Tidigved

Tidigved refers to the early Vedic texts of ancient Indian literature, collectively known as the Vedas. Scholarly dating places the core of the Vedas in the second millennium BCE, with the Rigveda commonly regarded as the oldest layer, composed in early Vedic Sanskrit. The Vedas comprise hymns, prayers, and ritual formulas that formed the basis of early religious practice in Vedic society.

The four Vedas are Rigveda (hymns), Yajurveda (prose formulas for sacrificial rites), Samaveda (melodic chants derived from Rigveda), and Atharvaveda (incantations, spells, and domestic rituals). The contents range from cosmology and theology to practical rites and ethical reflections; many hymns address deities such as Indra, Agni, and Soma.

Language and transmission: the texts were composed in Vedic Sanskrit and transmitted orally for centuries before being written down in later periods. The method of oral transmission, using formulaic stock phrases, ensured preservation and controlled variation. Redaction and commentary by later scholars gave the four Vedas their final forms in ancient and early medieval times.

Significance: the tidigved texts underpin subsequent Hindu ritual and philosophy and offer important sources for the study of ancient Indo-Aryan religion, society, and language. Modern scholarship draws on philology, archaeology, and comparative religion to understand their origins and development.