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{{ToBeEdited}}{{NeedCitation}}The Rig Veda is the oldest of the Vedas. All the other Vedas are based upon it and consist to a large degree of various hymns from it. It consists of a thousand such hymns of different seers, each hymn averaging around ten verses. The Rig Veda is the oldest book in Sanskrit or any Indo-European language. Its date is debatable. Many great Yogis and scholars who have understood the astronomical references in the hymns, date the Rig Veda as before 4000 B.C., perhaps as early as 12,000. Modern western scholars tend to date it around 1500 B.C., though recent archeological finds in India (like Dwaraka) now appear to require a much earlier date. While the term Vedic is often given to any layer of the Vedic teachings including the Bhagavad Gita, technically it applies primarily to the Rig Veda. The Rig Veda is the book of Mantra. It contains the oldest form of all the Sanskrit mantras. It is built around a science of sound which comprehends the meaning and power of each letter. Most aspects of Vedic science like the practice of yoga, meditation, mantra and Ayurveda can be found in the Rig Veda and still use many terms that come from it.
{{ToBeEdited}}The Rigveda is the oldest of the Vedas. All the other Vedas are based upon it and consist to a large degree of various mantras from it. It consists of about thousand richas of different seers, each sukta averaging around ten mantras. That the Rig Veda is the oldest book in Sanskrit or any language is widely accepted by the followers of Sanatana Dharma. Its date of composition is not definite and the Vedic period is a topic of debate among many scholars. As such it is not in the scope of this article.
While originally several different versions or rescensions of the Rig Veda were said to exist, only one remains. Its form has been structured in several different ways to guarantee its authenticity and proper preservation through time.
Primarily the Rigveda is a treasure trove of stuti (a praise, a prayer, invocation) offered to different devatas by various rshis. It consists of respectful thoughts, praises of deeds of various deities in the form of mantras.
== Introduction ==
While the term Vedic is often given to any layer of the Vedic teachings including the Bhagavad Gita, technically it applies primarily to the Rig Veda. The Rig Veda is the book of Mantra. It contains the oldest form of all the Sanskrit mantras. It is built around a science of sound which comprehends the meaning and power of each letter. Most aspects of Vedic science like the practice of yoga, meditation, mantra and Ayurveda can be found in the Rig Veda and still use many terms that come from it.
While originally several different versions or recensions of the Rig Veda were said to exist, only one remains. Its form has been structured in several different ways to guarantee its authenticity and proper preservation through time.
== Etymology of Rks ==
Rigveda consists of Rks (ऋक् also called as ऋचः - Richas) according to Shabdakalpadhruma.<ref>Shabdakapadhruma ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%8B See under Rik])</ref><blockquote>ऋच्यन्ते स्तूयन्ते देवा अनया । (ऋच् + क्विप् ।) वेदविशेषः । ऋग्वेदः । इत्यमरः ॥</blockquote>The (vaidik) devatas are offered worship and are prayed to using these Rik-s (ऋक्). A collection of such Rchas is the Rigveda. It is one of the four vedas.
Richa means prarthana (to pray) or stuti (to praise), thus it is synonymous with them. Another name for Mantra is Richa (ऋचः), but all mantras are not Richa-s (ऋचः). The Purusha Sukta, in the famed Sahasra-sirsha (सहस्रशीर्षा) mantra, mentions that Richa-s (ऋचः) were the first to arise from Parameshavara. <blockquote>तस्माद्याज्ञात् सर्वहुतः ऋचः सामानि जज्ञिरे । छन्दांसि जज्ञिरे तस्माद्यजुस्तस्मादजायत । </blockquote>All the aspects about rigveda vargeekarana, the shakas involved and extant texts, the arrangement of the mandalas and ashtakas are given in the article [[Veda Vargeekarana (वेदवर्गीकरणम्)|Veda Vargeekarana]].
== Arrangement of Rks (Mantras) ==
Each sukta in a mandala is a collection of mantras. The number of mantras in a sukta are highly variable. Each mantra is associated with a Rshi, a Chandas, and a Devata.
There are many versions about the total number of richa-s and suktas in the Rgveda. Both ancient and modern scholars have put forth explanations about the differences in shakas of Rgveda. These differences are primarily due to the variations of the same richa-s during usage (प्रयोगकाल) and study times (अध्ययन-काल). Some richa-s have 4 padas during study but only two padas (द्विपदाः) during usage of the mantra.
