Journey into the Cosmic Verse
Explore one of humanity's oldest sacred texts through interactive data visualizations.
Anatomy of an Ancient Text
Maṇḍala
(Book)
Sūkta
(Hymn / full song)
Ṛc
(Verse)
Vedic Sanskrit Basics (click cards for details)
Nouns Have Many Forms
Case endings reveal a word's role, allowing for flexible word order.
A word's ending (its 'case') reveals its grammatical function. This makes word order much more fluid than in English.
agním (the fire, as object)
Verbs Grow from Roots
Most verbs are derived from a core root (Dhātu) that holds the essential meaning.
A small set of core roots (Dhātus) form the basis for thousands of conjugated verbs, carrying concepts like 'to go', 'to be', or 'to know'.
gacchati (he/she/it goes)
Sounds Merge with Sandhi
Adjacent sounds blend together following euphonic rules for a poetic flow.
To create a more harmonious and flowing sound, the last letter of one word and the first letter of the next often combine. This is called 'Sandhi' (joining).
Rishi Timeline
This is a graphical representation of all rishis in their respective time line of existance with how much of literature is attributed to them
Contribution of each rishi per mandala visualized
A panoramic view of the ten Maṇḍalas (books). Select a Mandala from the dropdown to see the proportional contribution of its primary Ṛṣis (seers) visualized as a pie chart.
Corpus Analytics
Explore statistical distributions and relationships within the Rig Veda metadata. Click on any visualization to view it in full-screen.
Thematic Analysis
Use sliders to see the distribution of hymns related to a theme across the Mandalas. The chart shows the percentage of a Mandala's hymns that match the selected theme keywords.
Deity Narrative Map
Explore the primary narratives and themes associated with major Rig Vedic deities.
About These Narratives
Select a deity from the dropdown to see a breakdown of their associated themes and stories as represented in the hymns.
Evolution of Concepts
Track the prominence and thematic evolution of key deities, rishis, and concepts across the ten Maṇḍalas.
Interpreting the Evolution
Select one or more items (deities, rishis, concepts) to visualize their changing prominence (based on hymn attributions or keyword frequency) from the earliest to the latest Maṇḍalas.
Key Observations
Observations based on selected items will appear here.
Evolution of Poetic Meters
Analyze the distribution of poetic meters (Chandas) across Maṇḍalas and their preference by major Ṛṣi families using different chart styles.
Meter Distribution by Maṇḍala (Stacked Area)
This chart shows the percentage of hymns composed in each major meter for all ten Maṇḍalas using a stacked area visualization to highlight trends over time.
Observations on Meter by Maṇḍala
The Rig Veda shows a distinct evolution in metrical preference. The "family books" (Maṇḍalas 2-7) show strong, established preferences. For example, Maṇḍala 2 (Gṛtsamada) is overwhelmingly Triṣṭubh, while Maṇḍala 3 (Viśvāmitra) heavily features Gāyatrī. Later Maṇḍalas, like 1 and 10, show a much greater diversity of meters, including more complex forms. The area chart emphasizes the dominance shifts.
Meter Preference by Ṛṣi Family (Grouped Bar)
This chart compares the metrical "fingerprint" of the primary Ṛṣis for the core family books (Maṇḍalas 2-7).
Observations on Meter by Ṛṣi
Each Ṛṣi family (Kula) had a clear preference. The Gṛtsamadas (M. 2) perfected the 11-syllable Triṣṭubh, suiting heroic hymns to Indra. The Viśvāmitras (M. 3) are masters of the 8-syllable Gāyatrī, used for hymns to Agni and in the famous Gāyatrī mantra. The Vasiṣṭhas (M. 7) also favored the Triṣṭubh but showed more flexibility. This specialization highlights the distinct schools of poetic tradition within the Vedic period.
Map of the Rig Vedic Civilization
This map shows approximate locations of rivers and regions mentioned across all Mandalas. Markers are colored by certainty (Orange = Higher).
Identified Locations on Map:
Conceptual Constellations
Explore the relationships between core Vedic concepts, deities, and actions. This feature uses (simulated) co-occurrence analysis to show what ideas are linked in the text.
About This Concept
Select a concept from the dropdown to see its network.
The World of the Veda
A dashboard visualizing the tangible world and society described in the hymns, based on (simulated) word frequency analysis.
Interpreting the Data
Key Observations
This (simulated) data reveals the priorities of the Vedic people. The overwhelming prominence of 'Gau' (Cow) and 'Aśva' (Horse) highlights a pastoral-warrior society. Cows represented mobile wealth and sustenance, while horses were essential for transport, battle, and ritual.
The social roles chart shows the clear hierarchy of 'Rājan' (King) as the leader/patron and 'Purohita' (Priest) as the ritual specialist, with the 'Viś' (People/Tribe) forming the societal base.
Study Mode: The Maṇḍala Challenge
Learn about each Maṇḍala using the interactive cards below, then test your knowledge with the challenge!
Learn the Maṇḍalas
The Challenge
Vedic Lexicon Explorer
Explore key terms through traditional Indian and modern Western lenses. Use the search bar to navigate the collection by category.