RAS question
Which Veda is the oldest and primarily consists of hymns dedicated to various deities?
Correct answer: (B) Rigveda.
The Rigveda is the oldest Veda and consists chiefly of hymns addressed to various deities.
Explanation
The answer is Rigveda because it is the earliest of the four Vedic collections. Its composition is placed around 1500-1200 BCE, and it contains 1,028 hymns, or suktas, arranged in 10 mandalas. Encyclopaedia Britannica describes the Rigveda, the "Veda of Verses", as the earliest Veda and says it is composed of about 1,000 hymns addressed to various deities. That directly matches the question's phrasing. Its hymnic character also separates it from the more specialised ritual, chant, and spell-related functions associated with the other Vedas.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Yajurveda is not the oldest hymnic collection; Britannica describes it as the Veda of Sacrificial Formulas, containing prose formulas and verses for rites.
- (C) Samaveda is not primarily the oldest body of hymns; Britannica describes it as the Veda of Chants, built from selected verses used with musical notation.
- (D) Atharvaveda is a later compilation, and Britannica identifies its content with incantations and magic spells rather than the earliest hymns to deities.
Concept
This tests the basic classification of the four Vedas in ancient Indian history. RAS often revisits it because Vedic literature anchors questions on early religious practice, ritual, and textual chronology.