Initially, the Rigveda was not written rather it was composed orally and transmitted from one generation to other through precise oral tradition. The Rig Veda was composed by our great “Rishis” (ancient sages). The Rig Veda is not the work of any single author. It was the main way for people to communicate with God. Originally, the mantras were recited during religious rituals. The Rigveda also pays respect to various natural phenomena such as Dyaus (the sky), Prithvi (Earth), Surya (sun), Vayu (wind), as well as various rivers. The main ones include: Indra, Agni, and Soma.Īpart from these main gods, the Rig Veda has mentioned for Adityas, Varuna, Usha, Brihaspati, Rudra, Savitr, and Vishnu. Many mantras in Rigveda are hymns to the gods praying for benefits like health, wealth, and long life. The Rig Veda outlines many spiritual disciplines and provides information about the practice of yoga, meditation, mantra, and Ayurveda. Rigveda has been organized in 10 books that are known as Mandalas. The “Rig Veda” contains Sanskrit hymns that are dedicated to Rig-Vedic deities. In fact, the “Rigveda” is the oldest of the four Vedas that includes “Yajur Vedas,” “Sama Veda,” and “Atharva Veda.” The “Rig Veda” stands out to be one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism that are collectively known as the Vedas. The Aranyakas (These are known as the “forest books”).The Brahmanas (commentaries on the hymns).The Rig-Veda Samhita (It is the oldest or the core part of Rig Veda containing hymns to the deities).The important ones among these (known as the seven primary seers) are Atri, Vishwamitra, Vasishtha, Gautam, Jamadagni, Kanwa, and Bharadwaja. It is said that many ‘rishis’ have contributed to the Rig Vedic text. The Soma was regarded as the personification of the sacred soma plant whose juice provides immortality to gods. The Agni is considered as the most important god in Vedic literature and is responsible for lifting the sacrifice to heaven. The Vedas describes Indra as the head of the ancient Hindu pantheon. Most of the hymns are dedicated to three top-rated Gods such as Indra (250 hymns), Agni (200 hymns), and Soma (over 100 hymns). However, there are some who get much attention. Overall, the Rigveda deals with many Gods. The Sukta, in turn, consist of individual stanzas (units of verse) called as Pada. The 1st and the 10th Mandalas are considered the longest books and account for 37% of the text.Įach Mandala contains hymns or Sukta that are intended for various rituals. The 8th and the 9th Mandalas account for 15% and 9% respectively. It deals with a particular deity such as Agni and Indra. They were transmitted within the lineage of the Rishi’s family or his students. Each of them has been attributed to an individual Rishi. Mandalas 2 – 7 form the oldest part of the Rig-Veda Samhita and account for 38% of the entire text. It is believed that the bulk of Rig-Veda Samhita was composed as early as 1500 BC. They even take other metaphysical issues in their hymns. They also deal with philosophical questions and bring out the virtue of Dana (charity) in society. It is organized into ten books known as “Mandalas.” Most of these contain praises of specific deities. It contains 1028 hymns (Sukta) in about 10,600 verses. The core part of Rig Veda is known as Rig-Veda Samhita. The Rig Veda consists of Sanskrit hymns with commentaries on liturgy, ritual and mystical exegesis. If we consider the Vedic collection (the four Vedas), the Rigveda stands out to be the largest and the most important text in this Vedic collection. The Rig Veda has been described as having the origin of divine knowledge. In fact, the Rig Veda is the oldest book known to humanity. The Rigveda is regarded as the oldest text of Hinduism. Today, you come to know everything about The Rig Veda. The Vedic text has stood the test of time and is still regarded as the highest religious authority by Hindus in particular and humankind in general. So, Vedas describe spiritual knowledge encompassing all aspects of life. The word “Veda” has been derived from the root word ‘vid’ which means wisdom, knowledge, or vision.