The Secret of the Veda

Bibliographical Note

Sri Aurobindo's various writings on the Veda and his translations of some of the hymns, originally published in the Arya between August 1914 and 1920, were brought together and published in book-form in 1956 under the general title ON THE VEDA. They were reissued in 1964. The title of the volume, however, has now been changed to the more significant, THE SECRET OF THE VEDA.

For the purposes of the Centenary Edition the same arrangement as in ON THE VEDA has been maintained except for the following additions and alterations in Part III and Part IV.

In Part III a number of translations of Hymns to Indra, found in his manuscripts and later published in The Advent, an Ashram journal, have been included.

Three Hymns to the Fire have been shifted from Part IV to Volume 11, HYMNS TO THE MYSTIC FIRE.

A letter addressed to The Hindu of Madras and published in its issue of August 27, 1914, in answer to a criticism of his interpretation of the Veda, is also appended here.

"The Origins of Aryan Speech", mentioned by Sri Aurobindo on page 548, is reproduced here as found in his manuscripts.