The Sanskrit term shakha (IAST śākhā), literally "branch" (as of a tree) or "arm", is used to refer either to a school of the Vedas, or to the traditional texts followed by a school. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration ( IAST) is a popular Transliteration scheme that allows a lossless Romanization of Indic "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. ^[1] Monier-Williams defines it as "a branch or school of the Veda, each adhering to its own traditional text and interpretation)". ^[2] That is, a shakha is a theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts chosen from the extensive Vedic corpus. "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. ^[3]

The related term caraṇa, which in general means "conduct of life" or "behavior", is also used to refer to a school or branch of any of the Vedas. ^[4] Monier-Williams says that "although the words caraṇa and śākhā are sometimes used synonymously, yet caraṇa properly applies to the sect or collection of persons united in one school, and śākhā to the traditional text followed, as in the phrase śākhām adhite, he recites a particular version of the Veda. "^[5]

An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a "follower" (śākhin). ^[6] This term is also used in Hindu philosophy to refer to an adherent of a particular orthodox system. Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit ''{{IAST|āstika}}'') schools of thought or darshanas (literally "views" Sankhya ^[7] The schools have different points of view on some things, which are described as "difference of (Vedic) school" (śākhābhedaḥ). ^{[8] [9]}

In traditional Hinduism affiliation with a specific school is an important aspect of class identity. By the end of the Rig Vedic period the term Brāhmaṇa had come to be applied to all members of the priestly class, but there were subdivisions within this order based both on caste and on the shakha (branch) with which they were affiliated. Brahmin ( Brāhmaṇa, sa ब्राह्मणः is the class of educators scholars and preachers in Brahminical Hinduism. Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power. ^[10] A Brāhmaṇa who changed his own school of the Vedas would be called "a traitor to his śākhā" (śākhāraṇḍaḥ). Brahmin ( Brāhmaṇa, sa ब्राह्मणः is the class of educators scholars and preachers in Brahminical Hinduism. ^[11]

Summary of schools

Map of early Iron Age Vedic India after Witzel (1989). The Vedic Period (or Vedic Age) is the period in the History of India during which the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, were being Location hypotheses for Vedic shakhas are shown in green.

A Vedic text may have a number of theological schools associated with it. For each school, adherents would learn a specific Vedic Saṃhita (one of the "four Vedas" properly so-called), as well as its associated Brahmana, Aranyakas, Shrautasutras, Grhyasutras and Upanishads. "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. The Brāhmaṇa s ( Devanagari: sa ब्राह्मणं are part of the Hindu śruti literature The Aranyakas (Sanskrit आरण्यक āraṇyaka) are part of the Hindu śruti, the four Vedas these religious texts were composed in Kalpa is one of the six disciplines of Vedanga, treating Ritual. Kalpa is one of the six disciplines of Vedanga, treating Ritual. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings

The traditional source of information on the shakhas of each Veda is the Caraṇa-vyūha, of which two mostly similar versions exist: the 49th pariśiṣṭa of the Atharvaveda, ascribed to Shaunaka, and the 5th pariśiṣṭa of the Śukla (White) Yajurveda, ascribed to Kātyāyana. Pariśiṣṭa ( Devanagari: परिशिष्ट "supplement appendix" is the term applied to various ancillary works of Vedic literature dealing Shaunaka is the name applied to teachers and to a Shakha of the Atharvaveda. Kātyāyana (c 3rd century BC was a Sanskrit grammarian, mathematician and Vedic priest who lived in ancient India. These have lists of the numbers of recensions that were believed to have once existed as well as those still extant at the time the works were compiled. Only a small number of recensions have survived. ^[12]

Rig

• Monier-Williams says that Śaunaka's Caraṇa-vyuha lists five shakhas for the Rig Veda, the Śākala, Bāṣkala, Aśvalāyana, Śaṅkhāyana, and Māṇḍukāyana, but that only one, the Śākala, is now extant.

