The Rigveda Samhita

The Rigveda Samhita—the oldest and most sacred of the four Vedas, containing 1,028 hymns composed in archaic Sanskrit between 1500-1200 BCE, representing humanity's earliest preserved religious and philosophical literature and the foundational scripture of Hinduism.

The Rigveda (from rig meaning 'praise' and veda meaning 'knowledge') is the oldest text in the Indo-European language family and one of the world's oldest religious documents. Composed by ancient seers (rishis) in the Vedic period, these hymns were transmitted orally with extraordinary precision for millennia before being written down. The Rigveda contains hymns to the Vedic deities—Agni (fire), Indra (thunder), Varuna (cosmic order), Soma (sacred plant), and many others—along with profound philosophical speculation about the nature of existence, creation, and the ultimate reality.

What you'll discover:

• 1,028 hymns (suktas) organized into ten books (mandalas)
• Hymns to Vedic deities revealing ancient Indo-Aryan cosmology and ritual
• The Nasadiya Sukta (Hymn of Creation)—one of the earliest philosophical inquiries into existence
• The Purusha Sukta—cosmic vision of reality as the sacrifice of the primordial being
• Profound questions about creation, consciousness, and ultimate reality
• The origins of concepts central to Hindu philosophy: rita (cosmic order), brahman (ultimate reality), atman (self)
• Beautiful poetic imagery celebrating nature, cosmic forces, and the sacred
• Complete unabridged edition with Sanskrit terms indexed for scholarly study

The Rigveda is not a systematic philosophical treatise but a collection of sacred hymns composed over centuries by different poet-seers. Yet within these hymns lie the seeds of all later Hindu philosophy. The famous Nasadiya Sukta (Hymn 10.129) asks profound questions about creation: 'Who really knows? Who will here proclaim it? Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation? The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe. Who then knows whence it has arisen?' This questioning spirit, this willingness to acknowledge mystery, characterizes the Vedic approach to ultimate questions.

What makes the Rigveda essential for your contemplative library is its status as the source text for all Hindu philosophy and spirituality. The Upanishads, which develop non-dual Vedanta philosophy, are commentaries on the Vedas. The concepts of brahman (ultimate reality), atman (self), rita (cosmic order), and dharma (righteous action) all originate in Rigvedic hymns. Understanding the Rigveda means understanding the roots of Hindu thought—the worldview, cosmology, and spiritual vision that gave birth to yoga, Vedanta, and all schools of Hindu philosophy.

The hymns reveal a worldview where the natural and supernatural interpenetrate, where ritual action maintains cosmic order, where poetic vision accesses transcendent truth. The Vedic seers saw the universe as fundamentally interconnected—fire on earth corresponds to the sun in heaven, the sacrifice mirrors cosmic processes, human consciousness participates in universal consciousness. This vision of correspondence and interconnection profoundly influenced all later Indian philosophy.

The Rigveda also contains some of the most beautiful religious poetry ever composed. The hymns to Ushas (dawn), to Agni (fire), to the rivers and mountains, celebrate the natural world with reverence and wonder. The language is rich with metaphor, the imagery vivid and evocative. Even in translation, the power and beauty of these ancient verses shine through.

This complete unabridged edition presents all 1,028 hymns of the Rigveda Samhita with proofed Sanskrit terms and comprehensive indexing, making this foundational text accessible for serious study. Whether you're a student of Hindu philosophy, a scholar of ancient religions, or a seeker interested in humanity's earliest spiritual and philosophical expressions, the Rigveda offers profound insights into the origins of contemplative wisdom.

Perfect for: Students of Hindu philosophy and Vedic literature, scholars of ancient religions and Indo-European studies, readers interested in the origins of Hindu thought, those studying the Upanishads and Vedanta seeking their source texts, students of comparative religion and ancient philosophy, anyone interested in humanity's earliest religious and philosophical literature, serious students of Sanskrit and Vedic studies, and contemplative readers drawn to the foundational scriptures that shaped Hindu spirituality and philosophy.

This paperback edition presents the complete unabridged Rigveda Samhita with indexed Sanskrit terms—the oldest and most sacred Veda, offering access to humanity's earliest preserved religious and philosophical wisdom.