BharatNotes Vedic
adjective (also noun, denoting the early form of Sanskrit in which the Vedas were composed)Usage in a UPSC answer
Any meaningful debate on India's civilisational continuity must reckon with the Vedic corpus, whose hymns and rituals continue to shape the cultural and philosophical undercurrents of contemporary Indian society.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
Veda (n), Vedas (n pl), Vedanta (n), Vedantin (n), Vedicism (n)
Root
Sanskrit veda = knowledge, from root vid- = to know; cognate with Latin vidēre; English -ic added 1840s
Etymology
From Sanskrit veda ("knowledge"), derived from the root vid- ("to know"), cognate with Latin vidēre ("to see") and English wit; the English suffix -ic was added in the 1840s.
Memory Hook
VEDic shares its root with "VID-eo" and "VISion" — both from PIE *weid- "to see/know"; the Vedas are literally the seen and known sacred knowledge.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
Pertaining to the Vedas or to the period of their composition. The corpus has a definite architecture that questions test directly: four Samhitas, the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda, each with attached Brahmanas explaining ritual, Aranyakas or forest texts, and Upanishads containing philosophical speculation, the last being termed Vedanta, the end of the Veda. The Rigveda is the oldest, while the Atharvaveda with its charms and spells is generally taken as the latest and as drawing heavily on non-Aryan folk tradition. The Vedas are classed as shruti, that which was heard and revealed, against smriti, that which is remembered and humanly composed. This is not a merely bibliographic distinction, because acceptance of Vedic authority is precisely the criterion dividing the orthodox from the heterodox schools of Indian philosophy.
Don’t Confuse It With
Shruti is revealed literature, comprising the Vedas with their Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads, while smriti is remembered and humanly authored, covering the Dharmashastras, epics and Puranas. Vedanta means the end of the Veda and denotes the Upanishads and the philosophy built upon them. Vedic Sanskrit is the older language of the Samhitas, distinct from the Classical Sanskrit later codified by Panini. Astika schools accept Vedic authority and nastika schools reject it, a division about scripture rather than about belief in God.
Hindi Meaning
वैदिक (vaidik); श्रुति (shruti) and स्मृति (smriti) retained as they stand.
Common Questions
- What is the difference between shruti and smriti?
- Shruti is revealed literature, the Vedas together with the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads, while smriti is humanly composed and remembered, including the Dharmashastras, epics and Puranas.
- What are the four Vedas?
- The Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda, the Rigveda being the oldest and the Atharvaveda generally regarded as the latest.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Mains 2024 · GS1 · 10 marks — Ancient India
- Mains 2023 · GS1 · 15 marks — Ancient India
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Vedic” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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