The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1997 page)

(Skt., ‘knowledge in verse’). The oldest of the
Veda
collections of hymns (
c.
13th cent. BCE) and the most important for its scope and originality. It consists of sung strophes (
c
) arranged into hymns (
sukta
) by the
hot
priests. Altogether the collection includes 1,028 hymns (or 1,017 excluding V
lakhilya hymns attached to the 8th
ma
ala
) divided into ten ma
alas (circles or schools). Ma
alas 2 to 7 are family collections, and are the oldest core of the
g Veda
. These are arranged according to the gods they address and according to decreasing length. Ma
ala 8 collects hymns from a number of families. Ma