Çhandogya Upanishad: (Sanskrit) One of the major Upanishads, it consists of eight chapters of the Çhandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda. It teaches the origin and significance of Aum, the importance of the Sama Veda, the Self, meditation and life after death. See: Upanishad.

(See also: Çhandogya Upanishad, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Hindu tradition regards the Vedas as uncreated, eternal and being revealed to sages (Rishis). The hymns of the Rig-Veda Samhita are believed to have been collected and arranged by Paila under the supervision of Vyasa. Others were chanted during religious and social ceremonies and were compiled by Vaishampayana under the title Yajus mantra Samhita (see Yajur-Veda). Jaimini is said to have collected hymns that were set to music and melody — 'Saman' (see Sama-Veda). The fourth collec ...

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Vedas, Vedas - Organization, Vedas - Position and compilation, Vedas - Study, Vedas - Religious views: Monism Monotheism Henotheism and Polytheism, Vedas - Cosmogony

Read more here: » Vedas: Encyclopedia II - Vedas - Position and compilation

The main Hindu scriptures are the main religious books followed by the Smartas. These include: 1.The Vedas (Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda). These are considered primary spiritual resources; every Brahmin family is affiliated to one or more of the Vedas. The Vedas are considered divine revelation, which only an advanced spiritual student can grasp. 2.The Upanishads, which are part of the Vedas, are often mentioned separately, given thei ...

See also:

Smartism, Smartism - Definition, Smartism - Why They Became Distinguished From Others, Smartism - Main Beliefs, Smartism - Smarta Contributions to Advaita, Smartism - Smarta Contributions to other Philosophies, Smartism - Smartas Who Split Away From Their Group, Smartism - Important Religious Books Followed, Smartism - Prominent Communities

Read more here: » Smartism: Encyclopedia II - Smartism - Important Religious Books Followed

The main Hindu scriptures are the main religious books followed by the Smartas. These include: 1.The Vedas (Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda). These are considered primary spiritual resources; every Brahmin family is affiliated to one or more of the Vedas. The Vedas are considered divine revelation, which only an advanced spiritual student can grasp. 2.The Upanishads, which are part of the Vedas, are often mentioned separately, given their especial importan ...

See also:

Smartism, Smartism - Definition, Smartism - Distinction from others, Smartism - Main beliefs, Smartism - Contributions to advaita, Smartism - Contributions to other philosophies, Smartism - Smartas who split away from their group, Smartism - Religious texts, Smartism - Prominent communities, Smartism - Swaminarayana sect view similar to Smarta view

Read more here: » Smartism: Encyclopedia II - Smartism - Religious texts

Samanyas (Sanskrit) Brahmins conversant with the Sama-Veda and trained to chant and recite the sacred hymns.

(See also: Samanyas, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Samhitha:

Samhitha. Sama-veda. samhitha literally means "collection".

(See also: Samhitha, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Thalavakara:

Thalavakara (Thalavakaara). A branch of the Sama-veda.

(See also: Thalavakara, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Gandharvaveda: (Sanskrit) "Science of music." A class of ancient texts on music, song and dance. It is the Upaveda of the Sama Veda.

See: Upaveda.

(See also: Gandharvaveda, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

See Also: Vedas, Shruti 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 Asht ...

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History of Early Hinduism, History of Early Hinduism - Analyzing the History, History of Early Hinduism - At the birth of Hinduism, History of Early Hinduism - The Aryans of India and Iran, History of Early Hinduism - The Indus Valley Civilization, History of Early Hinduism - Influences of the Indus Valley and Dravidian People, History of Early Hinduism - The Indigenous Peoples within India, History of Early Hinduism - Composition of the Vedas, History of Early Hinduism - From the Ancient Vedic Religion, History of Early Hinduism - Influences from the Indus Valley, History of Early Hinduism - The Classical Age: Ramayana and Mahabharata

Read more here: » History of Early Hinduism: Encyclopedia II - History of Early Hinduism - Composition of the Vedas

Jaiminiya Brahmana Upanishad: (Sanskrit) A philosophical discourse of the Sama Veda dealing with death, passage to other worlds and reincarnation.

See: Upanishad.

(See also: Jaiminiya Brahmana Upanishad, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Kena Upanishad: (Sanskrit) Belongs to the Talavakara Brahmana of the Sama Veda. It is a discourse upon Brahman, Absolute Reality and His worship as personal God.

See: Upanishad.

(See also: Kena Upanishad, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

A Theosophical definition of Veda (Vedas) :

Veda (Vedas)

(Sanskrit) From a verbal root vid signifying "to know." These are the most ancient and the most sacred literary and religious works of the Hindus. Veda as a word may be described as "divine knowledge." The Vedas are four in number: the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda, and the Atharva-Veda, this last being commonly supposed to be of later date than the former three.

Manu in his Work on Law always speaks of the three Vedas, which he calls "the ancient triple Brahman"  - sanatanam trayam brahma." Connected with the Vedas is a large body of other works of various kinds, liturgical, ritualistic, exegetical, and mystical, the Veda itself being commonly divided into two great portions, outward and inner: the former called the karma-kanda, the "Section of Works," and the latter called jnana-kanda or "Section of Wisdom."

