Veda

The Hindu scriptures are broadly divided into Srutis and Smritis. Sruti means what is heard and Smriti is what is remembered. The former is of direct experience and the latter, recollections of that experience.

The Vedas are smritis. These books of wisdom have their origins in the spiritual experiences of ancient sages. The word Veda means knowledge or wisdom. The four Vedas are Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. Each book consists of four parts – Mantra, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad.