INDIAN KNOWLWDGE SYSTEM (IKS) NOTES and MCQs based on SWAYAM Course offered by National Institute of Technical Teachers' Training and Research (NITTTR) in Bhopal
THE VEDAS The Vedas , considered the foundational texts of the Indian knowledge tradition, are the oldest extant scriptures in Sanskrit and constitute the earliest layer of Sanskrit literature as well as the primary source of Hindu religious and philosophical thought. The term “Veda” derives from the Sanskrit root vid , meaning “to know.” There are four Vedas, each composed over a vast period, and each is divided into four distinct parts that serve liturgical, ritualistic, philosophical, and mystical purposes. A. The Four Vedas Ṛgveda (Rigveda) Yajurveda Sāmaveda Atharvaveda Each Veda is classified into four parts: Saṁhitā – Collection of hymns or mantras Brāhmaṇa – Prose texts explaining rituals and ceremonies Āraṇyaka – Forest treatises that transition from ritual to philosophy Upaniṣad – Philosophical discourses on ultimate reality ( Brahman ), soul ( Ātman ), and liberation ( Mokṣa ) B. Detailed Classification of Each Veda...