not directly confined to spiritual life but are essential in maintaining universal peace, health, hygiene, prosperity and unity. Here are some Sūktas (chapters of good-sayings):