Who were the Vedic composers (qualitatively)?

Question

I am seeking something different from all that has already been touched upon.

I am aware of the fact that Vedas are 'Apaurusheya' and 'Anaadi' and that they were revealed to the sages by the Gods during meditation. And after revelation the sages gave them to the disciples and people by putting them into the form of Sanskrit verses as hymns. And Vedavyasa is the one who gave Vedas the textual form. So no queries on that. And so please, no discussion on that.

What I wanted to know is; if there is any historical or scriptural or customary evidence or information regarding, '"What was the qualification for a sage/person whose hymn would be accepted as a Vedic hymn?"

Let me elaborate below;

Not all the Vedic hymns were composed instantly by one sage, in one revelation. There are numerous sages who composed the hymns at diferrent times. The Vedas were composed for thousands of years. As and when a new hymn was revealed and composed it was incorporated into the corpus of the already prevalent body of hymns of Vedas. So for a hymn to be accepted as a Vedic verse, it certainly had to have some qualities, moreover the composer too had to have some qualities.

There must have been some qualification as to which sage's which hymn becomes part of the vedic scripture. Certainly not all hymns composed by any person, who said this verse was revealed to me by the Gods, could become a vedic hymn.

In that case "What is the qualification for a hymn to be accepted as a vedic hymn and what is the qualification of a sage to compose a vedic hymn?"

So the question is; "Who were qualitatively regarded as the ones who could compose Vedas?"

Further, it is also said that, even today, Vedas are edited by certain people who have the sole authority to do so. Is this true? If so who are they? Where do they derive this authority from?

Answer 1

Rig veda V.44.14 says:

The sacred hymns love him who wakes and watches: to him who watches come the Sāma verses. This Soma saith unto the man who watches, I rest and have my dwelling in thy friendship.

Awakening the soul of Yoga requires bringing our inner fire or soul flame forward as the guide and master of our being. It means awakening to our inner guru and linking up the the inner tradition of truth.

Lighting our inner fire and keeping it burning throught all our states of consciousness as waking, dream and deep sleep, is the foundation of all deep Yoga and meditation.

To that person, who is always awake, mantras will come on their own. A true yogi never sleeps, because he always in AWAKENING STATE or BLISSFUL STATE.

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The following is from Aitareya Upanishad.

तस्मादिदन्द्रो नामेदन्द्रो ह वै नाम।

तमिदन्द्रं सन्तमिंद्र इत्याचक्षते परोक्षेण।

परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः ৷৷ 1.3.14 ৷৷

Therefore is He Idandra; for Idandra is the true name of Him. But though He is Idandra, they call Him Indra because of the veil of the Unrevelation; for the gods love the veil of the Unrevelation, yea, verily, the gods love the Unrevelation.

The gods love the Unrevelation or to be mysterious (परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः).

So the Rig vedic mantras should be composed in such a way that the true meaning will be revealed to one, who is awaken.

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Rig Veda I.164.45

चत्वारि वाक परिमिता पदानि तानि विदुर्ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः | गुहा तरीणि निहिता नेङगयन्ति तुरीयं वाचो मनुष्या वदन्ति ||

Four are the levels of speech that are measured, these the wise sages know. Three hidden in secrecy, they cannot manipulate, only with the fourth level of speech do humans talk.

Rig Veda itself says, there are 4 types of speech and only one(1) is known to humans. The remaining 3 speeches will be so cryptic and a true Yogi will know how to understand them.