Features of Rigveda

# It is the oldest form of Veda and oldest known Vedic Sanskrit text(1800 – 1100 BCE).

# The meaning of the word ‘Rigveda’ is Praise Knowledge.

# It has 10600 verses.

# Out of 10 books or mandalas, book number 1 and 10 are the youngest ones as they were written later than books 2 to 9.

#Rigvedic books 2-9 deal with cosmology and deities.

# Rigvedic books 1 and 10 deal with philosophical questions and also talk about various virtues including a charity in the society.

# Rigvedic books 2-7 are the oldest and shortest also called family books.

# Rigvedic books 1 & 10 are the youngest and longest.

# 1028 hymns deal with deities including Agni, Indra and are attributed and dedicated to a sage rishi.

# The ninth Rigvedic book/mandala is solely dedicated to Soma.

# The meters used to form hymns are Gayatri, Anushtubh, Trishtubh and Jagati (Trishtubh and Gayatri are most important).