Rigveda Made Easy: Rigvedic Stories Based on Selected Verses

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In this well-researched and elegantly written book, Sathish Chandra discusses exciting topics from the epic text depicting ancient Indian culture and philosophy. Did you ever wonder when the mantras of the Rigveda were composed? Did you ever wonder what the composition discussed apart from praising various Gods? If the answer is yes, this book is for you to read.

Similarly, you will be amazed to know that Rigveda was an all-inclusive text composed by the Vedic people from all walks of life. Kings of the era, enslaved people, gamblers, aggrieved wives and many commoners have contributed to the mantras in the text. You will be surprised to read stories related to cradle-to-grave. Rigveda was the ultimate Knowledge Transfer Guide for all the students who came to Gurukul to learn.

More importantly, the ideas of multiple gods and creation stories from the text led to all-encompassing Hinduism, where the Western concept of blasphemy had no room. This book discusses all these issues and more with a breath of fresh air.

Most importantly, Rigveda has inspired many religious thoughts in the West. Read on for more on this.

Also, read this book for the original Rigvedic stories with exciting storylines, which peep into the Vedic people's mindset and thinking.

The First Mandala of the eighty-ninth hymn of the First Mandala of the Rigveda starts with a great aspiration of the Vedic era. It chants, "Let noble thoughts come to us from every side unimpeded, unmolested and without any trace of hatred," ("Ano Bhadrah Kratao Yantu Vishwath..."). This one 'Maha Vakhya' (Great Line) from the epic is enough to declare the Rigveda's unique narrative amongst other religious texts. Therefore, this text is all-inclusive and the most secular of all ancient spiritual compositions.

But for laypersons like you and me, who need help understanding Sanskrit, it can be challenging to get to the very essence of the epic. On a cursory glance at the epic, it is no wonder that we get lost in the vast maze of the compositions and its several translations with multiple interpretations. Your confusion worsens, especially when looking into the historical background of this superb composition. Nevertheless, the effort is worth it in the measure of gold.

The Rigveda Samhita is a massive collection of mantras with ten thousand five hundred and fifty-two verses decorating one thousand and twenty-eight hymns of the text. If printed side by side on pages, the book's size may extend to a thousand pages. This core text is quintessentially Indian, which was composed by hundreds of rishis, thus showcasing their poetic talents. Scholars have identified three hundred and sixty-five rishis, including women rishis who contributed to the Samhita. These creative mantras are still a mainstay of Indian religiosity-though they were composed about four thousand to four thousand and five hundred years ago. The Samhita has ten Mandalas or chapters also called ten Books by many.

Does it contain only philosophy?

When somebody mentions the name 'Rigveda' to us, the first thing that comes to mind is the dry philosophical sermons it may contain. But contrary to the general belief, the text has only a dash of philosophy here and there. More than anything else, the world's most ancient religious text is full of stories about Indra, the neglected new bride, a rishi going to the chariot race with his young wife driving their cart and a high priest of a 'yajna' talking to a young girl about sex in the open. It contains even the love story of an earthly king and an angel, a bit of advice from a hardcore gambler, the lament of an insecure wife, tips about how to crush your enemy and many other compelling episodes from the yesteryears. It also leaves behind dense historical imprints of the past. But sadly, only a few have ventured to study the Rigveda for its historical input.