One of the Vedas, the four main holy texts of Hinduism. The Ṛg-veda is a compilation of Sanskrit hymns to the gods, prayers and mythological accounts of the origin of the world. It was probably composed over a long period, dating back to roughly the tenth century BCE or earlier, though it was probably only written down in around the fifth century of the Common Era. It is often known as the Rigveda in the West.