Religious studiesLesson 1 of 1 in the course Hinduism

The Vedas: Textual Layers, Collections, Transmission, and Authority

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 4 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

The Vedas are ancient Indian religious texts and the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature. This lesson introduces their name, historical importance, traditional status, and the ways Hindu traditions understand their origin.

The Sanskrit word veda means “knowledge” or “wisdom.” It is related to the root vid, meaning “to know.” In some passages, veda can also have other contextual meanings, but “knowledge” is its central meaning when referring to the sacred texts.

All flashcards

Śruti and smṛti
Traditional Hindu textual categories: śruti means “what is heard” and includes the Vedas; smṛti means “what is remembered.”
Apauruṣeya
A traditional description of the Vedas as impersonal or not authored by a human being.
Trayī vidyā
The “triple science” grouping of the Rigveda, Yajurveda, and Samaveda.
Śākhā
A branch or school of Vedic transmission that may preserve its own canon and textual version.
Vedangas
Six auxiliary disciplines supporting Vedic study: phonetics, metre, grammar, etymology, ritual, and astronomy.

Quiz questions

  1. Which Veda is organized primarily for liturgical singing?Answer: The Samaveda.
  2. How many hymns are in the Rigveda Samhita?Answer: 1,028 hymns.
  3. In Indian philosophical classification, what does āstika indicate?Answer: Acceptance of Vedic authority.
  4. What broadly distinguishes the Black Yajurveda from the White Yajurveda?Answer: Black collections interweave mantras and explanatory material.
  5. What is another name for the Upanishads, understood as the Vedas’ concluding portion or highest purpose?Answer: Vedānta.

Based on the Wikipedia article Vedas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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