वेद [विद्-अच् घञ् वा]
1 Knowledge.
2 Sacred knowledge, holy learning, the scriptures of the Hindus. (Originally there were only three Vedas: ऋग्वेद, यजुर्वेद and सामवेद, which are collectively called त्रयी ‘the sacred triad’; but a fourth, the अथर्ववेद, was subsequently added to them. Each of the Vedas has two distinct parts, the Mantra or Saṃhitā and Brāhmaṇa. According to the strict orthodox faith of the Hindus the Vedas are a-paurusheya, ‘not human compositions’, being supposed to have been directly revealed by the Supreme Being Brahman, and are called ‘Śruti’ i. e. ‘what is heard or revealed’, as dis tinguished from ‘Smṛti’, i. e. ‘what is remembered or is the work of human origin’; see श्रुति, स्मृति also; and the several sages, to whom the hymns of the Vedas are ascribed, are, therefore, called द्रष्टारः ‘seers’, and not कर्तारः or स्रष्टारः ‘composers’).
3 A bundle of Kuśa grass; Ms. 4. 36.
4 N. of Viṣṇu.
5 A part of a sacrifice (यज्ञांग).
6 Exposition, comment, gloss.
7 A metre.
8 Acquisition, gain, wealth (Ved.).
−Comp.
−अग्रणीः N. of Sarasvatī.
−अंगं ‘a member of the Veda’, N. of certain classes of works regarded as auxiliary to the Vedas and designed to aid in the correct pronuncia tion and interpretation of the text and the right employment of the Mantras in ceremonials; (the Vedāṅgas are six in number:
−शिक्षा कल्यो व्याकरणं निरुक्तं छंदसां चयः । ज्योति- षामयनं चैव वेदांगानि षडेव तु ॥; i. e. 1 शि- क्षा ‘the science of proper articulation and pronunciation’; 2 छंदस् ‘the science of prosody’; 3 व्याकरण ‘grammar’; 4 निरुक्त ‘etymological explanation of difficult Vedic words’; 5 ज्योतिष ‘astronomy’, and 6 कल्प ‘ritual or ceremonial’). −अधिगमः,
−अध्ययनं holy study, study of the Vedas.
−अधिपः 1. one who presides over the Veda; ऋग्वेदाधिपति- र्जीवो यजुर्वेदाधिपो भृगुः । सामवेदाधिपो भौमः शशिजोऽथर्ववेदपः ॥. −2. N. of Viṣṇu.
−अध्यापकः a teacher of the Vedas, a holy preceptor.
−अंतः 1. ‘the end of the Veda’, an Upa- nishad (which comes at the end of the Veda). −2. the last of the six principal Darśanas or systems of Hindu philosophy; (so called because it teaches the ultimate aim and scope of the Veda, or because it is based on the Upaniṣads which come at the end of the Veda); (this system of philosophy is sometimes called उत्तरमीमांसा being regarded as a sequel to Jaimini's पूर्वमीमांसा, but it is practically quite a distinct system; see मीमांसा. It represents the popular pantheistic creed of the Hindus, regarding, as it does, the whole world as synthetically derived from one eternal principle, the Brahman or Supreme Spirit; see ब्रह्मन् also). ºगः, ºज्ञः a follower of the Vedānta philosophy.
−अंतिन् m. a follower of the Vedānta philosophy.
−अभ्यासः 1. the study of the Vedas. −2. the repetition of the sacred syllable om.
−अर्थः the meaning of the Vedas.
−अवतारः revelation of the Vedas.
−आदि n., −आदिवर्णः, −आदि- बीजं the sacred syllable om.
−उक्त a. scriptural, taught in the Vedas.
−उदयः N. of the sun (the SāmaVeda being said to have proceeded from him).
−उदित a. scriptural, ordained by the Vedas.
−कौलेयकः an epithet of Śiva.
−गर्भः 1. an epithet of Brahman. −2. a Brāhmaṇa versed in the Vedas. −3. N. of Vishṇu.
−ज्ञः a Brāhmaṇa versed in the Vedas. −त्रयं, -त्रयी the three Vedas collectively.
−दृष्ट a. sanctioned by the Vedas
−निंदकः 1. an atheist, a heretic, an unbeliever (one who rejects the divine origin and character of the Vedas). −2. a Jaina or Buddhist.
−निंदा unbelief, heresy.
−पारगः a Brāhmaṇa skilled in the Vedas.
−मातृ f. N. of a very sacred Vedic verse called Gāyatrī q. v. −वचनं, -वाक्यं a Vedic text.
−वदनं grammar.
−वासः a Brāhmaṇa.
−वाह्य a. contrary to, or not founded on, the Veda.
−विद् m. 1. a Brāhmaṇa versed in the Vedas. −2. N. of Viṣṇu.
−विहित a. enjoined by the Vedas.
−व्यासः an epithet of Vyāsa who is regarded as the ‘arranger’ of the Vedas in their present form; see व्यास.
−संन्यासः giving up the ritual of the Vedas. −संमत, −संमित a. sanctioned by the Vedas.