Hindu Holy Texts
The
most important holy texts to Hindus are the Vedas. The Vedas are a huge
collection of holy verses mostly used for rituals. There are four Vedas, the Rig
Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda. The principle one is the Rig
Veda. The Rig Veda is composed of verses to be chanted during worship rituals.
The Sama Veda mostly contains verses barrowed from the Rig Veda but in the Sama
Veda they are written so they can be sung. The verses of the Yajur Veda are used
for sacrificial rituals such as the fire sacrifice. The Atharva Veda contains
verses used for magic spells.
Vedas Have Always Existed
It is said that the Vedas have always existed and will always exist. In the long ago past the verses of the Vedas were memorized by those of the Brahmin (priestly) caste and transmitted orally. There was a complex system of checks and balances to make sure that the priests remembered the exact words correctly, where other priests would compare the verses they had memorized with each other. Now that we are in the Kali-Yuga (time of weakest dharma) the Vedas have been written down as humans don't have the same degree of memory skills they have during the higher spiritual cycles.
Four Sections of the Vedas
Each of the Vedas are divided into four sections, Samhita, Aranyaka, Brahmana, and the Upanishads. The Samhita is the verses of the Veda. The Aranyaka tells about the meaning to the ritual. The Brahmana is instructions on how to perform the ritual. The Upanishads contain very esoteric information about the meaning of life, reality, and the nature of God.
Other Hindu Holy Texts
It is very rare for non-priests to read the Vedas except for the Upanishad portion. They are more so verses for ritualistic usage. Hinduism has many many other holy texts. Even particular sects have their own specialized holy texts. The most popular Hindu holy texts for common people to read are the epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the Puranas which are sometimes considered the fifth Veda, and the greatest spiritual text of them all the Bhagavad-Gita.
The Song of God
The Bhagavad-Gita, which means the Song of God, is one chapter from the Mahabharata. It basically summarizes all the knowledge of the Vedas in one book. It is a dialog between Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, and Arjuna and takes place the moment before a great battle is about to begin. Arjuna is a warrior who must fight against relatives and friends in this great battle. He feels intense doubt and sadness about what he must do and thus begins the discourse between Krishna and Arjuna.
