Passage 3

Vedas confer security on humanity

The Veda should not be treated as mere Manthra. It helps to realise full knowledge and wisdom. The sages in ancient times had the inner vision and experience of the Divine and they gave expression to this revelation through the Vedas. They are applicable to entire humanity for all times. They confer security on humanity and show the way to happiness and peace. The goal of human life is to sacrifice desires and realise the Divine. Since the Vedas are Anantham (infinitely vast), it is difficult to master them within the short life-span of human life. That is why Veda Vyasa divided them into four sections. He compiled the Riks into one part and called them Rik Samhitha. He put all the Yajus together and named the collection as Yajus Samhitha. All the Sama hymns were presented in the Sama Samhitha. Other manthras were complied in a fourth section termed Atharvana Samhitha. The Yajus Samhitha was further divided into Shukla Yajur and Krishna Yajur Veda, bringing the actual number of Veda samhithas to five.