The Rigveda has 10 mandalas.
The Structure of the Rigveda: Its Mandalas
The Rigveda, one of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, is meticulously organized into a specific number of books or divisions known as mandalas. This ancient collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns is fundamentally structured into 10 such mandalas. These divisions help categorize the vast body of hymns and provide a framework for understanding their composition and thematic content.
Among these ten divisions, the first and tenth Mandalas are particularly notable. They are considered the youngest in terms of their composition period and are also the longest in terms of the number of hymns they contain. This suggests a historical evolution in the compilation of the Rigveda, with later additions forming the bookends of this monumental text.
Here's a quick overview of the Rigveda's structure:
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Mandalas | 10 |
| Compositional Age | First and Tenth are the youngest |
| Length | First and Tenth are the longest |
