आ घा योषेव सूनरी उषा याति प्रभुञ्जती ।
जरयन्ती वृजनं पद्वत् ईयते उत्पातयति पक्षिणः ॥
আ ঘা যোষেব সূনরী উষা যাতি প্রভুঞ্জতী ।
জরয়ন্তী বৃজনং পদ্ধৎ ইয়তে উৎপাতয়তি পক্ষিণ: ।।
Like a noble lady Uṣas comes
carefully tending everything:
Rousing all life she stirs all creatures that have feet,
and makes the birds of air fly up (RV 1.48.5)
सुसंकाशा मातृमृष्टेव योषाविस्तन्वं कृणुषे दृशे कम् ।
भद्रा त्वमुषो वितरं व्युच्छ न तत्ते अन्या उषसो नशन्त ॥ (RV 1.123.11)
সুসংকাশা মাতৃ মৃষ্টা ইব যোষা আবি: তন্বং কৃণুষে দৃশো কম্ ।
ভদ্রা ত্বমুষো বিতরং বি উচ্ছ ন তত্তে অন্যা উষসো নশন্ত ।।
Fair as a bride embellished by her mother
thou showest forth thy form that all may see it.
Blessed art thou O Dawn. Shine yet more widely.
No other Dawns have reached what thou attainest.

उच्छन्ती या कृणोषि मंहना महि प्रख्यै देवि स्वर्दृशे ।
तस्यास्ते रत्नभाज ईमहे वयं स्याम मातुर्न सूनवः ॥
উচ্ছন্তী যা কৃণোষি মংহনা মহি প্রখ্যৈ দেবি স্ব: দৃশো।
তস্যা: তে রত্নভাজ: ইমহে বয়ং স্যাম মাতু: ন সূনব:।।
Thou, dawning, workest fain to light the great world, yea, heaven,
Goddess! that it may be seen.
We yearn to be thine own, Dealer of Wealth:
may we be to this Mother like her sons. (RV VII.81.4)
इन्द्र क्रतुं न आ भर पिता पुत्रेभ्यो यथा ।
शिक्षा णो अस्मिन्पुरुहूत यामनि जीवा ज्योतिरशीमहि ॥
ইন্দ্র ক্রতুং ন আ ভর পিতা পুত্রেভ্যো যথা ।
শিক্ষা ন: অস্মিন্ পুরুহূত যামনি জীবা জ্যোতি: অশীমহি।।
God! Give us wisdom, as a father gives wisdom to his sons.
Guide us, much-invoked, in this path.
May we live and have light. (R. VII 32.26, SV 259, 1456, AV 18.3.57, 20.79.1)
एकः सुपर्णः स समुद्रमा विवेश स इदं विश्वम्भुवनं वि चष्टे |
तं पाकेन मनसापश्यम् अन्तितस् तं माता रेळि स उ रेळि मातरम ||(RV 10.114.4)
এক: সুপর্ণ: স সমুদ্রম্ আ বিবেশ স ইদং বিশ্বম্ ভুবনং বি চষ্টে ।
তং পাকেন মনসা অপশ্যম্ অন্তিত: তং মাতা রেলি স উ রেলি মাতরম ।।
One beautiful winged (Bird) hath passed into the sea of air
From there he looks round and views this universal world.
With simple heart I have beheld him from near:
His Mother kisses him and he returns her kiss.

***
The Vedas are the fountainhead of Hinduism and its ultimate sacred scriptures. These sacred books are the most ancient preserved literature of the world. It is difficult to say when exactly these works were composed. According to educated guess, these are more than seven to 8,000 years old.
The contents of these books are the records of the spiritual realisation of the sages of that period. Some of the mantras of the Vedas, including the Gaytri mantra are quite popular and are recited regularly by millions.
Everything of Hinduism, the grand old religion of the world, flows out of these sacred books, organised in four -- Rik, Sama, Yajur and Atharva. Composed and preserved in an oral tradition since ancient times, these contain in full the four aspects of religion - philosophy, mythology, rituals, and ethics. Most importantly, these contain the Upanishads, popularly known as Vedanta, which is the greatest philosophical system in the world.
The Vedas contain more than 20, 000 verses of varied lengths. The language used is very old and the mantras have profound meaning. This series of talks tries to give a simple overview of these sacred books.
#SwamiSamarpanananda #Veda #IndianSpiritualHeritage #AuthorSamarpan