The Vedas and Upanishads -Roopa Pai

Vedas are the most ancient, Sanskrit texts ever, also the most ancient Indian texts in any Indo - European language. It is a vast and random, collection of Sanskrit poetry, philosophical stories, spells, incantations, mantras, musical notations, how-to guides for all kinds of rituals, and more.  

Each of the four Vedas, i.e. the Rig, The Yajur, The Sama and The Atharva, is organized into four sections - the Samhita, the Brahmana (say braah-mana), the Aranyaka (say aa-ranyaka) and the Upanishad. Well there is a fifth Veda too called Panchama Veda. 

Vyasa is regarded by tradition as the compiler of the mantras of the Vedas into four Vedas, as well as the author of the eighteen Puranas and the Brahma Sutras. 

While the Arya worshipped all different deities, they believed that all of them were only manifestations of one Supreme Being, the formless, nameless one they called Ishvara. In the Upanishads, which were composed 1,000 years after the Vedas, this Supreme Being came to be called Brahman. 

Upanishad literally translates to sitting close to someone, at a lower level. They were meant to be heard, like the Vedas, as these were communicated orally. They were sacred sounds. Often structured as a dialogue between a teacher and a student. 

While the Vedas describe rituals and invoke gods of one particular culture or people, the Upanishads talk about universal truths that anyone from any culture can relate to and live by.  Bu perhaps what is even more wonderful about the latter is that they allow for several interpretations, including some seriously contradictory ones - the debate is never over, the jury is always out. 

There are 108+Upanishad's but this covers the main 10 namely:

1. Isha: The Upanishad of the Sameness of All things
2. Kena: The Upanishad of 'Whence - Came - IT- All'?
3. Katha: The Upanishad of the Secret of Eternal life
4. Prashna: The Upanishad of the Peepul Tree Sage
5. Mundaka: The Upanishad of the Big Shave
6. Mandukya: The Upanishad of the Frog
7. Taittiriya: The Upanishad of the Partridges
8. Aitarey: The Upanishad of the Glory of Being Human
9. Chandogya: The Upanishad of the Sacred Metre
10. Brihadaranyaka: The Great Forest Upanishad.

Comming soon and the next is 'The Upanishads' by Swami Nikhilananda.