The Vedas, ancient texts of might,
Reveal the human mind's first light.
In Sanskrit's oldest layer found,
Hinduism's scriptures, sacred ground.
Not penned by humans, it is said,
But orally through ages spread.
"Sruti," what's heard, a divine call,
Unlike "smriti," remembered by all.
The verses held within their frame,
Are known to us as each a mantra's name.
"Veda" means wisdom, clear and true,
God's language spoken, fresh and new.
Their laws still guide, in customs deep,
Social, legal, secrets they keep.
The 4 Vedas:
The Rig Veda's hymns, the hotar's call,
Presiding priest, before them all.
The Yajur Veda's formulas precise,
By adhvaryu priest, in sacrifice.
The Sama Veda's chants arise and soar,
By udgatar priest, forevermore.
The Atharva Veda's mystic art,
Spells, charms, and hymns that set apart.
All Vedas stand on Rig Veda's base,
Its hymns they borrow, time and space.
Rig Veda
The Rig Veda's script, a treasure to behold,
In UNESCO's register, its story's told.
The oldest text, a Samhita grand,
With Vedic hymns across the land.
One thousand twenty-eight in number bright,
With suktas one-oh-two, a holy light.
Ten thousand verses, six hundred more,
In ten mandalas, knowledge to explore.
Good thoughts they hold, to cleanse and free,
The human mind through clarity.
To Rig Vedic gods, the mantras soar,
Their sacred sounds forevermore.
Of world's first breath, and myths of old,
And hymns to deities, bravely told.
For life and wealth, the prayers ascend,
In Hindu rites, they still transcend.
The oldest scripture, voices say,
In constant use to this very day.
A science of sound, its structure deep,
The power of letters, secrets to keep.
Each natural element, they did embrace,
And spoke of it within that sacred space.
Darkness, illusion's shadowy art,
Where wisdom, justice play no part.
Yoga, and mantra's potent sound,
Meditation's peace profound.
Ayurveda's ancient healing art,
In Rig Veda's terms, they still impart.
Mandal
Ten books they hold, as Mandals known,
In age and length, distinctly shown.
Mandals two to seven, family's core,
The oldest, shortest, and much more.
By length arranged, their order kept,
With hymns per book, progressively stepped.
Each book's hymns in groups reside,
To a chosen deity, they confide.
Agni first, then Indra's might,
In ordered ranks, they shine so bright.
Within each group, a stanza's count,
In falling steps, they do surmount.
If stanzas match, a subtle guide,
By syllables' fall, their place decide.
The eighth and ninth, a mixed array,
Nine to fifteen percent hold sway.
The first and tenth, the youngest found,
And longest too, on sacred ground.
Together they, a portion vast,
Thirty-seven percent that will last.
Mandal 1
One ninety-one hymns it does contain,
To Agni's name, the very first refrain.
Then Indra, Varuna, their powers bright,
The Ashvins, Maruts, in shining light.
Usas, Surya, Rbhus too,
Rudra, Vayu, ever new.
Brhaspati and Vishnu's grace,
Heaven and Earth in sacred space,
And all the Gods, their praises sung,
In Mandal One, their glory's clung.
Mandal 2
Forty-three hymns in this book reside,
To Agni, Indra, side by side.
Gṛtsamada śaunahotra's art,
Chiefly to this Mandal did impart.
Mandal 3
Sixty-two hymns this Mandal brings,
To Agni, Indra, as it sings.
The VishVedaevas join the praise,
In ancient Vedic, hallowed ways.
Verse 3.62.10 we find,
The Gayatri Mantra for humankind.
Viśvāmitra gāthinaḥ's hand,
Wrote most hymns in this command.
Mandal 4
Fifty-eight hymns in this part we see,
To Agni, Indra, frequently.
The Rbhus, Ashvins, also there,
Brhaspati, Vayu, beyond compare.
And Usas' dawn, with gentle gleam,
Vāmadeva gautama's guiding dream.
Mandal 5
Eighty-seven hymns in number told,
To Agni, Indra, brave and bold.
The VisVedaevas, all divine,
The Maruts' storms, their powers combine.
Mitra-Varuna, a dual grace,
The Asvins swift, in time and space.
Two hymns to Ushas, morning's hue,
And Savitr's light, forever true.
The Atri clan, their voices blend,
Most hymns in this Mandal ascend.
Mandal 6
Seventy-five hymns in this section stand,
To Agni, Indra, through the land.
All the gods, their names we call,
Pusan, Ashvin, heeds our thrall.
And Usas bright, with rosy ray,
Thebārhaspatya family held sway,
Of Angirasas, their wisdom's trace,
In Mandal Six, we find their place.
Mandal 7
One hundred four hymns, a sacred store,
To Agni, Indra, evermore.
The Visvadevas, Maruts' might,
Mitra-Varuna, shining bright.
The Ashvins swift, and Ushas fair,
Indra-Varuna, beyond compare.
Varuna's depths, and Vayu's flight,
Sarasvati's flow, with learning's light.
And Vishnu's steps, in numbers two,
Vashishta maitravaruṇi true,
Most hymns in this book did pen,
For gods and knowledge, for all men.
Mandal 8
One hundred three hymns, a varied song,
To diverse gods, a mighty throng.
Hymns forty-nine to fifty-nine,
The valakhilya, of apocryphal line.
One to forty-eight, and sixty to six,
The Kaṇva clan their verses mix.
The rest by others, Angirasa's name,
In Mandal Eight, they stake their claim.
Mandal 9
One hundred fourteen hymns so pure,
To Soma Pavamana, to endure.
The sacred potion, cleansed with care,
The Vedic faith, its essence rare.
Mandal 10
One ninety-one hymns, a later tongue,
To Agni, Indra, often sung.
And various deities we find,
Reflections of the ancient mind.
The Nadi stuti sukta's praise,
Of rivers flowing, through ancient days.
Geography's secrets it does keep,
Of Vedic lands, buried deep.
The Purusha sukta, grand and vast,
In Hindu social thought, its die is cast.
The Nasadiya sukta's mystic strain,
Of creation's dawn, again, again.
The marriage hymns, a sacred tie,
And death hymns where the mourners cry.
In Grhya rites, their worth is known,
In Mandal Ten, their seeds are sown.
