Definition: Veda means knowledge, and the Vedas are said to come from Lord Krishna. The Vedas contain knowledge about mundane necessities as well as spirituality essential for Hinduism and its predecessor, Brahmanism. The texts of the Vedas are called Samhitas, and the Vedic prayers are known as Mantras. The Rgveda (Rig Veda), Samaveda, the Yajurveda, and the Atharvaveda are the four books of the Vedas, in chronological order. The Rgveda is thought to have been written, in Sanskrit (as are the others), between 1200 and 800 B.C. Commentaries, including the Brahmanas, Aryanakas, and Upanishads are also called Vedic writing.
George Michaels, Gregory L. Possehl, Charles Higham, Song Nai Rhee, Carla M. Sinopoli "Asia" The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. Brian M. Fagan, ed., Oxford University Press 1996.
