The Vedas are the most ancient and sacred scriptures of the Hindus. The Hindus regard the Vedas as revealed literature.
Though they are four in number (Rig, Yajur, Sam and Atharva), the three earliest Vedas are given greater importance than the Atharva Veda. The Rig Veda is more than four thousand years old, and it formed part of the oral tradition before it was written down. Each Veda consists of two parts – the Samhita (sacred hymns and chants), and the Upanishads (philosophical speculations) associated with it. As the Upanishads are the concluding part of the Vedas, they are also known as Vedanta – that with which the Vedas end.
This book is an anthology of Vedic hymns and chants, drawn from the Vedic Samhitas. The Rig Veda includes some ten thousand verses; the Atharva Veda contains some six thousand verses, and the Yajur Veda and Sam Veda contain some two thousand verses each. Of these, the author has presented us with a selection of some one thousand verses. Though the Vedic Hymns are addressed to myriad gods, such as Soma (Moon), Surya (Sun), Agni (Fire) and Indra (Thunder), the author has dispensed with this classification, and grouped the hymns into six headings based on their function. There are Creation hymns, Hymns of devotion, Hymns of revelation, Hymns on work, and Hymns on the beauty of Nature. In other words, the hymns are of a representative nature.
Ever book of this nature has something to recommend itself – and this anthology is no different. Its USP (Unique Selling Point) is its wonderful collection of photographs that are used to illustrate the text. They are a visual treat, and worth buying the book in itself. The author has also, thoughtfully, provided the original text in Sanskrit for those who are conversant with the language. Overall, the presentation of the material is excellent.
There are, however, two criticisms that must be made. Firstly, it is essential for a book of this nature to have an in-depth introduction to the subject for the lay reader. The foreword by Swami Saraswati, while scholarly in parts, is largely deficient in this regard. Secondly, the final section (on the Vedic Sciences) should have been dispensed with, as it forms the subject matter of another book.