Rig Veda

One of the earliest and most important religious texts of ancient India is the Rig Veda. It is the oldest of the four collections of hymns and other sacred texts known as the Vedas. The text is a collection of 1,028 hymns and 10,600 verses, organized into ten books. A good deal of the language is still obscure and many hymns as a consequence seem unintelligible.

The mantras in the Rig Veda are hymns to the gods, praising them for their help during battles and is a prayer for benefits such as wealth, good health, long life, and protection. Besides hymns of praise, the mantras contain blessings and curses. It is believed that these holy mantras were meant to be chanted as part of religious rites, and this was the primary way in which the people communicated with the gods.

The Rig Veda has detailed accounts of the social, religious, political and economic background during the Rig Vedic civilization. Even though monotheism characterizes some of the hymns of Rig Veda, naturalistic polytheism and monism can be discerned in the religion of the hymns of Rig Veda.

The Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda were compiled after the age of the Rig Veda. Some of the verses from Rig Veda continue to be recited during Hindu rites of passage celebrations such as weddings and religious prayers, making it probably the world's oldest religious text in continued use.