Shastra

Shastra The holy scriptures of the Hindus. According to the Hindu faith, the Shastras are divinely inspired and sacred. All these scriptures were written in old Sanskrit language. The holy Rishis (sages) is said to have had composed these Shastras in a divine inspiration. According to experts on the subject, all shastras are sacred because these are messages received by the sages inspired by the Creator. These messages have been compiled under 18 titles. Again, these titles have been divided into four categories. The first category consists of four Vedas, namely, 'Rg-Veda', 'Sama-Veda', 'Yajur-Veda' and 'Atharva-Veda'. The scholars view these four Vedas as the oldest. The period of their composition is believed to be around 1400 BC. The second category of Shastras consists of four 'Upa-Vedas'. The third category of Shastras consist of six 'Vedabga' or 'Vidyabga'. The fourth category of Shastras consists of four 'Upa-Abga' or 'Upabga', or 'Vidya-Visleshan'. The 'Upangas' comprise of the Puranas (mythologies), Ramayana and Mahabharat. The second and third Upangas contain Nyay-Shastra and Dharma-Shastra. The fourth Upanga contains the laws (with notes) framed by Manu – the son of the creator Brahma. [Sirajul Islam]