Ebook: The Rig Veda

The earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas, and the first extensive composition to survive in any Indo-European language, the Rig Veda (c. 1200-900 BC) is a collection of over 1,000 individual Sanskrit hymns. A work of intricate beauty, it provides a unique insight into early Indian mythology, religion and culture. This selection of 108 of the hymns, chosen for their eloquence and wisdom, focuses on the enduring themes of creation, sacrifice, death, women, the sacred plant soma and the gods. Inspirational and profound, it provides a fascinating introduction to one of the founding texts of Hindu scripture - an awesome and venerable ancient work of Vedic ritual, prayer, philosophy, legend and faith. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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"Sanskrit hymns from the timeless world of myth and ritual The Rig Veda (c. 1200-900 BC), a collection of more than 1,000 hymns, represents the first extensive composition in any Indo-European language. Fraught with paradox, the hymns are meant to ‘puzzle, to surprise, to trouble the mind’, writes Professor O’ Flaherty, who has selected and translated 108 hymns for this volume. Details of daily life, the rich symbolism and mechanism of Vedic ritual, the pure poetry of the hymns—these elements combine to form a unique insight into early Indian mythology, philosophy and religion. For the general reader, as well as the scholar, The Rig Veda will be a source of constant interest and pleasure. Professor O’ Flaherty’s translation is sound and eminently readable, allowing the hymns to yield up their beauty and their wisdom."