Research In: Religious Studies

Vedic Texts

The Vedic texts, including the Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva Vedas, are generally classed as Shruti ("heard") texts, and are recognized within the Hindu faith as containing foundational and divinely-revealed truths. They are thought to be at least 3,000 years old, and were originally written in Vedic Sanskrit. 

Each of the four Vedas contains four sections: Samhita, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads. 

For a helpful overview of the significance of the Vedic texts and other Hindu scriptures, see: 

In the Library: 

At Holy Cross, we organize our books using a system called Library of Congress Classification or LCC. LCC is based on the subject of the books. Each letter represents a specific subject. Each subject is broken down into more specific letter sections, each of which is further broken down into number ranges for specific topics. Most call numbers have additional  numbers and letters on the end of them, which are used to give each book a unique spot on the library shelves. 

The Libraries own multiple editions of the Vedic texts. General collections of Vedic texts come first, followed by individual texts organized by sections and then by Veda (for example: under BL1112.4 to BL1114.89, you will first find general collections of Samhitas, then the Rigveda Samhita, followed by the Yajurveda Samhita, and so on): 
 

Suggested Resources: 

The Epics
Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita

Two of the most important Smriti ("memory") texts are the Ramayana and Mahabharata, historical epics written in Sanskrit poetry. Ramayana tells the story of the divine Prince Rama, and exists in many versions. Mahabharata tells the story of the conflict between the demonic Kauravas and divine Pandavas, and is the longest epic poem in existence -- seven times longer than the Iliad and Odyssey combined!

The Mahabharata contains another text, the Bhagavad Gita, which recounts a conversation between the god Krishna and the hero Arjuna. The Bhagavad Gita is often published and discussed on its own -- you will find separate copies in the library -- and is considered a particularly sacred and significant text. 

For a helpful overview of the significance of the epics and other Hindu scriptures, see: 

In the Library: 

At Holy Cross, we organize our books using a system called Library of Congress Classification or LCC. LCC is based on the subject of the books. Each letter represents a specific subject. Each subject is broken down into more specific letter sections, each of which is further broken down into number ranges for specific topics. Most call numbers have additional  numbers and letters on the end of them, which are used to give each book a unique spot on the library shelves. 

The Libraries own multiple editions of the Hindu epics:

Suggested Resources: 

Other Texts

For a helpful overview of the significance of different Hindu scriptures, see: 

In the Library: 

At Holy Cross, we organize our books using a system called Library of Congress Classification or LCC. LCC is based on the subject of the books. Each letter represents a specific subject. Each subject is broken down into more specific letter sections, each of which is further broken down into number ranges for specific topics. Most call numbers have additional  numbers and letters on the end of them, which are used to give each book a unique spot on the library shelves. 

The Libraries own multiple editions of the various Hindu scriptures, including: 
 

Suggested Resources: