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The Rgveda, the oldest literary record of the Aryan race and the sacred book of the Hindus, has very few authentic translations in English. Most of the translations are only the imitations of interpretations which the mediaeval Hindus, as represented by Sayana, have offered. Griffith`s is the only translation which, though guided by Sayana, ventures to deviate from him widely and frequently. It may be ranked as an independent translation hitherto made in English. ...
The four Vedas, Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, the foundations, on which the grand and most ancient edifice of Hindu religion and philosophy are built. The Yajurveda ranks second in importance and is divided into two collections, Taittiriya and Vajasaneya, better known as Krishna or Black and Shukla or White Yajurveda. The latter is called white because its arrangement is systematic, orderly and free of obscurities which bedevil the former. The Yajurveda is ...
The Yajurveda is the knowledge of sacrifice or sacrificial texts and formulas as distinguished from the Rigveda. It has two Samhitas -Taittiriya and Vajasaneyi Samhita known as Black (Krishna) and White (Shukla) Yajurveda. The Vajasaneyi Samhita is planned in a more systematic and orderly manner than the other. It is actually a hand-book or manual for the Adhvaryu priests who specialized in conducting sacrifices. The important sacrifices are dealt with Ashvamedha ...
Third in the order of the Vedic Samhitas or collections, the Samaveda represents the middle phase of the older Vedic literature. It also exemplifies an early stage of literary activity in the Indian context and bears reflections of Indo-Aryan religious life and thought. Samaveda, which mainly consists of musical hymns largely drawn from the Rgveda, the oldest of the four Vedic texts, is only next in sanctity and liturgical significance to the latter. On account ...
In India both the Rgveda and the Atharvaveda represent the earliest age in the history of sacred literature. However the spirit of the Atharvaveda breathes of a prehistoric stage. Some of its charms, witchcrafts and exorcism go back to Indo-European period. Dr. A. Kuhn has proved how some of its spells for curing bodily ailments agree in purpose and content as well as to some extent even in form, with certain old German, Lettic and Russian charms. Every evil ...