The Heritage Literature of India (Bharat):
(i) We Indians, are the beneficiaries of a unique body of literature called ‘The Vedas', the world's earliest literary heritage. It is carbonated to 1500 B. C., though Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar ‘Tilak, on the strength of astronomical evidence, dates the earliest part of the Veda to about 2000 B. C.
The term veda is coined from the root 'vid' meaning knowledge. The contents of the vedas were handed down through generations orally/ audibly. Because of this practice, the Vedas are also designated as Sruti, meaning something that is 'heard or revealed'. It is believed that no one authored the Vedas. The contents were revealed to the rishis; or they were flashed before their minds eyes in the depth of their mystical experience; They were only the media to transmit to posterity the insight which they received. The transmissions were carried through verbally and were received audibly. This is why, veda is synonymous with 'Sruti'.
The vedas are four in number. These are: the Rig, the Yajur, the Sama and the Artharva. The Rig-veda is said to be the oldest scripture of the world. It is a heritage, not of Bharat alone, but of humanity, as a whole.
(a) The Rig-veda is largely a book of prayers. The Yajur veda deals with sacrificial rites. The Sama is a repetition of a part of the Rig-veda, set to music, to be sung at appropriate stages during the sacrificial rituals.
(b) The Atharva Veda contains what later has come to be known as Science as well as morals and ethical codes to guide human behaviour.
(c) Each veda divided two parts: The Mantra and Brahmanas (liturgies in prose). The Mantra part is also called 'Samhita'.
(d) The Brahmanas teach the 'know-how' of sacrificial rites.
(e) The Aranyakas teach meditation based upon the symbolic interpretations of the liturgical rites.
(f) The Upanishads may roughly be described as philosophical treatises dealing with the ultimate problems of life and after life. By the term Veda we mean only the Mantra or Samhita Part. Each Samhita has its own Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads having different and independent names.
(ii) Each Samhita is divided into a number of parts-a part is called a "Mandala". A mandala is divided into "Suktas" (a group of related Mantras) and a Sukta contains a number of stanzas/ mantras.
(iii) Next in importance is the Bhagavad Geeta. It is an integral part of Mahabharata, set in the form of a dialogue between Sri Krishna (believed to be an incarnation of God Vishnu) and Arjuna, a warrior prince. The dialogue took place in the midst of a battlefield. It contains discussions on problems of life and death, duty, devotion, knowledge, meditation and solutions there to Manliness and selfless devotion to duty are the keynotes of this great treatise. Distinct from the Sruti, there is a body of literature known as Smruti, meaning 'remembered'.
(iv) Deriving their authority from the Sruti, the Smruti explain, elaborate and illustrate the fundamental teachings of the Sruti. They provide codes to regulate society. The chief among the spirits is that of Manu. The others are Parasara, Yajanvalkya, Vasistha, etc. These are more than one hundred.
(v) Then there is Ramayana and Mahabharata, technically called 'the Itihas', they contain the history of two most important ruling families, the Kuru and Iksyaku, that shaped the destiny of Bharat. Though they deal primarily with the story of Rama and that of the Kuru dynasty, they are respected as the basis foundations of Bharatiya Culture.
(vi) Then, there are the Puranas - 36 in number, 18 Mahapuranas and 18 Upapuranas. These are stories woven around some historical event or personality to inculcate basic human values through concrete evidence. The Jataka tales of Buddhism, Jaina literature move around several incarnations of Buddha and also address the inculcation of values guiding healthy human relationship.
(vii) There is another body of literature known as "Agama". These are sectarian scriptures dealing with the worship of particular God and Goddess and prescriptions of discipline for the worshipper.
