• The Veda refers to a collection of vedic mantras in vedic Sanskrit.
• Vedas are eternal in nature and hence self evidence.
• Veda mantra is not manmade, hence has no scope for error.
• Mantras are deep spiritual truths and occurred phenomena revealed by the Devatas to the rishis.
• Only about 5000 years ago, they were committed to writing by Vyasa.
• There are 3 types of Mantras Rk Manta, Yajus Manta, and saman Manta.
• Vedas are categorised into Rg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda.
• There were around 1131 Shakas, out which handful of them are existing today.
• Rg Veda - Shaakala Shakha, Bhaskala Shakha (existing) out of 21 Shakhas
• Yajur Veda - Kanva Shakha(Shukla), Vajasaneyi Shakha(Shukla), Taittirya Shakha (Krishna) (existing) out of 101 Shakhas
• Sama Veda - Kaushtuma Shakha, Jayminiya Shakha (existing) out of 1000 Shakhas
• Atharva Veda - Shaunaka Shakha, Pippalada Shakha (existing) out of 9 Shakhas

Rg Veda
Main Purpose : Mantras to invoke Vedic Gods.
Rgveda has 21Shakhas. Rg veda has a total of 10 mandalas, rather the whole text is divided in to 10 mandalas. Each mandala has several suktas. The no may be from 40 to 191. Every sukta has several mantras. So the total no of suktas in rgveda is 1017, and the no of mantras is 10512, all of which are metrical verses or rks. Each sukta was assigned a title containing the name of the rishi, to whome the various mantras were reveled, the names of the meters of the verses and the deity to whom the mantras were addressed.

Yajur Veda
Main Purpose : Mantras to perform Yajnas.
Yajurveda has 2 major shaka or re-cension with the names of shukla yajurveda, and the Krishna yajurveda. Each have their own additional shakas or re-censions. And Totally YajurVeda has 101Shakhas. It has both yajus mantras and rk mantras. It has in all 4700 mantras, of which one third of them are rk mantras. Note that Krishna yajurveda is also a overlap of 50% with the shukla yajurveda shakha.

Sama Veda
Main Purpose : Mantras for Chanting.
Sama veda has 1000 Shakhas. Sama veda has about 2000 sama mantras. Most of the text is as same as rg veda, it has to be chanted as saman.

Atharva Veda (Mantras for Administration of Vedic Yajna).
Atharva Veda is a collection of 20 kandas or books. In rg veda we call them mandala here we call them kanda. There are total 730 suktas or hymns, the total of 6000 mantras most of them are metrical. They all reveled to the descendents or disciples of the seers atharvan and angeerasa. There are about 20% overlap between rg veda and atharva veda.

Goal of Veda is to achieve everyone all sided perfection, both individually and collectively. Vedas prescribe Dharma and Yajna to Achieve that.

Most of our capacity are limited and we can envision to continuous improvement and same goes for our organs of knowledge and organs of action. Achieving perfection means each organ becoming more and more conscious about its operation. The perfection cannot be achieved by human effort only, but we need the help of cosmic powers like agni, indra, etc. in the veda, these deities are not only responsible for creation, but also responsible for development of each human being. Each diety is distinct power of supreme one known as ekam sat, it has a distinct personality and distinct function. That these diety like agni, indra are not names, they are the different ways by with different powers are supported. Like agni is divine will in man, indra lord of divine mind, mitra lord of harmony, these power have to be invoked so that, each one of them will manifest in the human being. The manifestation of deity in human being is called dvi-janma the second birth. The first birth of the diety is in the cosmos and the second birth in the human being. Agni divine will, is the first one to take birth in man, he brings in all the powers. The invocation of these deities involves special procedures. Once the deity is established in the human being, then the speed of progress in man, that the attainment of perfection at each level and the harmony become accelerated. It must be noted that the progress is almost never ending.

अपौरुषेय वाक्यानि, नित्यानि, स्वतह्प्रमणानि |

There are three major categories of Dharma propagated by Vedas.
Samanya Dharma :-
Satya=Truthfulness, Nyaya=Common Justice, Ahimsa=Non-Violance, Dharma Rakshana=Protection of Dharma, and so on which has to be carried out by all and at all time (irrespective of cast, creed, time, place) till death.

