The Vedas (Index-Dictionary): For the Samhitas of the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva [single volume, unabridged] - Paperback

Complete Index-Dictionary for the Four Vedas

This comprehensive Index-Dictionary provides complete Sanskrit term references for the single-volume unabridged edition of the Vedas, covering all four Samhitas: Rig, White and Black Yajur, Sama, and Atharva. Each Sanskrit term includes dictionary definitions drawn from Sir Monier Monier-Williams' authoritative "A Sanskrit-English Dictionary" (1899).

Professional Translations and Editorial Standards

The main volume features translations by Ralph Griffith for four of the Vedas, with Arthur Keith's translation of the Black Yajurveda. All texts have been professionally proofed, with Sanskrit terms updated and synchronized across all versions for scholarly accuracy and consistency.

Understanding the Vedas

The Vedas (from the root vid, "to know," or "divine knowledge") represent the most ancient Hindu scriptures. Originally three Vedas, with the Atharvaveda added as the fourth, each serves distinct purposes: the Rigveda contains spoken verses, the Samaveda preserves chants, the Yajurveda records sacrificial formulas, and the Atharvaveda derives from sage Atharvan, who instituted the fire-sacrifices.

Structure and Composition

The Vedas divide into two primary sections: the Mantra (suktas or hymns in verse) and Brahmana (liturgical and ritualistic treatises in prose). The verse portions, considered more ancient, are collected in samhitas. Connected to these are the Aranyaka and Upanishad treatises. The writings further divide into karma-kanda (section of works) and jnana-kanda (section of wisdom).

Historical Significance

Written in an ancient form of Sanskrit distinct from modern usage, the Vedas can only be read in their original form by the most learned Brahman Pundits. These texts represent compilations assembled over unknown periods, with hymns ascribed to various rishis or sages across millennia. Names like Vasishtha, Visvamitra, and Narada, belonging to sages born in distant ages, indicate the vast time spans involved in their composition. The Vedas were finally arranged and compiled around fourteen centuries before our era, though they were taught and transmitted orally for potentially thousands of years before being recorded on the shores of Lake Manasarovara, beyond the Himalayas.