Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in Ancient India. The texts are composed in Vedic Sanskrit and form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature, and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism.
The class of "Vedic texts" is aggregated around the four canonical Saṃhitās or Vedas proper (turīya), of which three (traya) are related to the performance of yajna (sacrifice) in historical (Iron Age) Vedic religion:
1.the Rigveda, containing hymns to be recited by the hotṛ or chief priest;
2.the Yajurveda, containing formulas to be recited by the adhvaryu or officiating priest;
3.the Samaveda, containing formulas to be chanted by the udgātṛ.
The fourth is the Atharvaveda, a collection of spells and incantations, stories, predictions, apotropaic charms and some speculative hymns.
According to Hindu tradition, the Vedas are apauruṣeya "not of human agency", are supposed to have been directly revealed, and thus are called śruti ("what is heard"). The four Saṃhitās are metrical (with the exception of prose commentary interspersed in the Black Yajurveda). The term saṃhitā literally means "composition, complation". The individual verses contained in these compilations are known as mantras. Some selected Vedic mantras are still recited at prayers, religious functions and other auspicious occasions in contemporary Hinduism.
Additional Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedas
http://is1.mum.edu/vedicreserve/
The class of "Vedic texts" is aggregated around the four canonical Saṃhitās or Vedas proper (turīya), of which three (traya) are related to the performance of yajna (sacrifice) in historical (Iron Age) Vedic religion:
1.the Rigveda, containing hymns to be recited by the hotṛ or chief priest;
2.the Yajurveda, containing formulas to be recited by the adhvaryu or officiating priest;
3.the Samaveda, containing formulas to be chanted by the udgātṛ.
The fourth is the Atharvaveda, a collection of spells and incantations, stories, predictions, apotropaic charms and some speculative hymns.
According to Hindu tradition, the Vedas are apauruṣeya "not of human agency", are supposed to have been directly revealed, and thus are called śruti ("what is heard"). The four Saṃhitās are metrical (with the exception of prose commentary interspersed in the Black Yajurveda). The term saṃhitā literally means "composition, complation". The individual verses contained in these compilations are known as mantras. Some selected Vedic mantras are still recited at prayers, religious functions and other auspicious occasions in contemporary Hinduism.
Additional Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedas
http://is1.mum.edu/vedicreserve/
