RigvedaThe Rigveda or Rig Veda (ऋग्वेद , from "praise" and "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (sūktas). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (śruti) known as the Vedas. Only one Shakha of the many survive today, namely the Śakalya Shakha. Much of the contents contained in the remaining Shakhas are now lost or are not available in the public forum. The Rigveda is the oldest known Vedic Sanskrit text. Its early layers are among the oldest extant texts in any Indo-European language.
AbhasvarasAbhasvaras (आभास्वर) is a term used in Buddhism to refer to a heaven and in Hinduism to refer to a class of deities. In Buddhism, Abhasvaras is the name of a heaven. The words roots are Sanskrit (from "a" near to, towards + the verbal root "bhas" to shine upon, illuminate). In Hinduism, abhasvaras refers to a class of deities featured in the Puranas. They are 64 in number, and described to be personifications of mental qualities, serving as the sovereigns of all varieties of spiritual and physical enlightenment.
MaharajikasThe maharajikas (महाराजिक) refers to a class of minor deities in Hinduism, numbering 220 or 236 members. The Puranas feature the maharajikas among the nine classes (gaṇas) of deities, among the adityas, rudras, vasus, visvedevas, tushitas, abhasvaras, anilas, and the sadhyas. They are sometimes referred to as a class of the devas, or the gaṇadevas. According to the Shiva Purana, the maharajikas serve as the attendants of Shiva, under the command of Ganesha. They are regarded to reside on the Gaṇaparvata mountain, situated on Kailasha.
AtriAtri (अत्रि) or Attri is a Vedic sage, who is credited with composing numerous hymns to Agni, Indra, and other Vedic deities of Hinduism. Atri is one of the Saptarishi (seven great Vedic sages) in the Hindu tradition, and the one most mentioned in its scripture Rigveda. The fifth Mandala (Book 5) of the Rigveda is called the Atri Mandala in his honour, and the eighty seven hymns in it are attributed to him and his descendants. Atri is also mentioned in the Puranas and the Hindu epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
VedasThe Vedas (ˈveɪdəz or ˈviːdəz, , वेदः) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. There are four Vedas: 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).
DakshaIn Hinduism, Daksha (Sanskrit: दक्ष, IAST: , lit. "able, dexterous, or honest one") is one of the prajapati, the agents of creation, as well as a divine king-rishi. His iconography depicts him as a man with a stocky body and a handsome face or the head of a goat. In the Rigveda, Daksha is an aditya and is associated with priestly skills. In the epics and Puranic scriptures, he is a son of the creator-god Brahma and the father of many children, who became the progenitors of various creatures.
Historical Vedic religionThe historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism or Brahminism) constituted the religious ideas and practices among some of the Indo-Aryan peoples of the northwest Indian subcontinent (Punjab and the western Ganges plain) during the Vedic period (1500–500 BCE). These ideas and practices are found in the Vedic texts, and some Vedic rituals are still practiced today. It is one of the major traditions which shaped Hinduism, though present-day Hinduism is markedly different from the historical Vedic religion.
