what are the vedas

The Vedas are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. They are the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. The Vedas are composed in Vedic Sanskrit and are divided into four main texts: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, and the Atharvaveda. Each Veda has four subdivisions: the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices, and symbolic-sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy, and spiritual knowledge). Some scholars add a fifth category, the Upasanas (worship). The Vedas are śruti ("what is heard"), distinguishing them from other religious texts, which are called smṛti ("what is remembered"). The Vedas are considered the oldest texts of Hinduism and form the basis of classical Hinduism. The Indian caste system is based on a fable from the Vedas about the sacrifice of the deity Purusha.