The authorship of the Veda is not unitary, but almost every hymn or division of a Veda is ascribed to a different author or rather to various authors; but they are supposed to have been compiled in their present form by Veda-Vyasa. There is no question in the minds of learned students of theosophy that the Vedas run back in their origins to enormous antiquity, thousands of years before the beginning of what is known in the Occident as the Christian era, whatever Occidental scholars may have to say in objection to this statement. Hindu pandits themselves claim that the Veda was taught orally for thousands of years, and then finally compiled on the shores of the sacred lake Manasa-Sarovara, beyond the Himalayas in a district of what is now Tibet.

See also: Veda (Vedas, Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul)

Thrayee:

Thrayee. Three. Triple sacred science: the first three Vedas: Rig, Yaju, and Sama. Also, a name for Veda, because the Vedas were originally in three parts.

(See also: Thrayee, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Vedas: the most ancient sacred literature of the Hindus. Most ancient texts revealed to the sages and saints of India which explain and regulate every aspect of life from supreme reality to worldly affairs. Four in number: Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharava which are further divided into Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishads.

(See also: Vedas, Hinduism, Yoga, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

saama:

saama. Also saamana. Particular kind of sacred hymn; song from the Sama-veda.; chanting.

(See also: saama, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Vedas:

four ancient texts- Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva, which are further divided into Samhita, Brahmana, Aranayaka and Upanishads. They were revealed to the sages and saints of India which explain and regulate every aspect of life from supreme reality to worldly affairs. The oldest books in the library of mankind.

(See also: Vedas, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Yajur Veda: (Sanskrit) "Wisdom of sacrificial formulas."

One of the four compendia of revelatory texts called Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva).

When used alone, the term Yajur Veda generally refers to this Veda's central and oldest portion - the Samhita, "hymn collection." Of this there are two recensions:

1)    the Krishna ("black") Yajur Veda (so-called because the commentary, Brahmana, material is mixed with the hymns); and

2)    the Shukla ("white or clear") Yajur Veda (with no commentary among the hymns).

The contents of these two recensions are also presented in different order. The Yajur Veda Samhita is divided into 40 chapters and contains 1,975 stanzas. About 30 percent of the stanzas are drawn from the Rig Veda Samhita (particularly from chapters eight and nine). This Veda is a special collection of hymns to be chanted during yajna. The Krishna Yajur Veda Samhita exists today in various recensions, most importantly the Taittiriya Samhita and the Maitrayani Samhita. The Shukla Yajur Veda Samhita is preserved most prominently as the Vajasaneyi Samhita.

See: Vedas.

(See also: Yajur Veda, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Adbhuta-Brahmana (Sanskrit) (from adbhuta wonderful, marvelous + brahmana portion of the Vedas treating of ritual, prayer, sacrifices, and mantra)

One of the eight Brahmanas belonging to the Sama-Veda, dealing with omens, auguries, and extraordinary wonders.

(See also: Adbhuta-Brahmana, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Veda:

Veda. "Knowledge". "Ritual lore". Usually applied to the texts of the orthodox Aryans. These four principle Vedas are the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. In the current Kali Yuga there are so many contradictory interpretations of fragmented and corrupted Vedic texts that they have become irrelevant. The true "scriptures" for this age are the Tantras.

(See also: Veda, Tantra, Tantra Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Jaimini (Sanskrit). A great sage, a disciple of Vyasa the transmitter and teacher of the Sama Veda which as claimed he received from his Guru. He is also the famous founder and writer of the Purva Mimansa philosophy.

(See also: Jaimini, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Vyahritis (Slav.). Lit., " fiery ", words lit by and born of fire. The three mystical, creative words, said by Manu to have been milked by the Prajapati from the Vedas: bhur, from the Rig -Veda; bhuvah, from the Vajur-Veda; and Swar, from the Sama-Veda (Manu II., 76). All three are said to possess creative powers. The Satapatha Brahmana explains that they are "the three luminous essences" extracted from the Vedas by Prajapati ("lords of creation ", progenitors), through heat. "He (Brahma) uttered the word bhur and it became the earth; bhuvah, and it became the firmament; and swar, which became heaven". Mahar is the fourth "luminous essence ", and was taken from the Atharva-Veda. But, as this word is purely mantric and magical, it is one, so to say, kept apart.

(See also: Vyahritis, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Grihya Sutras: (Sanskrit) "Household maxims or codes." An important division of classical smriti literature, designating rules and customs for domestic life, including rites of passage and other home ceremonies, which are widely followed to this day.

The Grihya Sutras (or Shastras) are part of the Kalpa Sutras, "procedural maxims" (or Kalpa Vedanga), which also include the Shrauta and Shulba Shastras, on public Vedic rites, and the Dharma Shastras (or Sutras), on domestic-social law. Among the best known Grihya Sutras are Ashvalayana's Grihya Sutras attached to the Rig Veda, Gobhila's Sutras of the Sama Veda, and the Sutras of Paraskara and Baudhayana of the Yajur Veda.

See: Kalpa Vedanga, Vedanga.

(See also: Grihya Sutras, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)