What are the four Vedas, and what is in them?

Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva — hymns, ritual, chant and life-wisdom, each ending in Upaniṣads.

The Ṛgveda is a collection of hymns to deities such as Agni, Indra, Varuṇa and the Dawn, and includes famous passages like the Gāyatrī mantra and the hymn of creation. The Yajurveda gives the formulas used in yajña, in two branches, Śukla (white) and Kṛṣṇa (black). The Sāmaveda sets many Ṛgvedic verses to melody for singing. The Atharvaveda adds prayers for health, home, peace and daily life, including the beautiful hymn to the Earth.

Each Veda has layers: the Saṃhitā (hymns), the Brāhmaṇas (ritual explanation), the Āraṇyakas (forest reflections) and the Upaniṣads (philosophy). Because the Upaniṣads come at the end, their teaching is called Vedānta, “the end of the Veda”.

All later Hindu traditions — Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva, Śākta and Smārta — look to the Vedas as their root authority, even when they emphasise other texts in daily life.

Layers: Saṃhitā, Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka, Upaniṣad · Source: the four Vedic Saṃhitās

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