A Wisdom Archive on Brahmanas and Aranyakas

The Brahmanas and the Aranyakas: There are two Brahmanas to the Rig-Vedathe Aitareya and the Sankhayana. - The Rig-Veda, - says Max Muller, - is the most ancient book of the world. The sacred hymns of the Brahmanas stand unparalleled in the literature of the whole world; and their preservation might well be called miraculous. -
 
Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda
 

Read more here: » Brahmanas and Aranyakas: The Brahmanas and the Aranyakas in the Hindu Scriptures

Brahmana:
 
Brahmana: a brahmin, a member of the highest social class of traditional Indian society; also an early type of ritual text explicating the rituals and mythology of the four Vedas; cf. Aranyaka, Upanishad, Veda

 
(See also: Brahmana, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary )

Aranyakas
The parts of the original Vedas that give more esoteric explanations than do the Brahmanas. The Aranyakas are meant for renunciants to study in the forest (aranya). The Upanishads are chapters of the Aranyakas that explain the philosophical essence of the Vedas.

 
(See also: Aranyakas, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul )

Aitareya (Sanskrit)) (from itara other; also from itara mother of Aitareya)
 
Name of a Brahmana or literary work attached to the Rig-Veda; also of Mahidasa, author of a Brahmana and an Aranyaka. The Aitareya-Brahmana (or Aitareyaka) contains forty adhyayas (sections) in which the duties of a hotri (priest) are enumerated. The Aitareya-Aranyaka consists of five books or aranyakas, the second and third of which are called the Aitareya-Upanishad (although sometimes the last four sections of the second book alone are so designated).

 
(See also: Aitareya, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary )

Vedas are four in number: The Rig Veda , the Sama Veda , the Yajur Veda and the Atharva Veda . Each of these four Vedas has four parts: the Samhita, the Brahmana, the Aranyaka, and a number of Upanishads. The first three parts of all the Vedas are collectively called the Vedas , and the fourth and the last, the Upanishads, are collectively called Vedanta .
 
These four parts of the Vedas represent the historical order of their development over millennia. The Samhitas are the most ancient, and of them, the Rig Veda Samhita is the earliest. The Samhitas are considered the Vedas proper; the Brahmanas , the Aranyakas and the Upanishads are periodic additions, made by way of growing with the changing times.

 
(See also: The Vedas, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul )

Read more here: » The Vedas: Physics is the New Bhashya of Vedanta  

Shruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Gi ... Including:

• Aranyaka - Literature

Read more here: » Aranyaka: Encyclopedia - Aranyaka

The Four Vedas and Their Sub Divisions : The Veda is divided into four great books: the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda and the Atharva-Veda. The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts, the Sukla and the Krishna. The Krishna or the Taittiriya is the older book and the Sukla or the Vajasaneya is a later revelation to sage Yajnavalkya from the resplendent Sun-God.
 
Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda
 

Read more here: » Four Vedas: The Four Vedas in the Hindu Scriptures

Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and four secular heads. The six orthodox sections form the authoritative scriptures of the Hindus. The four secular sections embody the later developments in classical Sanskrit literature.
 
The six scriptures are: Srutis, Smritis, Itihasas, Puranas, Agamas and Darsanas.
 
The four secular writings are: Subhashitas, Kavyas, Natakas and Alankaras.
 
Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda
 

Read more here: » Hindu Scriptures: A full overview of the Hindu and Vedic Scriptures