Changes

* The Samhita of the Rigveda thus comprises of 10 ''Mandalas'', 85 ''Anuvakas'', 1028 ''Suktas'' and 10552 ''Mantras''. Usually ''Anuvaka'' is not mentioned for the reference of a Mantra of the Rigveda. For example RV 3.16.7 simply means the seventh Mantra of the sixteenth ''Sukta'' of the third ''Mandala'' of the Rigveda.

* The Samhita of the Rigveda thus comprises of 10 ''Mandalas'', 85 ''Anuvakas'', 1028 ''Suktas'' and 10552 ''Mantras''. Usually ''Anuvaka'' is not mentioned for the reference of a Mantra of the Rigveda. For example RV 3.16.7 simply means the seventh Mantra of the sixteenth ''Sukta'' of the third ''Mandala'' of the Rigveda.

* It begins with a sukta to Agni and concludes with a sukta to the same deity. Agni sukta (01.01.01) by Rushi : Madhucchanda Visvamitra, Devata : Agni, Chandas: Gayatri goes as follows

* It begins with a sukta to Agni and concludes with a sukta to the same deity. Agni sukta (01.01.01) by Rushi : Madhucchanda Visvamitra, Devata : Agni, Chandas: Gayatri goes as follows

<blockquote>''अग्निसूक्तम् in प्रथमं मण्डलम्।''</blockquote><blockquote>''९ मधुच्छन्दा वैश्वामित्रः । अग्निः।  गायत्री।'' </blockquote><blockquote>''अ॒ग्निमी॑ळे पु॒रोहि॑तं य॒ज्ञस्य॑ दे॒वमृ॒त्विज॑म् । होता॑रं रत्न॒धात॑मम् ॥१''</blockquote><blockquote>''अ॒ग्निः पूर्वे॑भि॒र्ऋषि॑भि॒रीड्यो॒ नूत॑नैरु॒त । स दे॒वाँ एह व॑क्षति ॥२''</blockquote><blockquote>''अ॒ग्निना॑ र॒यिम॑श्नव॒त् पोष॑मे॒व दि॒वेदि॑वे । य॒शसं॑ वी॒रव॑त्तमम् ॥३''</blockquote><blockquote>''अग्ने॒ यं य॒ज्ञम॑ध्व॒रं वि॒श्वत॑: परि॒भूरसि॑ । स इद् दे॒वेषु॑ गच्छति ॥४''</blockquote><blockquote>''अ॒ग्निर्होता॑ क॒विक्र॑तुः स॒त्यश्चि॒त्रश्र॑वस्तमः । दे॒वो दे॒वेभि॒रा ग॑मत् ॥५''</blockquote><blockquote>''यद॒ङ्ग दा॒शुषे॒ त्वमग्ने॑ भ॒द्रं क॑रि॒ष्यसि॑ । तवेत् तत् स॒त्यम॑ङ्गिरः ॥६''</blockquote><blockquote>''उप॑ त्वाग्ने दि॒वेदि॑वे॒ दोषा॑वस्तर्धि॒या व॒यम् । नमो॒ भर॑न्त॒ एम॑सि ॥७''</blockquote><blockquote>''राज॑न्तमध्व॒राणां॑ गो॒पामृ॒तस्य॒ दीदि॑विम् । वर्ध॑मानं॒ स्वे दमे॑ ॥८''</blockquote><blockquote>''स न॑: पि॒तेव॑ सू॒नवे ऽग्ने॑ सूपाय॒नो भ॑व । सच॑स्वा नः स्व॒स्तये॑ ॥९''</blockquote>As seen in the above example, the Vedic mantras are notated with lines above and below the letters which indicate the svara or tone of the particular letter in which it has to be uttered. The information about Vedic Language, the tones and accents used are explained in Siksha part of the [[Shad Vedaangas (षड् वेदाङ्ग)|Vedaangas]]. This division of the Rigveda is most popular and systematic. There is also the ashtaka system of dividing the contents of the Rigveda, but today that is uncommon among the students of the Veda.The value of the Rigveda today is not confined to India, for its well-preserved language and mythology have helped a better understanding of languages, literatures and cultures of the whole world.  

