The hymns of the Rigveda are known as:

The hymns of the Rigveda are called "suktas", which means "well said" or "well recited".

About suktas:

• Each sukta is a hymn made up of several verses, called "richas" (or "riks").
• The word "Rigveda" itself comes from "rik" (verse of praise) and "veda" (knowledge).
• The suktas were composed by many sages ("rishis"), including some women.
• They were in praise of different gods, such as Agni, Indra, Soma, Varuna, Surya and the Ashvins.
• Some suktas are philosophical, asking questions about the creation of the universe.

How they were preserved:

• The Rigveda was composed in an early form of Sanskrit, called Vedic Sanskrit.
• The hymns were memorised and passed on orally from teacher to student for many centuries, with great care to preserve every sound.
• They were written down much later, perhaps more than 2,000 years after they were composed.
• Special methods of recitation ("patha"), such as the padapatha and jatapatha, were used to avoid any change in the text.
• UNESCO has recognised the "Tradition of Vedic Chanting" as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Famous suktas:

• "Nasadiya Sukta" (Hymn of Creation): it asks how the universe came into existence, and ends with the doubt whether even the highest being knows the answer.
• "Nadistuti Sukta": a hymn in praise of rivers.
• "Vak Sukta": in praise of speech.

Other terms:

"Mantra": a sacred verse or formula.

Why not the other options?

• ✗"Sutras" are short, concise texts of a later period, such as the Grihya Sutras and Dharma Sutras.
• ✗"Smritis" are texts based on tradition, such as the Manusmriti.
• ✗The Puranas are later texts with verses called shlokas.