1. Derivation and Meaning of the Term Veda

The query to get the earliest information in the history of human civilization, leads a reader to the age of the Vedas, the most ancient extant literature, possessed by mankind. The Vedas, the repository of all sorts of knowledge, have been occupying a very significant position in the history of human society, culture and literature.

The term veda is derived from root vid, meaning to know, with the suffix ac or ghañ and the word, thus formed, stands for the knowledge of an unimpeachable authority. According to Dayānanda Sarasvatī,^[1] Vedas are those scriptures by which man can attain true knowledge, by the study of which one becomes learned, which helps man in acquiring knowledge or sets man to think about knowledge. Explaining the term veda, Sāyaṇācārya^[2] states that the scripture, that illuminates the supernormal means for attainment of desired object and avoidance of undesired objects, is known as Veda. The knowledge of the Vedas is believed to be atīndriyajñāna, i.e. knowledge, beyond the reach of sensory organs^[3] and is, therefore, considered as being authorless and eternal, apauruṣeya and nitya.^[4]

As because the entire Vedic texts, revealed to the seers, were handed down from generation to generation through verbal tradition, hence, the Vedas are otherwise called as Śruti. This term finds place in the works of Bādarāyaṇa^[5] and Manu.^[6] Besides, some other terminologies like āgama, nigama, āmnāya, svādhyāya, chandas, trayī are also used to denote Veda. Each of these terms, bears certain meaning behind the denotation of the Vedas.