"Veda" is the Sanskrit word for knowledge, and Vedic literature contains the "original knowledge" revealed by the Supreme Being directly to humanity. Thus it is the manifestation of the absolute truth. For millenia, this knowledge was passed down orally. But due to the degradation of the human faculty for memory, there was a need to write down this knowledge. Hence came the Vedic literature.
The entire collection of Vedic literature is huge. It consists of four primary Vedas:
Rig-veda,
Yajur-veda,
Sama-veda and
Atharva-veda. From these main vedas came the appedices called
Brahmanas, which relate to rituals and ceremonies. Deriving from these are the
Aranyakas. The
Upanishads are the appendices of the
Aranyakas. All these texts are collectively known as the "Shruti," which means the original revealed knowledge.
The rest of the Vedic literature consists of the
Mahabharata,
Bhagavad-gita,
Ramayana and the
Puranas. These are the histories and supplemental portions of the Vedic literature and are known as "Smriti," or that which is remembered.
Besides philosophical and spiritual knowledge, the Vedas also contain information on material science. The
Ayur-veda, for example, is the original science of holistic medicine;
Gandharva-veda contains knowledge about the arts (music, dance, drama, etc);
Sthapatya-veda is the science of architecture, the
Manu-samhita is the Vedic lawbook;
Artha-sastram is the science of government;
Dhanur-veda is the military science; and
Shulba Sutras contains the advanced Vedic system of mathematics.
Why read Vedic literature, you might ask? According to the Bhagavad-gita, "This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting and it is joyfully performed."
If you are allergic to the word "religion" like I do, the following definition might bring some relief:
The word "religion" comes from the Latin word "religio," which means to bring back or to bind, while the Sanskrit word "yoga" means to connect with or to unite--with the Supreme. Thus the goal of religion and yoga are actually the same. Somehow, human beings have for thousands of years allowed ignorance, faulty interpretation, greediness and blind rituals to overshadow our true spiritual longing for the devine union. But I believe that studying the Vedas will help us achieve self-realization and enlightenment.
{The above information is based on the book
The Secret Teachings of the Vedas by Stephen Knapp.}
