Vedas | वेद
Veda (Devanagari: वेद; ISO 15919: veda) refers to eternal divine knowledge.
The Vedas are the eternal laws of the Supreme God (Brahm) and serve as the final authority on all matters of Sanatan Vedic Dharma.
Divine Origin (Vinirgat Granth) The Vedas are not man-made. Before creation, while the Supreme Lord was in a dormant state, the Vedas emerged spontaneously from His breath. Because of this divine emanation, they are called Vinirgat Granth (The Scripture that Emerged). This knowledge was first revealed to the creator, Brahma, at the very beginning of the universal cycle (Srishti).
Transmission (Shruti) Since the beginning, this knowledge was passed down orally from Guru to disciple through hearing. For this reason, the Vedas are also known as Shruti (that which is heard).
Codification by Veda Vyasa The full version of the eternal Vedas contains one million mantras across 1,130 branches (Shakhas). However, currently, only 13 branches are available to humanity.
Approximately 5,000 years ago, Sage Veda Vyasa compiled and wrote down 100,000 verses of this knowledge into four distinct books, leading to the plural usage "Vedas":
- Rigveda
- Yajurveda
- Samaveda
- Atharvaveda
Eternal Cycle The Vedas are never created anew. They exist in an eternal cycle of appearance and disappearance—when they disappear from the material world, God reintroduces them.
Further Reading and Reference
- Alternate Spelling: Veda
- Related Concepts:
- Reference: Prema Rasa Siddhanta - Philosophy of Divine Love, Ch. 10