Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad-Gita: A Simplified Summary

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021MyInfo Basket.com 2 Commentsand Bhagavad-Gita: A Simplified Summary, Hindu sacred texts, HINDU TEXTS, How are the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita similar and different, Is the Bhagavad Gita part of the Vedas, Upanishads, Upanishads and Vedas, Vedas, Vedas and Bhagavad Gita

Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad-Gita are Hinduism’s major sacred texts.

To begin with, Vedas (‘Books of Knowledge’) is Hindu’s most sacred and most ancient scriptures. It is a collection of texts written in Sanskrit from about 1200 BCE to 100 CE, and considered the absolute authority for Hindu orthodoxy.

According to tradition, the Vedas were mainly compiled by Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana around the time of Lord Krishna (c. 1500 BC).

But do you know that there are four Vedas?

They are the following:

Rig-Veda	made up of 1028 hymns; used by the ‘hotri’ priests, or reciters to entreat the gods; the oldest of the Vedas; one of the oldest enduring sacred texts in the world
Sama-Veda	comprised of the Rigveda text, but restructured to be chanted; used by the ‘udgatri’ priests, or chanters; chanted in fixed melodies by the adhvaryu priests
Yajur-Veda	explains rituals, sacrifices, and ceremonies; comprises short prose to go with ritual acts and offerings
Atharva-Veda	written in a more folkloric style; contains magical prayers, charms, and incantations for long life, prosperity, curses, kingship, love, and others; includes cosmological hymns and magical and ritual formulas

However, Vedas are again divided into four sub-classes:

1. Samithas (benedictions and mantras),

2. Aranyakas (‘books studied in the forest’),

3. Brahmanas (discussions of the rituals), and

4. Upanishads (philosophical writings).

It is the Upanishads which constitutes the core of Indian philosophies, like the following concepts:

‘karma’ (cumulative effects of a one’s actions),

‘samsara’ (reincarnation),

‘moksha’ (nirvana),

the ‘atman’ (soul), and

the ‘Brahman’ (Absolute Almighty).

The Upanishads also lay down the following key Vedic doctrines:

self-realization,

yoga,

meditation, and

the transmigration of souls

And did you know that the literal meaning of ‘Upanishad’ is ‘sitting down near’ or ‘sitting close to’? Contextually, it suggests listening closely to the mystic doctrines of a guru.

Interestingly, the Upanishads have four main teachings that help people to liberate themselves from sorrow and desire by losing their identities and becoming one with God:

Name	Translation	Teaching
Prajnanm Brahma	Consciousness is Brahman	Consciousness is synonymous to Brahman (ultimate reality; a cause of everything existing).
Tat Tvam Asi	That thou art	God and ourselves are one and the same.
Ayam Atma Brahma	This self is Brahman	Atman is consciousness within that moves our body and enables us to act and perceive. Atman and Brahma are the same.
Aham Brahma Asmi	I am Brahman	The one that has been enlightened declares his Self to be God.

So, what about the Bhagavad Gita?

The Bhagavad Gita (or simply the Gita) refers to a 700-verse Hindu scripture in Sanskrit that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata (chapters 25 to 42 of its 6th book).

Bhagavad Gita literally means “song of God.” Why? Because the word ‘bhagavad’ means God, while the word ‘gita’ means song.

Gita is in the form of a dialogue between the incarnate god Krishna and a human hero, Prince Arjuna, on the holy field before the start of the Kurukshetra War.

In the Gita, Arjuna expresses his reluctance to engage in a war against friends and relatives. Krishna’s reply is a counsel for Arjuna to do his own calling, that is, as a warrior, to fight and kill.

For other free lectures for students like this, visit Homepage: Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

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