<blockquote>''अग्निसूक्तम् in प्रथमं मण्डलम्।''"</blockquote><blockquote>''९ मधुच्छन्दा वैश्वामित्रः । अग्निः।  गायत्री।'' "</blockquote><blockquote>''अ॒ग्निमी॑ळे पु॒रोहि॑तं य॒ज्ञस्य॑ दे॒वमृ॒त्विज॑म् । होता॑रं रत्न॒धात॑मम् ॥१''"</blockquote><blockquote>''अ॒ग्निः पूर्वे॑भि॒र्ऋषि॑भि॒रीड्यो॒ नूत॑नैरु॒त । स दे॒वाँ एह व॑क्षति ॥२''"</blockquote><blockquote>''अ॒ग्निना॑ र॒यिम॑श्नव॒त् पोष॑मे॒व दि॒वेदि॑वे । य॒शसं॑ वी॒रव॑त्तमम् ॥३''"</blockquote><blockquote>''अग्ने॒ यं य॒ज्ञम॑ध्व॒रं वि॒श्वत॑: परि॒भूरसि॑ । स इद् दे॒वेषु॑ गच्छति ॥४''"</blockquote><blockquote>''अ॒ग्निर्होता॑ क॒विक्र॑तुः स॒त्यश्चि॒त्रश्र॑वस्तमः । दे॒वो दे॒वेभि॒रा ग॑मत् ॥५''"</blockquote><blockquote>''यद॒ङ्ग दा॒शुषे॒ त्वमग्ने॑ भ॒द्रं क॑रि॒ष्यसि॑ । तवेत् तत् स॒त्यम॑ङ्गिरः ॥६''"</blockquote><blockquote>''उप॑ त्वाग्ने दि॒वेदि॑वे॒ दोषा॑वस्तर्धि॒या व॒यम् । नमो॒ भर॑न्त॒ एम॑सि ॥७''"</blockquote><blockquote>''राज॑न्तमध्व॒राणां॑ गो॒पामृ॒तस्य॒ दीदि॑विम् । वर्ध॑मानं॒ स्वे दमे॑ ॥८''"</blockquote><blockquote>''स न॑: पि॒तेव॑ सू॒नवे ऽग्ने॑ सूपाय॒नो भ॑व । सच॑स्वा नः स्व॒स्तये॑ ॥९''"</blockquote>As seen in the above example, the Vedic mantras are notated with lines above and below the letters which indicate the svara or tone of the particular letter in which it has to be uttered. The information about Vedic Language, the tones and accents used are explained in Siksha part of the [[Shad Vedaangas (षड् वेदाङ्ग)|Vedaangas]]. This division of the Rigveda is most popular and systematic. There is also the ashtaka system of dividing the contents of the Rigveda, but today that is uncommon among the students of the Veda.The value of the Rigveda today is not confined to India, for its well-preserved language and mythology have helped a better understanding of languages, literatures and cultures of the whole world.  

The concluding sukta of the Rgveda (10.191) also has Agni as Devata and should be regarded as having a higher significance than the national anthem of any country: it is a prayer for amity among all nations, a true international anthem. Rushi : Samvanana Angirasa, Devata : Agni, Chandas: Anusthub and Tristubh<blockquote>''संगठन सूक्त''</blockquote><blockquote>''४ संवनन आङ्गिरसः। १ अग्निः,२-४ संज्ञानम्। अनुष्टुप्, ३ त्रिष्टुप्।''</blockquote><blockquote>''संस॒मिद्यु॑वसे वृष॒न्नग्ने॒ विश्वा॑न्य॒र्य आ । इ॒ळस्प॒दे समि॑ध्यसे॒ स नो॒ वसू॒न्या भ॑र ॥१''</blockquote><blockquote>''सं ग॑च्छध्वं॒ सं व॑दध्वं॒ सं वो॒ मनां॑सि जानताम् । दे॒वा भा॒गं यथा॒ पूर्वे॑ संजाना॒ना उ॒पास॑ते ॥२''</blockquote><blockquote>''स॒मा॒नो मन्त्र॒: समि॑तिः समा॒नी स॑मा॒नं मन॑: स॒ह चि॒त्तमे॑षाम् । स॒मा॒नं मन्त्र॑म॒भि म॑न्त्रये वः समा॒नेन॑ वो ह॒विषा॑ जुहोमि ॥३''</blockquote><blockquote>''स॒मा॒नी व॒ आकू॑तिः समा॒ना हृद॑यानि वः । स॒मा॒नम॑स्तु वो॒ मनो॒ यथा॑ व॒: सुस॒हास॑ति ॥४''</blockquote>Meaning : "May mankind be of one mind, " it goes. "May it have a common goal. May all hearts be united in love. And with the mind and the goal being one may all of us live in happiness".