In some texts, the valakhilya mantras, 80 of them at the end of the eighth mandala, are not taken into account along with the Rgveda mantras. Hence, after including the dvipada mantras and valakhilya mantras the total number of richa-s are given as 10552 in Katyayana's Rksarvanukramani text.<ref name=":2">Upadhyaya, Baldev (1958) Vaidik Sahitya</ref>
=== मण्डलक्रमः Mandala krama ===
The Rgveda samhita has 10552 mantras, grouped into 1017 suktas collected in ten mandalas of unequal length given by various rshis.<ref name=":2" /> In the Mandala krama it is arranged into 10 mandalas, 1017 suktas and 10552<ref name=":2" /> or 10580 (as given in Shaunaka's Anuvakaanukramani) mantras, and 153826 words<ref>''Rgveda Samhita'' (2011 Reprint edition) Varanasi: Choukhambha Samskrit Pratisthan (Page 828)</ref>.<blockquote>ऋचां दश सहस्राणि ऋचां पञ्च शतानि च । ऋचामशीतिः पादश्च पारणं संप्रकीर्तितम् ॥ (अनुवाकानुक्रमणी, 43)</blockquote>Given below are the mandalas, suktas and the number of mantras therein.<ref name=":0">''Rgveda Samhita'' (2011 Reprint edition) Varanasi: Choukhambha Samskrit Pratisthan (Page 767)</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Mandalas
!Number of Suktas
!Number of Mantras
!Mantra Drshtas
|-
|Mandala 1
|191
|2006
|शतर्चिनः
|-
|Mandala 2
|43
|429
|गृत्समदः
|-
|Mandala 3
|62
|627
|विश्वामित्रः
|-
|Mandala 4
|58
|589
|वामदेवः
|-
|Mandala 5
|87
|727
|अत्रिः
|-
|Mandala 6
|75
|765
|भरद्वाजः
|-
|Mandala 7
|108
|841
|वसिष्ठः
|-
|Mandala 8
|92
|1636
|कण्व अङ्गिरसः
|-
|Mandala 9
|114
|1108
|
|-
|Mandala 10
|191
|1754
|
|-
!Total
!1017
!10472
!
|-
|Valakhilya Suktas
|11
|80
|
|-
!Total
!1028
!10552
!
|}
* First and tenth mandalas exactly have 191 suktas. They are said to be more recent as compared to other mandalas. Analysis of the modernity of the language and chandas used, and invocations to new devatas, along with new darshanika concepts forms the basis to say that of all the mandalas the tenth mandala is the most recent having new mantras.
* वंशमण्डल - Second to eight mandalas have complete unity in authorship. Mandalas second to sixth are have rshis Grtsamada, Vishvamitra, Vaamadeva, Atri, Bharadvaja, respectively and their families as the mantra-drashtas. The seventh mandala is given entirely by Vasishta. The eight mandala is predominantly given by rshis Kanva and Angiras.
* पवमानमण्डल - Ninth mandala is made up of suktas addressed to Soma Pavamana; its mantra drsthas belong to rshis of different families.
* Except in the eighth and ninth mandalas, everywhere the suktas to Agni are placed first, then those of Indra followed by those addressed to other deities are seen.
* Simple chandas, having three or four lines of eight, eleven and twelve syllables as well as some complicated chandas are seen in Rigveda.
The internal arrangement within a mandala places the mantras given by the father (rshi) first and followed by those given by the son. However, in a few cases the mantras given by the son are arranged earlier than the sukta of the father, because the son had given more suktas than the father.
=== अष्टकक्रमः Ashtaka krama ===
In the Ashtaka krama, eight ashtakas, each ashtaka has 8 adhyayas thus a total of 64 adhyayas, 2006 vargas are present. Here vargas are the collection of mantras compiled in this arrangement to facilitate convenience while studying. The number of mantras in a varga are not definite, but containing at least 5 mantras in a varga. In the end of the Samhita, we find the Rk Parishista in which 36 suktas are collected.<ref name=":2" /> Given below are the number of vargas and mantras according to the Ashtaka krama.<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable"
!Ashtakas
!Number of Suktas
!Number of Vargas
!Mantra
|-
|Ashtaka 1
|121
|265
|1370
|-
|Ashtaka 2
|119
|221
|1147
|-
|Ashtaka 3
|122
|225
|1209
|-
|Ashtaka 4
|140
|250
|1289
|-
|Ashtaka 5
|129
|238
|1263
|-
|Ashtaka 6
|124
|313
|1650
|-
|Ashtaka 7
|116
|248
|1263
|-
|Ashtaka 8
|146
|246
|1281
|-
!Total
!1017
!2006
!10472
|-
|Valakhilya
|11
|18
|80
|-
!Total
!1028
!2024
!10552
|}
== Rgveda Samhitas ==
The extant and available samhita of Rgveda belongs to the Shakala shaka. It is the only available samhita of Rgveda. Bashkala, Ashvalayana, Shankhyayana shaka samhitas are not available at present.
