Most Hindu sacred texts are written in Sanskrit, revered as the language that gods speak. The script used for Sanskrit is Devanagri, which literally means 'from the cities of the gods'.
Sacred Hindu literature is broadly classified as Sruti (heard) and Smriti (remembered).
Sruti – that which was heard
Vedas
The Vedas are referred to as Sruti – that which was heard when it was revealed by God for the benefit of humanity. These are the oldest of all Hindu texts and have been traced back to 1500–1000 BC. The four branches of the Vedas – Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda – are believed to contain all the knowledge that can ever exist in the world.
There are 33 gods mentioned in the Vedas – Indra, Prajapati, twelve Adityas, 11 Rudras and 8 Vasus. Praying to these gods, as prescribed in the Vedas, assures the fulfillment of worldly goals. The Vedic gods represent the forces of nature on a macrocosmic level and the forces inside every mortal being, at a microcosmic level.
Smriti – that which was remembered
The era that we now classify as post-Vedic brought forth texts that are referred to as Smriti – that which was remembered and then recorded by ancient Hindu seers. The Vedas were segregated and categorized according to the information they contained and several rishis complied the Smriti texts based on the knowledge that they had assimilated from them.
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