VEDAS are the very first books of knowledge. Veda comes from the root "Vid" which means know. So Veda can be interpretted as knowledge, the one to be known, useful to know, must be known, etc. They are in Vedic Sanskrit (different from normal Sanskrit). Vedas are four (4) in number - Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda & Atharva Veda. They are Apourusheya (not of human origin). They are revealed to many Rishis (scholar saints) 1.97 billion or 197 crore (precisley"1972949112") years before, as per Bharatheeya Jyothisha Ganana (for more reference read Arshanadam Malayalam Vedic-Philosophical magazine or contact its publisher Narendra Vedaprakash, Vedic Scholar for details)
Vedas have a very highly sofacicated and systematic way of chanting. Vedas are memorized through the most extra-ordinary way, by which they are protected till date. They were not written initially. They were written, probably in past few thousands of years only.
As per through and scholarly analysis by Swami Dayananda Saraswati (founder of Arya Samaj), Vedas are Mantra Samhitas (collection) only. According to many Indian scholars like Sayanacharya, Madhavacharya, Ramanuja, etc. and Western scholars like Prof. Max Muller, Doyson, Keith, etc. Vedas include Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads; which are written by humans (Rishis) - Pourusheya, according to Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
Almost all famous interpretations of Vedas follow Sayana Bhashya which take meanings as per normal Sanskrit way, like Surya as sun, Varuna as water, Agni as fire, etc. They are to be interpretted as per Niruktha as per context as Ishwar (God) or Devata (natural forces). Vedas have muti-level meanings which could be understood thru proper training.
Vedas contain immense knowledge.
Vedas should be properly studied and understood, in a proper Gurukula under a real Guru.
Vedas have to be studied Sangopangam (with Vedanga & Vedopanga), complete with the following
4 Vedas - Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva
4 Upa Veda - Ayur Veda, Dhanur Veda, Gandharva Veda, Artha Veda
6 Vedanga - Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Niruktha, Chandas, Jyothisha.
6 Vedopanga are Yoga, Sankhya, Vaisheshika, Naya, Meemamsa, Vedantha.
4 Puranas (also known as Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Narashamsi, etc.) - Aithareya, Shathapatha, Sama, Gopatha
11 Upanishads - Aithareya, Isha, Katha, Bruhadaranyaka, Thaitheerika, Shwethaswathara, Kena, Chandokya, Mundaka, Mandukya, Prasna
One of the recent authorities on Vedas were late Acharya Narendra Bhooshan (from Kerala, India). He was a very simple person with immense knowledge who never went for name, fame or money. He got many awards by various Vedic authorities in India including Arya Samaj, Sahithya Academy award, first Amrita Keerti award, etc. He published Chatur Veda Samhita in Malayalam. Also, he started Malayala Bhashya of Yajur Veda, which is continued by his son Narendra Vedaprakash, another Vedic scholar.
(courtesy - Arshanadam Magazine, The only Vedic-Philosophical magazine in Malayalam)