The concluding sukta of the Rgveda (10.191) also has Agni as Devata and should be regarded as having a higher significance than the national anthem of any country: it is a prayer for amity among all nations, a true international anthem. Rushi : Samvanana Angirasa, Devata : Agni, Chandas: Anusthub and Tristubh<blockquote>''संगठन सूक्त''"</blockquote><blockquote>''४ संवनन आङ्गिरसः। १ अग्निः,२-४ संज्ञानम्। अनुष्टुप्, ३ त्रिष्टुप्।''"</blockquote><blockquote>''संस॒मिद्यु॑वसे वृष॒न्नग्ने॒ विश्वा॑न्य॒र्य आ । इ॒ळस्प॒दे समि॑ध्यसे॒ स नो॒ वसू॒न्या भ॑र ॥१''"</blockquote><blockquote>''सं ग॑च्छध्वं॒ सं व॑दध्वं॒ सं वो॒ मनां॑सि जानताम् । दे॒वा भा॒गं यथा॒ पूर्वे॑ संजाना॒ना उ॒पास॑ते ॥२''"</blockquote><blockquote>''स॒मा॒नो मन्त्र॒: समि॑तिः समा॒नी स॑मा॒नं मन॑: स॒ह चि॒त्तमे॑षाम् । स॒मा॒नं मन्त्र॑म॒भि म॑न्त्रये वः समा॒नेन॑ वो ह॒विषा॑ जुहोमि ॥३''"</blockquote><blockquote>''स॒मा॒नी व॒ आकू॑तिः समा॒ना हृद॑यानि वः । स॒मा॒नम॑स्तु वो॒ मनो॒ यथा॑ व॒: सुस॒हास॑ति ॥४''"</blockquote>Meaning : "May mankind be of one mind, " it goes. "May it have a common goal. May all hearts be united in love. And with the mind and the goal being one may all of us live in happiness".

Among the 1028 ''Suktas'' of the Rigveda Samhita some ''suktas'' are very popular and frequently referred by the readers of Vedas. Some of them are:

Among the 1028 ''Suktas'' of the Rigveda Samhita some ''suktas'' are very popular and frequently referred by the readers of Vedas. Some of them are:

=== Yajus Samhita ===

=== Yajus Samhita ===

In its character Yajurveda is quite different from the Rigveda & Samaveda Samhitas. It is principally in prose form. The word '<nowiki/>''Yajush''<nowiki/>' in the Yajurveda is explained variously. But one of its definitions says -<blockquote>'<nowiki/>''Gadyatmakam yajuh''<nowiki/>' A ‘''Yajuh''’ is that which is in prose form'. </blockquote>Another definition – <blockquote>‘''Yajur Yajateh''’ </blockquote>talks about its relation with the sacrifice (''Yajna'') because both the terms are derived from the root. '''Yaj'' '.

In its character Yajurveda is quite different from the Rigveda & Samaveda Samhitas. It is principally in prose form. The word '<nowiki/>''Yajush''<nowiki/>' in the Yajurveda is explained variously. But one of its definitions says -<blockquote>'<nowiki/>''Gadyatmakam yajuh''<nowiki/>' A ‘''Yajuh''’ is that which is in prose form'. "</blockquote>Another definition – <blockquote>‘''Yajur Yajateh''’ "</blockquote>talks about its relation with the sacrifice (''Yajna'') because both the terms are derived from the root. '''Yaj'' '.

* The Yajurveda is a ritual Veda for it is essentially a guide-book for the Adhvaryu priest who had to do practically all ritualistic works in a sacrifice. His works vary from the selection of a plot of land for the sacrificial altar down to offering oblations to the sacred fires. Just as the Samaveda-Samhita is the song-book of the ''Udgata'' priest, so the Yajurveda-Samhitas are the mantra-books for the ''Adhvaryu'' priest. It is solely meant for the purposes of sacrificial rituals.  

* The Yajurveda is a ritual Veda for it is essentially a guide-book for the Adhvaryu priest who had to do practically all ritualistic works in a sacrifice. His works vary from the selection of a plot of land for the sacrificial altar down to offering oblations to the sacred fires. Just as the Samaveda-Samhita is the song-book of the ''Udgata'' priest, so the Yajurveda-Samhitas are the mantra-books for the ''Adhvaryu'' priest. It is solely meant for the purposes of sacrificial rituals.  

* The Yajurveda is also important for its presentation of philosophical doctrines. It preaches the concept of ''Prana'' and ''Manas'' also. Many times, it is quoted for depicting religious and social life of the Vedic people. It is also known for giving certain geographical data.  

* The Yajurveda is also important for its presentation of philosophical doctrines. It preaches the concept of ''Prana'' and ''Manas'' also. Many times, it is quoted for depicting religious and social life of the Vedic people. It is also known for giving certain geographical data.