Vedas (April 2013)

Vedas are our most important scripture. At the dawn of creation, the Almighty God revealed the pure knowledge (the Vedas) to Rishis when they deeply meditated upon Him for long durations without any desire for personal gains. The knowledge contained in Vedas form the foundation of Hindu religion. The literal meaning of the word Veda is knowledge.
The Vedas were captured in four books (sanhitas) by four Rishis:
Saamveda
Aditya Rishi
Spiritual Sciences, Devotional Music
Rigveda
Agni Rishi
Spiritual Sciences including Biological and Life Sciences
Yajurveda
Vaayu Rishi
Spiritual Sciences including Purushartha, Duties, Deeds, Civil & Military Sciences
Atharvaveda
Angira Rishi
Spiritual Sciences, Astronomy, Mathematics, Geometry, Algebra, Engineering, Economics, Political Science
Each Veda is divided into chapters (mandal or adhyaya). The chapters are further divided into segments (suktas). Each segment deals with a particular subject. Each segment is composed of mantras (verses).
Vedas are written in old Sanskrit, which is different from the literary Sanskrit. Because of its usage in Vedas, it is also called Vedic Sanskrit.
Because of the pure knowledge contained in them, it is the duty of all Hindus to read, hear, understand, and assimilate the teachings of the Vedas in our lives.
As mentioned at the last hawan, kids have the following assignment for this month:
1.       Overview of Vedas including its origin
2.       Describe the nature of knowledge captured in the Saam Veda
3.       Explain the meaning of at least one mantra from the Saam Veda
For the next several months, we will go over one Veda each month.
Regards,
Harsh Mendiratta