What are the four Vedas?

The Vedas are the four holiest books of the Hindu religion. They are believed to be one of the oldest books ever made by mankind. They are written in an old Indian language called Sanskrit. They have Words (called mantras) which are chanted at the religious ceremonies.

Although they were finally written down sometime between 1,500 and 500 BC they are actually much much older and were passed down orally from one generation to the next possibly over thousands of years. The Vedas have stories about the Hindu gods, instructions for rituals, hymns, poetry, and prayers. The Word "Vedic" means something about the Vedas. The language of the Vedas is called Vedic Sanskrit.

Hindus believe the Vedas are the basis of all Hindu religion. Even later types of Hinduism that are very different from the types of Hinduism that follow the Vedas respect them.The four Vedas are

• • 1 Rig Veda
  • 2 Yajur Veda
  • 3 Sama Veda

    4 Atharva veda