any or all of four canonical collections of hymns, prayers, and liturgical formulas that comprise the earliest Hindu sacred writings
The four Vedas are the Rig-Veda (the Veda of Hymns), the Yajur-Veda (the Veda of Prayers), the Sama-Veda (the Veda of Charms), and the Atharva-Veda (the Veda of the Atharvans or magician-priests)
[Sanskrit veda, literally ‘knowledge’]