The Importance Of Vedic Literature

Vedic literature is one of India’s rich, ancient literature with religious and historical importance. Whether we talk about the Rig-Veda or the Upanishads, Vedic Literature is not just a framework for the various Hindu customs and ceremonies that individuals from the Vedic Age have seen, it also tells about the different ways of thinking that shape Hinduism’s premise. Through Vedic Literature, we become aware of the social, political, and financial association of the Aryan Civilization, and it is the principal source of antiquated Indian literature. 

The Vedic Literature

Vedic literature is divided into Early Vedic Literature or Stuti and Later Vedic Literature (Smriti).

The Early Vedic Literature/ Stuti

As indicated by Hindu belief, Stuti of Vedic Literature was not made by any living being. Instead, God uncovered it to specific sages, and they passed their information orally, starting with one Age then on to the next. 

• Vedas

The four Vedas are the primary production of Vedic Literature. Without them, ancient Indian literature would have been deficient. Four (4) Vedas-Rig-Veda, Yajurveda, Sam Veda, and Atharvaveda. One of the oldest and earliest works of Vedas is the Rig-Veda. 

• Brahmanas

The primary example of praise in the world, the Brahmanas, make sense of the importance of sacrifice and the strategies for performing them. They mark the progress from the Vedic to the later Brahmanical society. They are the analyses of the different songs in the Vedas to which they are attached. 

• Aranyakas

Also known as forest books, Aranyakas were written in backwoods away from the towns. They were intended for the old individuals as they had dropped off Grihastha Ashram. They are the finishing-up bits of the Brahmanas. The Aranyakas manage the way of thinking and supernatural quality and not with the ceremonies. 

• Upanishads

Upanishads are the finishing-up portions of Brahmanas. They possess an exceptionally high spot in the old Aryan Literature as they manage profound subjects and definitive privileged insights into the universe’s formation. They also answer some philosophical inquiries, such as the real essence of God (Brahma) and the spirit (Atma) and the definite connection between the two. 

The Later Vedic Period/ Smriti

Later Vedic Literature manages the regulations and utilization of customs of different classes. They likewise illuminate the situation of women. 

• Sutras

Numerous new traditions were created, and these were gathered in new books. These books are the Sutras. One of the attributes of Sutras was that they were composed by utilizing the least potential words. The Sutras have been partitioned into 3(three) classes-Strauta Sutra, Griha Sutra, and Dharma Sutra.

• Vedangas and Upavedas

Vedangas are principally isolated into six classifications. Out of six Vedangas, Siksha and Kalpa are viewed as vital. Every Veda has its Upaveda. They are principally isolated into 4(four) classes Ayurveda (medication), Dhanurveda (workmanship also, war), Gandharvveda (craft of music), and Shilpveda (design).

• Darshanas

Darshanas answer philosophical inquiries concerning God, social life, and death. They were composed at the hour of King Asoka in the Sixth Century B.C. These Darshanas are short, positive, and liberated from any uncertainty and are given as Sutras or sayings. There are 6(six) sorts of Darshanas.

• Puranas

Puranas are old Hindu texts lauding different divinities, essentially the heavenly Trimurti god (Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar) in Hinduism through divine stories. Vyasa, the storyteller of Mahabharata, is viewed as the compiler of Puranas.

• Dharma Shastras

It tells about the position of women in the public eye and illuminates the laws of legacy. Dharma Shastra are classified into four Varnas. 

The significance of Vedic Literature

The archeological sources of the Vedic Age are non-existent, and the main wellspring of its way of life and progress is the Vedic Literature. The standards of information, love, and Karma are the premise of this ancient Indian literature. The Literature of the Aryans incorporates different types of articulation like verse, show, sentiment, science, and so forth, which is a brilliant inheritance to Indian literature. Different scholarly works like Vedas (Rig-Veda, Sam Veda, Atharvaveda, and Yajurveda), Brahmanas, Samhitas, Aranyakas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and numerous others make us think that they were so anxious to accomplish flawlessness in different circles of life. The Sutra literature and grammar of Panini likewise hold a special consideration of the admirers of literature. The Vedic literature is of great significance as it is the only source to study about the Vedic Age. 

Conclusion

Vedic literature can be known as the establishment stone of the Hindu religion in India. Without it, the Hindu religion could never have laid out its customs and regulations. The early and later Vedic literature gives us precise information about the cultural settings, ceremonies, regulations, various types of books, and learning cycle of ancient India. Vedic Literature like the Rig-Veda is an extraordinary and logical work of Hindu writing and a reputable source of information about the Vedic period.