The Vedas

The ancient Hindu scriptures are broadly classified into four categories:

1.   Shruti (literally meaning “heard”)

2.    Smriti (literally meaning “remembered”)

3.    Darshana (the schools of Hindu religious philosophy)

4.    Tantras- Agama and Nigama - (another parallel set of discipline in which God is looked upon as both Male and Female principle, called Shiva and Shakti).

The “Shruti” scriptures- Primary Scriptures
These are considered to be of divine origin, revealed to the ancient seers in their deep meditation. They include the four Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda) and the Bhagwad Gita.

Vedas are the collective wisdom through ages of many seers. They are revealed Truths, and so do not have any single origin. Various Rishis (sages) taught these Truths at different times and different places. Hence the knowledge of Vedas was scattered. In course of time a need was felt to collect and compile the Vedic Truths. A great sage named Krishna Dwaipayan Vyasa collected them from different sources and recorded them in a book called the Vedas.

For more detailed discussion, you are humbly invited to read my blog Introduction to Hindu Scriptures - Part 1