Apat-Dharma :-
Protecting Animals & Property, Helping Poor and ill, which needs to be dispensed at the time of calamity or in case of personal emergency by all (irrespective of cast, creed, place).

Varna-Ashrama Dharma :-
Vedic Society has been divided in to 4 major center of fource. Jnana (Knowledge), Bala(Power), Dhana (Wealth) and Seva (Service). The vedic Vision was to distribute the power among each other and make them part of social fabric.
The four Varnas are Brahmana (Knowledge oriented), Kshatriya (Power oriented), Vyshya (Wealth oriented), Shudra(Service Oriented).

• Brahmana Dharma :- Study of Vedas, Medicine, Law, Research, Advice to the Society
• Kshatriya Dharma :- Protection of Civilians and property, Defence, Politics, Administration, Management, Wealth Distribution, Donation.
• Vyshya Dharma :- Business, Trading, Donation. Wealth Creation
• Shudra Dharma :- Agriculture, Farming, Animal Husbandry, Transportation, Irrigation, Construction and other Service.

• Brahmacharya Dharma (0-25 years):- Study of Vedas, Medicine, Law, Research,
• Gruhasta Dharma (25-50 years):- Profession, Protection of Family, Donation, Wealth Creation and following Varna Dharma as per his own Varna.
• Vanaprasta Dharma (50-75 years):- Renunciating public & family life and Following Anushtana/Sadhana like Yoga, Vedanta, Tapas, Study,...
• Sanyasa Dharma (after 75 years or at any age):- Abahay & Ahimsa (Non-Competence and Non-Violance at any cost, time, place). Renunciated life (family & Society) focus is only on Adyatmika Kriya like - Yoga, Shravana-Manana-Nidhidyasana,.. for Libration from Life-death-rebirth.

Only Vedas propagate Dharma and Dharma can be known only by Vedas.

No other Hindu or other scripture propogates Dharma, and all other descriptions/prescriptions described/prescribed by other scriptures either hindu or non-hindu scriptures (holy-books) are only mata (openion of individual/community) and not univerally reveled ever existing truth called dharma.

Bhagavan Sri Krishna also re-iterates the theological and philosophical truth propagated by Vedas, and hence also called Pramana (self evident/proof) for Dharma and Jnana (Knowledge).

What has been prescribed in Vedas as Dhamrma and the opposit of it is Adharma

• Asatya=Falseness, Anyaya=Injustice, Himsa=Violance, Dharma Rakshana Rahita=Not Protecting Dharma
• Non helping anyone at calamity or personal emergency.
• Not following ones own responsibility towards family and society, Distruction, Cheating,...

वेद प्रतिपाद्य प्रयोजनवदर्थो धर्मः
सामान्य धर्म - सत्य, दान करुणा, अहिंसा , धर्म रक्षण

There are different types of Karma, and they are

• Varna-Ashrama Dharma Anushtana Karma :- Following Varna and Ashrama specific Profession.
• Ishta-Purtha-Datta Karma :- Helping poor, ill in Family and Society.
• Nitya Karma :- Following Sandhyavandana and other Self purification Vedic Practices.
• Naimittika Karma :- Performing Samskaara Karma like Naming Ceremoney, Marriage, till Death Ceremony.
• Prayaschitta Karma :- Performing Karma like Daana (giving Food & money) to reduce Papa Karma Phala.
• Upasana Karma :- Performing Yajna, Pooja to gain wealth, health and so on.

वेद प्रतिपाद्य धर्म अनुष्टानः - कर्म

There are four Purushartha (Main Goal of Life), and they are

• Kama :- The natural desires (without inidvidual or collatral or damage to the Nature).
• Artha :- The means (instrument = Money/Wealth) to fulfill the desires (without inidvidual or collatral or damage to the Nature).
• Dharma :- The framework prescribed by Vedas to fulfill all Artha & Kama.
• Moksha :- Libration from this life-illness-death-rebirth painfull cycle.

भोगापवर्गः - पुरुषार्थः
धर्मार्थकाम मोक्षः