3 - Important Texts - Vedic Texts Flashcards
What are the types of Sanskrit texts?
There are two types of Sanskrit texts – Vedic texts, known as szruti, and post- Vedic texts, known as smrrti.
When were the Sanskrit texts created?
Generally speaking, we can classify szruti texts as pre 500 B.C.E, while smrrti texts come after this time.
What are the oldest Sanskrit literature?
The Vedic texts are the oldest Sanskrit literature
Why are Vedic texts called as szruti?
They are sometimes classified as szruti, ‘that which has been heard.’
This is because it is thought that great poets ‘heard’ them through revelation.
What is truly amazing about the Vedic texts?
What is truly amazing is that these texts have been preserved from very ancient times (perhaps 1800-1500 B.C.E.) through oral
transmission and were not written in any form until modern times.
What are the oldest Vedic texts?
The Vedas are the oldest of the Vedic texts.
Tell me about the different parts of the Vedas
Legend has it that the sage Vyaasa, ‘the compiler,’ arranged the Vedas into three parts – Rrg, Yajur and Saama.
After that, a fourth part known as the Atharvaveda was included in the Vedas.
What do the Vedas contain?
Some parts of the Vedas contain beautiful and mysterious hymns and poems, whereas other give rules for various important rituals.
Tell me about Braahman-as.
Included as part of each Veda are the Braahman-as, which give the rules for recitation of the hymns, legends of their origin and other related matters.
Tell me about AAran-yakas
Also each Veda contains AAran-yakas, which were intended for those who had left their homes and had taken up residence in the forest in order to study the scriptures.
They cover such matter as the inner meaning of the rituals and sacrifices enjoined in the Vedas.
What are the latest texts in the Vedic literature?
Finally, the latest texts (c. 500 B.C.E.) in the Vedic literature are the Upaniswads.
What are Upanishads also called as ?
Since they are at the end of the Veda they are known as vedaanta (veda-anta.)
What do Upanishads teach?
They teach the ultimate knowledge of the realization of the supreme aatman (individual self) as the brahman (universal self).
