The Rigveda, the oldest of the four Vedas, is considered the first known literary work of humankind. It contains more than 1,000 hymns and over 10,000 verses dedicated to natural forces like the sun, fire, wind, and water — not as gods to fear, but as cosmic energies to understand and live in harmony with. The concept of Rita (cosmic order), introduced in the Vedas, later evolved into the idea of Dharma, which remains central to Indian philosophy.