shruti: (Sanskrit) "That which is heard."

Hinduism's revealed scriptures, of supreme theological authority and spiritual value. They are timeless teachings transmitted to rishis, or seers, directly by God thousands of years ago. Shruti is thus said to be apaurusheya, "impersonal," or rather "suprahuman."

Shruti consists essentially of the Vedas and the Agamas, preserved initially through oral tradition and eventually written down in Sanskrit. Among the many sacred books of the Hindus, these two bodies of knowledge are held in the highest esteem. For countless centuries shruti has been the basis of philosophical discussion, study and commentary, and this attention has given rise to countless schools of thought. It is also the subject of deep study and meditation, to realize the wisdom of the ancients within oneself.

Most mantras are drawn from shruti, used for rites of worship, both public and domestic, as well as personal prayer and japa. It is a remarkable tribute to Hindu culture that so much of shruti was preserved for thousands of years without alteration by means of oral instruction from guru to shishya, generation after generation. In the Veda tradition this was accomplished by requiring the student to learn each verse in eleven different ways, including backwards. Traditionally shruti is not read, but chanted according to extremely precise rules of grammar, pitch, intonation and rhythm. This brings forth its greatest power. In the sacred language of shruti, word and meaning are so closely aligned that hearing these holy scriptures properly chanted is magical in its effect upon the soul of the listener.

See: Agamas, smriti, Vedas.

(See also: Shruti , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Sama Veda (Sanskrit). Lit., "the Scripture, or Shastra, of peace". One of the four Vedas.

(See also: Sama Veda , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Atharva Veda (Sanskrit) The fourth Veda; lit., magic incantation containing aphorisms, incantations and magic formula One of the most ancient and revered Books of the Brahmans.

(See also: Atharva Veda , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Sama-veda:

One of the four Vedas. (See Vedas)

(See also: Sama-veda , Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

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ayur-veda:

ayur-veda (-vedha). Classical Indian medical knowledge; science of health and long life.

(See also: ayur-veda , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

 Veda:

the sacred scriptures of the Hindus

(See also:  Veda , Body Mind and Soul)

Sama-Veda (Sanskrit) The Veda of chants (samans); one of the three principal Vedas. Many of the hymns of the Rig-Veda are found in the Sama-Veda, modified so as to be better adapted for chanting, especially during the ceremonies of the soma sacrifices. The rhythms to be chanted to the arrangement of verses found in the Sama-Veda are given in a special treatise.

The Sama-Veda is mystically described as having come forth from or been inspired by the sun. It is said by Hindu Vedic specialists to have reference to the pitris (ancestors), while the Rig-Veda has the gods as its object, and the Yajur-Veda men as its object.

(See also: Sama-Veda , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

veda:

veda - the sacred scriptures of the Hindus

(See also: veda , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Atharva-veda:

One of the section of the Vedas. (see Vedas)

(See also: Atharva-veda , Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

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rig veda/Rg veda:

'Royal knowledge', veda of chant, one of the four vedas, the major and oldest aryan hindu scripture

(See also: rig veda/Rg veda , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Veda:

The most ancient scriptures of Indian Philosophy

(See also: Veda , Kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, Kundalini Dictionary)

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Veda:

Veda (Vedha). See Vedas.

(See also: Veda , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Ayur Veda (Sanskrit) (from ayus life, health, vital power + veda knowledge)

One of the minor Vedas, generally considered a supplement to the Atharva-Veda, one of the four principal Vedas. It treats of the science of health and medicine, and is divided into eight departments:

1)    salya, surgery;

2)    salakya, the science and cure of diseases of the head and its organs;

3)    kaya-chikitsa, the cure of diseases affecting the whole body, or general medical treatment;

4)    bhuta-vidya, the treatment of mental -- and consequent physical -- diseases supposed to be produced by bhutas (demons);

5)    kaumara-bhritya, the medical treatment of children;

6)    agada-tantra, the doctrine of antidotes;

7)    rasayana-tantra, the doctrine of elixirs; and

8)    vajikarana-tantra, the doctrine of aphrodisiacs.

Medicine was regarded as one of the sacred sciences by all ancient peoples and in archaic ages was one of the knowledges or sciences belonging to the priesthood; and this list of subjects shows that the field covered by its practitioners was extensive. Its authorship is attributed by some to Dhanvantari, sometimes called the physician of the gods, who was produced by the mystical churning of the ocean and appeared holding a cup of amrita (immortality) in his hands.

(See also: Ayur Veda, AyurVeda , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Rg-Veda.

See RIG-VEDA

(See also: Rg-Veda , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Gaana-veda:

Gaana-veda (Ghaana-vedha). Bell Veda, Name for the Sama-veda.

(See also: Gaana-veda , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Sama Veda: Veda of song

(See also: Sama Veda , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Veda: The Veda, meaning "Knowledge," is a collective term for the sacred scriptures of the Hindus. There are four volumes or collections, written from about 1500 to 1000 BC including the Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas.

(See also: Veda ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Brahma Veda:

Brahma Veda (Vedha). A name for Atharva-veda.

(See also: Brahma Veda , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

A Theosophical definition of Veda (Vedas) :

Veda (Vedas)

(Sanskrit) From a verbal root vid signifying "to know." These are the most ancient and the most sacred literary and religious works of the Hindus. Veda as a word may be described as "divine knowledge." The Vedas are four in number: the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda, and the Atharva-Veda, this last being commonly supposed to be of later date than the former three.

Manu in his Work on Law always speaks of the three Vedas, which he calls "the ancient triple Brahman"  - sanatanam trayam brahma." Connected with the Vedas is a large body of other works of various kinds, liturgical, ritualistic, exegetical, and mystical, the Veda itself being commonly divided into two great portions, outward and inner: the former called the karma-kanda, the "Section of Works," and the latter called jnana-kanda or "Section of Wisdom."

The authorship of the Veda is not unitary, but almost every hymn or division of a Veda is ascribed to a different author or rather to various authors; but they are supposed to have been compiled in their present form by Veda-Vyasa. There is no question in the minds of learned students of theosophy that the Vedas run back in their origins to enormous antiquity, thousands of years before the beginning of what is known in the Occident as the Christian era, whatever Occidental scholars may have to say in objection to this statement. Hindu pandits themselves claim that the Veda was taught orally for thousands of years, and then finally compiled on the shores of the sacred lake Manasa-Sarovara, beyond the Himalayas in a district of what is now Tibet.

See also: Veda (Vedas) , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

Sthapatya Veda: the Vedic science of architecture.

(See also: Sthapatya Veda ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Veda-vyasa.

See VYASA

(See also: Veda-vyasa , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

veda-vid:

veda-vid (vedha-vith). One who has mastered the Vedas.

(See also: veda-vid , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)