{"product_id":"the-vedas-index-dictionary-for-the-samhitas-of-the-rig-yajur-sama-and-atharva-single-volume-unabridged-9781541304079","title":"The Vedas (Index-Dictionary): For the Samhitas of the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva [single volume, unabridged]","description":"\u003ch2\u003eComplete Index-Dictionary for the Four Vedas\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nThis 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).\n\n\u003ch2\u003eProfessional Translations and Editorial Standards\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nThe 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.\n\n\u003ch2\u003eUnderstanding the Vedas\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nThe 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.\n\n\u003ch2\u003eStructure and Composition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nThe 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).\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical Significance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nWritten 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nSir Monier Monier-Williams (1819-1899) served as the second Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University. Born in Bombay, India, he taught Asian languages at the East India Company College from 1844 to 1858. His exhaustive \"Sanskrit-English Dictionary,\" based on the Petersburg Sanskrit Dictionary (1872), remains his lasting contribution to Sanskrit studies. The revised 1899 edition involved collaboration with Ernst Leumann and Carl Cappeller.\n\nThe compiler and editor of this Index is Jon W. Fergus, manager and chief editor at Kshetra Books.","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50681104007442,"sku":"9781541304079","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_ebc792bf-a70e-49ef-8bb8-f713c671665a.jpg?v=1733949345","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-vedas-index-dictionary-for-the-samhitas-of-the-rig-yajur-sama-and-atharva-single-volume-unabridged-9781541304079","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}