Who Wrote the Vedas?

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Vedas are regarded as the most ancient and sacred scriptures of Hinduism. Hindus consider them to be śruti (“what is heard”), not authored by human beings but “revealed” to sages thousands of years ago. However, despite these claims, there is no historical proof of who composed them, when they were compiled, or how faithfully they were preserved.

The absence of any known author, the lack of archaeological or textual evidence, and the contradictions within the Vedas themselves raise serious questions. If there is no proof that God revealed them, why should people accept them as divine? If their stories promote inequality, animal sacrifice, and caste divisions, how can they be considered moral guides?

In this article, we will examine:

Oral transmission of the Vedas and why authorship is unknown.
Lack of evidence for divine revelation.
Contradictions and historical borrowing from other cultures.
Immoral practices endorsed in the Vedas.
The caste system and Brahmin supremacy rooted in the Vedic hymns.
Why belief in the Vedas is unnecessary and unreasonable.

Oral Transmission – The Vedas Were Passed Down by People

The four Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda) are collections of hymns, chants, and ritual instructions. Hindu tradition claims that they were “heard” by sages during meditation and preserved orally for centuries before being written.

Problems with Oral Preservation

No original manuscripts exist: The earliest written versions of the Vedas appear thousands of years after their supposed composition.
Human memory is fallible: No matter how disciplined, oral traditions always allow distortion, additions, and losses.
Controlled by priests: Brahmins monopolized the oral recitation, allowing them to alter verses to suit their power.

If the Vedas were truly eternal and divine, why would God allow them to be passed down in such a fragile, corruptible way instead of preserving them perfectly?

No Author – No Proof of Divine Revelation

The Vedas have no known messenger or author. Hindus claim they are “authorless” (apauruṣeya). But this argument creates more problems than it solves.

If no author is identified, how can we verify the source?
If God revealed them, why hide the identity of the messenger?
If they are eternal, why do they appear only in one region, India, and not universally?

The fact that no one knows who wrote the Vedas strongly suggests they were created collectively by Indo-Aryan tribes and later compiled by Brahmins to legitimize their dominance.

Contradictions and Cultural Borrowing

Contradictions

In the Rigveda, gods like Indra, Agni, Soma, and Varuna are praised as supreme. Later, Vishnu and Shiva are elevated. If there is only one eternal God, why the confusion about who is supreme?
Some hymns glorify drinking soma (a hallucinogenic drink), while later Hindu texts prohibit intoxication. How can eternal truth contradict itself?
Animal sacrifice is praised in the Vedas but rejected by many Hindus today. If it was divine truth, why did morality change?

Cultural Borrowing

Scholars have shown that Vedic stories resemble Indo-European myths:

Indra slaying the serpent Vritra mirrors Zeus fighting Typhon in Greek mythology.
Fire god Agni resembles Zoroastrian Atar.
The sacred drink Soma resembles the ritual drink Haoma in Persia.

This shows that the Vedas were not divine but cultural products influenced by neighboring traditions.

Immorality in the Vedas

If scriptures are divine, they should reflect timeless morality. Instead, the Vedas endorse practices that are deeply unethical.

Animal Sacrifice: Vedas glorify yajnas (sacrifices) involving animals, even cows. Innocent creatures were killed to please gods, something completely against universal morality.
Intoxication: Drinking soma is described as a path to spiritual ecstasy. Yet intoxicants destroy reason, health, and morality.
Polygamy and Women’s Subordination: Women are depicted as possessions, denied equality, and expected to serve men.
Violence in Rituals: Some hymns even invoke gods to destroy enemies through war and curses.

Can such a text be considered divine revelation when it normalizes violence, intoxication, and oppression?

The Caste System – Rooted in the Vedas

Perhaps the most damaging moral failure of the Vedas is their endorsement of caste hierarchy.

The Purusha Sukta (Rigveda 10.90)

This famous hymn describes the cosmic being (Purusha), from whose body the four castes emerged:

Brahmins (priests) from his mouth.
Kshatriyas (warriors) from his arms.
Vaishyas (merchants) from his thighs.
Shudras (servants) from his feet.

This single hymn gave Brahmins a divine right to rule over other castes.

Problems with the Caste Doctrine

No equality: It divides society into superior and inferior groups from birth.
Exploitation: Brahmins claimed supremacy because they were linked to the “mouth” (knowledge). Shudras, from the “feet,” were condemned to servitude.
Inherited privilege: Unlike merit-based systems, caste is inherited, ensuring permanent inequality.
Religious justification: Since it was said to come from the Vedas, questioning caste was seen as questioning God.

The caste system caused centuries of oppression, untouchability, and division in Indian society. If the Vedas were truly divine, they would promote equality and justice, not hereditary inequality.

Why Belief in the Vedas Is Unnecessary

No evidence: There is no author, no original text, no proof of divine revelation.
No universality: A true divine message should be for all humanity, not just one group in one language.
No morality: The Vedas endorse animal killing, intoxication, caste hierarchy, and oppression.
Contradictions: Conflicting gods, rituals, and practices show human invention, not eternal truth.
Tool for Brahmin power: The Vedas primarily serve to justify Brahmin authority and ritual dominance, not to uplift humanity.

Logical Questions That Expose the Myth

If the Vedas are eternal, who preserved them before humans existed?
If God revealed them, why is no messenger named?
If they are moral, why do they promote killing animals and oppressing lower castes?
If they are universal, why are they confined to India and Sanskrit?
If Brahmins are supreme because of Vedas, who gave them this authority, and why should others accept it?

Conclusion

The Vedas are often glorified as the “oldest scriptures of humanity,” yet their origins remain unknown. Passed orally, altered over centuries, and attributed to no author, they cannot be considered divine revelations. Their stories borrow from other cultures, their rituals encourage immorality, and their doctrines establish caste inequality that empowered Brahmins at the expense of others.

Without authorship, evidence, morality, or universality, the Vedas fail the test of divine scripture. At best, they are tribal hymns and cultural poems of ancient Indo-Aryans. At worst, they are instruments of Brahmin supremacy that created centuries of inequality.

Belief in the Vedas is not only unnecessary but dangerous, as it perpetuates caste, ritualism, and blind faith. True guidance must be based on universal morality, justice, and equality, not on unknown texts that elevate one group of people over others.