• Uncited notes:

• The Rigveda is known in the Shakala-shakha only (with surviving Bashkala fragments),

• The Bashkala recension of the Rigveda has the Khilani which are not present in the Shakala text. The Khilani are a collection of 98 " Apocryphal " hymns of the Rigveda, recorded in the Bāṣkala, but not in the Śākala Shakha

• Rigveda: The Shakala has the Aitareya-Brahmana, The Bashkala has the Kausitaki-Brahmana. The Aitareya Brahmana (AB is the Brahmana associated with the Rigveda in the Shakala Shakha. The Kaushitaki Brahmana is a Brahmana (expository commentaries of Brahmanic rituals of the Bashkala Shakha (branch associated with the Rigveda (most

Yajur

• Monier-Williams says that Śaunaka's Caraṇa-vyuha lists forty-two or forty-four out of eighty-six shakhas for the Yajur Veda, but that only five of these are now extant, with a sixth partially extant.

• Uncited notes:

• for the Yajur Veda the five (partially in six) shakhas are the (Vajasaneyi Madhandina, Kanva; Taittiriya, Maitrayani, Caraka-Katha, Kapisthala-Katha). The Taittiriya Shakha is a notable Shakha ("rescension" of the Black Yajurveda.

• Yajurveda: The Yajurvedin shakhas are divided in "White" and "Black" schools. The White recensions have separate Brahmanas, while the Black ones have their Brahmanas interspersed between the Mantras.

• White Yajurveda: vājasaneyi madhyandina (VSM), vājasaneyi kānva (VSK): Shatapatha Brahmana (ShBM, ShBK)
• Black Yajurveda: taittirīya saṃhita (TS) with an additional Brahmana, Taittiriya Brahmana (TB), maitrayani saṃhita (MS), caraka-katha saṃhita (KS), kapiṣṭhala-katha saṃhita (KapS). The Shatapatha Brahmana (sa शतपथ ब्राह्मण śatapatha brāhmaṇa, " Brahmana of one-hundred paths" abbreviated ŚB The Taittiriya Shakha is a notable Shakha ("rescension" of the Black Yajurveda.

Sama

• Monier-Williams says that Śaunaka's Caraṇa-vyuha lists twelve shakhas for the Sama Veda out of a thousand that are said to have once existed, but that of these only one or perhaps two are still extant.

• Uncited notes:

• The two Samaveda recensions are the Jaiminiya and Kauthuma.

• Samaveda: The Kauthuma shakha has the PB, SadvB, the Jaiminiya shakha has the Jaiminiya Brahmana. The Samaveda ( Sanskrit: सामवेद sāmaveda, from sāman "melody" + veda "knowledge") is third (in the usual The Samaveda ( Sanskrit: सामवेद sāmaveda, from sāman "melody" + veda "knowledge") is third (in the usual

Atharva

• Apte says there are nine shakhas and five kalpas for the Atharvaveda. ^[13]

• Monier-Williams says that only one shakha of an original nine is now extant for the Atharvaveda.

• Uncited notes:

• The Shaunaka is the only shakha of the Atharvaveda for which both printed texts and an active oral tradition are known to still exist.

• For the Atharvaveda, both the Shaunakiya and the Paippalada traditions contain textual corruption, and the original text of the Atharvaveda may only be approximated from comparison between the two.

• The Paippalada tradition was discontinued, and its text is known only from manuscripts collected since the 19th century.

• No Brahmana is known for the Shaunaka shakha.

• The Paippalada is possibly associated with the Gopatha Brahmana. The Gopatha Brahmana is the Brahmana associated with the Paippalada recension of the Atharva Veda.

Rig Veda

Yajur Veda

White

Black

Sama Veda

Atharva Veda

Notes

References

• Michael Witzel, Tracing the Vedic dialects in Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes ed. Michael Witzel (born July 18, 1943 at Schwiebus, Germany now Poland is Wales Professor of Sanskrit at Harvard University, United Caillat, Paris, 1989, 97–265. Prof Dr Colette Caillat (1921–2007 was a French professor of Sanskrit and Comparative grammar.