As the primary religious texts of the ancient Aryans, the Vedas continue to be regarded by many Indians as having been authored not by humans but gods, or as self-existing.•Nonetheless, for many centuries the Vedas were said to have been passed down orally (not in writing) by ṛṣīs or holy men.•However, since ancient times the priests or Brahmins (Brahmans) have been the primary caretakers of this oral tradition