Vedic texts and their historical significance

Vedic Text

Hinduism has its roots in the Vedas, a series of ancient texts which are basically considered sacred literature by Hindus. The four Vedas (Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Atharva-Veda) concentrate on a series of chants, ceremonies, theologies, and values meant to be recited to the Hindu gods with the function of calling them. The Rig Veda is believed to be the most significant of the Vedas, this being observed through the fact that the others often speak about it.

In spite of the fact that they are presently known as written texts, it was not until several centuries A.D. that the Vedas materialized into writings. From the approximate time of their writing (1500 B.C.), the Vedas were transmitted from generation to generation through word of mouth.

It is difficult for one to attempt to interpret the Vedas today, given that they were adapted into more modern texts, such as the Upanishads. Even with that, Hindus agree that these writings form the foundation of contemporary Hinduism, as they virtually control their religious theories of each Hindu living today. Also, they are one of the most complex ancient religious texts and are appreciated for the fact that they were adjusted by numerous individuals, so as to fit their religious beliefs perfectly.

The Rig Veda was analyzed in depth and people have come to learn almost everything there is to know regarding it. However, individuals constantly refer to it, for its character as the oldest and the most comprehensive of the Vedas. This first scripture in Hinduism is engaged in explaining the original values of humans and of the world in general.

The Sama-Veda and the Yajur-Veda only involve customs and traditions relating to worshiping and offer little to no important details concerning the study of Hinduism. The last Veda, is easily distinguishable because of its different style, most probably owed to the fact that it was written later than the other Vedas. In spite of its different style, it does not put across a great deal of new concepts in Hinduism. It seems to have been created through a combination of the earlier Vedas, encompassing thoughts from each of the sacred Hindu texts created before it.

In spite that there are a lot of theories present in the Vedas, it appears that one of the main concepts the ancient documents convey is that of self-discovery. This is difficult to determine however, because the texts relate to more than one concept and while some might agree on the general self-discovery idea, others can easily decide that there is actually another purpose for the Vedas, such as that of transmitting thoughts of sacrifice and worship.

The Upanishads, the more recent Hindu sacred texts, are a collection of writings based on the Vedas. These earlier writings are more comprehensible and they are more succinct in relating to particular matters. While the Vedas stand as the root of Hinduism, the Upanishads are more important because of the concepts they promote. One of the main points of discussion in the Upanishads concerns Hindu philosophy, involving numerous deliberations with reference to the purpose of living. The Upanishads apparently want people to realize that the elaborate thoughts discussed in the Vedas actually focus on one purpose, that on describing the Ultimate Reality.

In the Vedas, the Ultimate Reality is the Brahman, who represents immensity and infinity. It cannot be identified as a person, or as a definite cause, as it is everything and sustains a universe that has no shape or characteristics. It is unique through the fact that it cannot be described through human values and it does not depend on matters like time and space. The Brahman is the starting place and support of everything, with the reality brought forward by it being the divine and genuine reality.

The Brahman has no gender, but it can be referred to as both male (Purusha) and female (Shakti). It is a celestial spirit who is beyond description, infinite, intangible, universal, unique, original, everlasting, both inspiring and uninspiring, total endless continuation, and the decisive belief who is without a start, without an finish, who is concealed in all and who is the reason, foundation, substance and consequence of all conception acknowledged, unidentified, and which has not yet happened in the world.

According to the Vedas, the Brahman can be understood as the Paramatman or the Parabrahman. The first title refers to the universal nature of the Brahman while the second refers to its personality. Its personality is known to be perceived with attributes-Saguna Brahman, or without attributes-Nirguna Brahman.

The masses are in most occasions determined to understand a particular matter by comparing it with something they already know. This is not possible with the Brahman, as it involves all the characteristics which cannot be understood by humans. One should not attempt to understand the Brahman in order to believe in it, as it can be appreciated by meditation. It is incorrect to recognize the Brahman as a form of god, as a god is understood and praised for what it is, whereas the Brahman is infinite and does not necessarily need worshiping. Instead, people can learn more about it by experimenting spiritually. Trying to understand the Brahman can lead to confusion, as it becomes obvious that it is everything and nothing at the same time. People want to understand the Brahman as a form of deity ruling from a heavenly location. However, consequent to discovering the Brahman through their spirituality individuals find that everyone is Brahman and it is everywhere.

In order to provide the general public with an explanation of the Brahman, the Vedic scriptures talked about how the Brahman is both personal and impersonal. Its impersonal character -- the Nirguna Brahman-is exactly what most people cannot understand, as unlike other types of gods, it cannot be worshiped and one will only manage to discover it through contemplation.

For some, the Saguna Brahman is the opposite of the Nirguna Brahman, given the fact that the former has everything the latter lacks. In reality, they are one and the same Brahman, with the only difference being that the Saguna Brahman is a version of the Brahman which makes it easier for people to learn more about the celestial spirit. Still, in order to discover the Brahman, people need to reach the phase where they have learnt a great deal about the Nirguna Brahman. The Saguna Brahman is the simple version of the Brahman, the one who was made so as for individuals to be able to understand it from a comparative perspective.

The Nirguna Brahman cannot be explained, because doing such a thing would mean that one would automatically want to distinguish it. It is always the one who sees and cannot be seen and a reason for which it cannot be distinguished is that there is no other similar to it, so as for individuals to be able to differentiate it from a group.

The Saguna Brahman is the form of Brahman who can be likened to a series of concepts humans are already familiar with. It is the one who can be identified both as a man and as a woman. People learn that it is it that created the universe and who controls everything. A large number of Hindus prefer to dedicate their reverence to the Saguna Brahman, since it is easier for them to worship something they know more about than praise a concept they will never be able to understand. Hindu traditions typically influence individuals in venerating the personal form of the Brahman, because it is simple to relate to it and because every human is believed to have this form of Brahman inside him or her.