The ऋग्वेद is the oldest recorded work of the human race. The Egyptians claim that another book entitled "Book of the Dead" was also written during the period of the ऋग्वेद . The Babylonians have an ancient work called 'Gilgamish', which according to scholars, is not as old as the ऋग्वेद . ऋग्वेद is the work that forms the basis of Hindu religion. Of the four Vedas, यजुर्वेद , सामवेद and अथर्ववेद were composed after ऋग्वेद ." The ऋग्वेद sūktas were interpreted for the first time in यास्क 's "Nirukta" and सायण 's "Vedārthaprakāśa".

The most important of the four वेदस् is ऋग्वेद . It is divided into ten "Maṇḍalas". There are 1017 सूक्तस् and 10472 ऋक्स् in it. Although there are 11 more सूक्तस् called "khilas," they are not usually included in the ऋग्वेद .

मण्डलस् two to seven of the ऋग्वेद were composed in different ऋषिकुलस् . The second मण्डल was of भार्गव कुल , the third of विश्वामित्रकुल , the fourth of वामदेव , the fifth of अत्रि , the sixth of भरद्वाज and the seventh of वसिष्ठ . The eighth मण्डल and the first 50 सूक्तस् of the first मण्डल were composed by कण्वकुल . The general view is that the tenth मण्डल was written by someone at a later period.

Most of the ऋग्वेद सूक्तस् are praises. But some of the सूक्तस् in the tenth मण्डल are of a different type. We can see in many सूक्तस् the joy and wonder experienced by the आर्यस् when they entered the beautiful land of India for the first time. Most scholars believe that the ऋग्वेद was composed during the period between 2,500 and 2,000 B.C.

Ancient Belief about ऋग्वेद

The four Vedas-- ऋग्वेद , यजुर्वेद , सामवेद and अथर्ववेद emerged from the four faces of ब्रह्मा . In कृतयुग , ब्रह्मा gave these Vedas to his sons. In द्वापरयुग , the ऋषिस् got these Vedas. महाविष्णु incarnated on earth for the preservation of Dharma, in the person of वेद व्यास . व्यास distributed the Vedas among his son शाकल्य and his disciples. शाकल्य received ऋग्वेद . He communicated it to his disciples. (Bhāgavata, 12th Skandha. See under the word Veda)