 Jan Gonda states that the diverse reference of "Brahman" in the Vedic literature, starting with Rigveda Samhitas, convey "different senses or different shades of meaning".There is no one single word in modern Western languages that can render the various shades of meaning of the word "Brahman" in the Vedic literature, according to Jan Gonda.In verses considered as the most ancient, the Vedic idea of "Brahman" is the "power immanent in the sound, words, verses and formulas of Vedas".