The Vedas are a collection of hymns and other ancient religious texts written in India between about 1500 and 1000 BCE. It includes elements such as liturgical material as well as mythological accounts, poems, prayers, and formulas considered to be sacred by the Vedic religion.<br /><br />According to tradition, Vyasa is the compiler of the Vedas, who arranged the four kinds of mantras into four Samhitas<br />(Collections). There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda.<br /><br />The basic Vedic texts are the Samhita &ldquo;Collections&rdquo; of the four Vedas:<br /><br />Rig-Veda &ldquo;Knowledge of the Hymns of Praise&rdquo;, for recitation.<br />Sama-Veda &ldquo;Knowledge of the Melodies&rdquo;, for chanting.<br />Yajur-Veda &ldquo;Knowledge of the Sacrificial formulas&rdquo;, for liturgy.<br />Atharva-Veda &ldquo;Knowledge of the Magic formulas&rdquo;, named after a kind of group of priests.