The Vedic Age
- The Vedic Age refers to a period in ancient Indian history (around 1500–500 BCE) characterized by the composition of the Vedas.
- This era marks the transition from a semi-nomadic lifestyle to settled agriculture.
- This period began with the arrival of the Indo-Aryans in the Indian subcontinent
- The Vedas are divided into four main collections: - Rig Veda, Sama Veda,
- Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda.
- The Rigveda, the oldest and most significant Vedas, comprises 1,028 hymns organized into ten books or mandalas.
- It also includes Vishvamitra's famous Gayatri mantra and the Purusha Shukta prayer (the story of Primal Man).
- The Rigvedic Priest was known as Hotri.
- The Samaveda, often called the “Veda of Melodies,” primarily focuses on musical chants derived from the Rigveda.
- The Samaveda is the shortest of all the four Vedas.
- The Yajurveda is divided into the Black (Krishna) and White (Shukla) Yajurveda, containing both the mantras and the ritualistic instructions.
- The Atharvaveda includes not only hymns and prayers but also spells, incantations, and rituals related to everyday life.