Question

The first one, among the following, to deal with music was_________
A. Rig Veda
B. Yajur Veda
C. Sama Veda
D. Atharva Veda

Answer 1

Hint: The Vedas are religious texts that had originated in ancient India. These are the oldest scriptures in Hinduism written in Sanskrit.

Complete answer: The four Vedas are called Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda and Sama Veda. Each Veda was divided into four parts. Vedas are what is heard which is different from other religious texts. The meaning of the term Veda is ‘knowledge’. The teachings and practices in the Vedas are the basis of six major schools of Hindu philosophy: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. The first Veda to deal with music was the Sama Veda.
The Sama Veda is the Veda which is based on melodies and chants. It is one of the four Vedas. It consists of 1549 verses out of which 75 are taken from Rig Veda. The Sama Veda is likely to have ranged from 1500 BC. The Sama Veda consists of two parts, one part consists of four collections of the melodies, the other part is the book. The melody is divided into two parts known as the Gramageya and Aranyageya.
Therefore, option C is the right answer.

Note: The rule of the Sama Veda is to sing it and not read it. It is said that if Rig Veda is a book then Sama Veda is a song. Rig Veda is the knowledge while the Sama Veda is the realisation. The Sama Veda consists of notable melodies of the world. These are probably the last surviving ones.