=== शाकल संहिता Shakala Samhita ===
==== Shakalya (शाकल्यः) ====
Padapatha of Rgveda samhita was given by Shakalya (शाकल्यः). In the Brhdaranyaka Upanishad (Adhyaya 4) we find a debate between Shakalya and Yajnavalkya in Janaka's sabha. According to the Puranic evidences, it was this same Shakalya who composed the Rgveda Padapatha. In the Brahmanda Purana we find the following<blockquote>शाकल्यः प्रथमस्तेषां तस्मादन्यो रथीतरः ।। बाष्कलिश्च भरद्वाज इति शाखाप्रवर्त्तकाः ।। ३४.३२ ।।</blockquote><blockquote>देवमित्रस्तु शाकल्यो ज्ञानाहंकारगर्वितः ।। जनकस्य स यज्ञे वै विनाशामगमद्द्विजाः ।। ३४.३३ ।। (Brahmanda. Pura. Purv. 2.34.32-33)<ref>Brahmanda Purana (Purvabhaga, Pada 2, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4% Adhyaya 34])</ref></blockquote>Reference to Shakalya has also been found in Nirukta and Rk-Pratisakhya. It has been shown that Shakalya's padapatha has not been accepted by Yaska in his Nirukta. For example in Nirukta (5.21) "अरुणो मासकृद् वृकः" has been mentioned. Yaska interpreted मासकृत् as one word in the sense of "मासो का कर्ता" or one who makes a month. Shakalya considered it as two padas or words as मा and सकृत्. Thus we see how Yaska and Shakalya differed in their interpretations.<ref>Pt. Baldev Upadhyaya (1958) ''Vaidik Sahitya for M.A. Students''. Kashi: Sharada Mandir. (Pages 41-42)</ref>
==== Geography in Rgveda ====
The geographical information in the Rigveda, to put it in a nutshell, more or less pertains to the area from Uttar Pradesh in the east to Afghanistan in the west, the easternmost river mentioned in the text being the Ganga, and the westernmost being the western tributaries of the Indus rivers.<ref>Talageri. Shrikant. G, (2000) The Rigveda - A Historical Analysis (Pages </ref>
==== Nature in Rgveda ====
The main part of Rigveda belongs to suktas related to nature and natural forces. The Vedic deities are explained in different ways by the scholars of India and West, but speaking generally, the suktas addressed to deities (Devata) are under the influence of the most impressive phenomenon of nature and its aspects. The word Devata means divine, divinity which is bright, strong, donor, and powerful. In these suktas we find prayers for certain natural elements such as air, water, earth, sun, rain, dawn etc. The glorious brightness of the sun, the blaze of the sacrificial fire, the sweep of the rain-storm across the skies, the recurrence of the dawn, the steady currents of the winds, the violence of the tropical storm and other such natural energies, fundamental activities or aspects are glorified and personified as divinities (Devata).
The interaction with nature resulted in appreciation and prayer but, indeed, after a good deal of observation. Attributes assigned to deities fit in their natural forms and activities, as Soma is green, fire is bright, air is fast moving and sun is dispenser of darkness. The characteristics of these forces described in the verses prove that Vedic seers were masters of natural science. All powers, aspects or activities of nature are generally regarded as deities because they are helpful, beneficial and essential for our life. Rivers, mountains, earth, air, water, plants, trees, forest, fire, rain, cloud, Sun, Moon etc, all are deities in Vedic mythology. In Rigveda the names of major deities are, such as Agni, Indra, Vayu, Earth, Soma, Varuna, Vishnu, Aditya, Usha, Aditi, Parjanya, etc.
==== Darshanika Tattva ====
== Pravachanakaras of Rgveda ==
One may classify the Samskrit commentators of the Rgveda into the following five main categories : <ref>R. N. Dandekar, ''Commentators of the Rgveda, A Recapitulation.'' </ref>
* those commentators whose commentaries are now available in full in published form; '''Sayanacharya''' (1316-1388) alone can be cited as an example in this category. His commentary on Rgveda is called Vedarthaprakasa.
* those commentators who can be reasonably presumed to have written commentaries on the entire Rgveda but only some portions of whose commentaries have become available so far; '''Skandaswamin''' (around 600 AD). He named his commentary as Rgarthaagamasamhrti. '''Venkatamadhava''' (1100 AD) composed Rgarthadipika. According to Venkatamadhava Skandaswamin, Narayana and Udgitha together composed the Rgbhashya respectively, i.e., the first part was by Skandaswamin, the middle part by Narayana and the ending was given by Udgitha.<ref name=":2" />
<blockquote>स्कन्दस्वामी नारायण उद्गीथ इति ते क्रमात् । चक्रुः सहैकमृग्भाष्यं पदवाक्यार्थगोचरम् ।। </blockquote>
* those persons who are known to have written commentaries only on certain specific mantras of the Rgveda; commentators. '''Haradatta''' (9th century A.D.) wrote the commentary called Asvalayana-mantra-patha-bhashya. '''Anandatirtha (Madhavaacharya)''' has written a commentary on Rgveda1.1-40 (except 1.34.7-12). '''Atmananda''' (around 13th Century) has commented on only one sukta namely 1.164. '''Dinakara Bhatta''' in his Rgarthasara has given his commentary on 207 mantras of the Rgveda.
* those persons who are directly or indirectly referred to in literature as commentators of the Rgveda but no portions of whose commentaries have become available so far; '''Narayana and Udgitha'''
* the Rgveda-commentators of the modern times.
Most commentators have interpreted Rgveda mainly in the light of the Vedic rituals.
== References ==
== References ==
# <nowiki>http://www.hindunet.org/vedas/rigveda/</nowiki>
# <nowiki>http://www.hindunet.org/vedas/rigveda/</nowiki>