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A Series of Lessons on the Inner Teachings of the Philosophies and Religions of India1360
Sacred Teachings from mouth to ear—from father to son—from teacher to
student—which has always been the custom in Oriental countries. There
are over one hundred of these Sacred Books, but their base is found in the
“Four Vedas.” known as the Rig-Veda; the Yajur-Veda; the Sama-Veda; and
the Atharva-Veda.
The Rig-Veda is considered the oldest of the Four Vedas, and is probably
the most important. It consists of over one thousand great hymns, of
extraordinary length, and chiefly concerning ceremonial worship and
ritualistic rites of devotion. These hymns are arranged into ten books, called
Mandala, six of which are Family Books, that is, are written by some sage or
poet in the first place, and then added to by his descendants. The subjects
treated in the Rig-Veda are numerous, mythology being strongly in evidence,
the successive stages of the work showing the growth of the mythology of
the Hindus, and also showing how some of the more elementary and simple
conceptions of the earlier Hindus developed in systems of gods and demigods.
The Yajur-Veda is devoted principally to ritualism or sacerdotalism. Its
form is metrical, as a rule, although certain forms of prose appear at times.
The influence of the Rig-Veda is noticeable in it, and the latter is regarded
in it as authoritative. The Yajur-Veda concerns itself with sacrifice, priestly
functions, ceremonial of worship—the machinery of “the Church” in fact,
very little of philosophy, metaphysics, or spiritual teaching being found
therein—formalism, ritual and ceremony being the themes.
The Sama-Veda has been called “the Veda of Hymns,” which indeed
it is. It comprises many verses, melodies, librettos, and naming of pious
exclamatory words which were interjected into the singing, in the manner
of the exhortations and pious exclamations manifested by some of the
Christian sects during the prayers or sermons of others, such as “Amen!
Glory to God! Praise the Lord!” etc., which practice was common among
the early Hindus, and even to this day is found among some of their sects in
which ardent enthusiasm is encouraged.