Atharvaveda: Encyclopedia II - Atharvaveda - Recensions

Atharvaveda - Recensions

The Caraṇavyuha (attributed to Shaunaka) lists nine shakhas or schools of the Atharvaveda:

1. paippalāda
2. stauda
3. mauda
4. śaunakiya
5. jājala
6. jalada
7. brahmavada
8. devadarśa
9. cāraṇavidyā

Of these, only the Śaunakiya (AVS) and the Paippalāda (AVP) recensions have survived. The core Paippalāda text is considered earlier than the Śaunakiya, but both also contain later additions and corruptions. In places where the Śaunakiya and the Paippalāda agree, it is likely the original version. Often, the two recensions in corresponding hymns have a different verse order, or either has additional verses missing from the other.

Additionally, from the Viṣṇu and Vāyu Puranas (older Hindu texts on the gods, goddesses and their histories) it may be possible to glean a few more ancient schools that were not listed in the Caraṇavyuha.

These are:

• sumantu
• kabandha
• kumuda
• śaulkāyana
• babhravya
• munjakeśa
• saindhavāyana
• nakśatrakalpa
• śāntikalpa
• saṃhitāvidhi

At least some of these may have evolved into the other schools mentioned in the Caraṇavyuha list. Saṃhitāvidhi, Śāntikalpa and Nakśatrakalpa are the five kalpa texts adduced to the Śaunakiya tradition and not separate schools of their own.

From the Puranic text we may propose the following evolutionary history of the AV recensions^{[citation needed]}:

    vyāsa parāśarya
          |
       sumantu
          |
 kabandha ātharvan-añgirasa
          |
          +---- pathya
          |        |
          |        +---- kumuda
          |        |        | (?)
          |        |        +---- jalada
          |        +---- jājala
          |        +---- śaunakiya
          |                 | 
          |                 +---- babhravya
          |                 | 
          |                 +---- saindhavāyana
          |                           | (?)
          |                           +---- munjakeśa
          +---- devadarśa
                   |
                   +---- mauda
                   +---- paippalāda
                   |        | (?)
                   |        +---- stauda
                   +---- śaulkāyana
                   +---- brahmavada
                            | (?)
                            +---- cāraṇavidyā

There are two main circum-vedic texts associated with the AV, the vaitāna sūtra and the kauśika sūtra. These serve the same purpose as the vidhāna of the Rigveda and are of greater value in studying the Puranic-Vedic link than the AV text itself^{[citation needed]}.

There are several Upanishads that are associated with the AV, but appear to be relatively late additions to the tradition. The most important amongst these are the munḍaka and the praṣna Upanishads . The former contains an important reference to Śaunaka, the founder of the Shaunakiya shakha, the latter one is associated with the Paippalāda shakha.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Recensions", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki