Although the main Vedas were very old, religious commentators continued to add some parts to them until fairly recently (such as some discussions of the Upaniṣadsfrom the 17thcentury CE).•The Vedas can be considered as several different categories of texts.•For instance, the the earliest group, the Saṁhitā (meaning “collection”) Vedas, comprise mantras for rituals. •Coming after the Saṁhitās, the Brāhmaṇa Vedas describe rituals, and explain the connection between these rituals and particular myths