Vedas: 9 definitions

Introduction:

Vedas means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

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In Hinduism

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: Wisdom Library: A History of Indian Philosophy

The sacred books of India, the Vedas, are generally believed to be the earliest literary record of the Indo-European race. It is indeed difficult to say when the earliest portions of these compositions came into existence. Many shrewd guesses have been offered, but none of them can be proved to be incontestably true. Max Muller supposed the date to be 1200 B.C., Haug 2400 B.C. and Bāl Gaṅgādhar Tilak 4000 B.C. The ancient Hindus seldom kept any historical record of their literary, religious or political achievements. The Vedas were handed down from mouth to mouth from a period of unknown antiquity; and the Hindus generally believed that they were never composed by men. It was therefore generally supposed that either they were taught by God to the sages, or that they were of themselves revealed to the sages who were the “seers” (mantradraṣṭā) of the hymns. Thus we find that when some time had elapsed after the composition of the Vedas, people had come to look upon them not only as very old, but so old that they had, theoretically at least, no beginning in time, though they were believed to have been revealed at some unknown remote period at the beginning of each creation.

In Buddhism

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Buddhist Door: GlossaryLiterally, it means knowledge. They are basic scriptures of Hinduism in India, composed between 2000 and 500 B.C. They consist of Rg veda, Sama veda, Yajur veda and Atharva veda. The collection is also known as the Vedic Samhita. Apart from Samhita, the Vedic literature regarded as Sruti were Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanisads.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vedas (वेदस्).—n. Ved. Acquisition, gain, wealth; उशन् ह वै वाजश्रवसः सर्ववेदसं ददौ (uśan ha vai vājaśravasaḥ sarvavedasaṃ dadau) Kaṭh.1.1.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vedas (वेदस्).—m.

(-dāḥ) The Vedas collectively. E. vid to know, asun aff.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vedas (वेदस्).—i. e. vid + as, I. m. The Vedas collectively. Ii. n. Wealth, [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 100, 5 = [Rigveda.] vii. 15, 3.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vedas (वेदस्).—1. [neuter] knowledge.

--- OR ---

Vedas (वेदस्).—2. [neuter] wealth, property.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Vedas (वेदस्):—[from veda] 1. vedas n. (for 2. See p. 1017, col. 3) knowledge, science, [Ṛg-veda] (cf. keta-, jāta-, viśva-v).

2) [from veda] 2. vedas n. property, wealth, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vedas (वेदस्):—(dāḥ) 5. m. The Vedas collectively.

[Sanskrit to German]

Vedas in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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