The mantras of rigvEda, yajurvEda,
sAmavEda and atharvaNavEda are called as rik, yajus, sAman, and atharva. These
are organized differently in various samhitAs, brAhmaNas, araNyakas and
upanishads of four vEdas. A sUkta refers to a collection of mantras
with a specific focus towards a dEvata.
Mantras may also be organized into dashatis, kAndikas. A sukta may also be organized in terms
of vargqs. A collection of similar sUktas is sometime referred to
as anuvAka. AnuvAkas, kAndikas,
or dashatis are combined to form
a prapAtaka. Many prapAtakas are included to form Archika,
bhAaa, or kAnDa. AnuvAkas are combined to form an adhyAya.
AdhyAyas are included in one Archika.
A large number of anuvAkas are included in a manDala. A large
number of sUktas together form an ashtaka.
A vEda shAKa is a
combination of samhita, brAhamaNa,
araNyaka, upanishad and a kalpa sUtra. Typically, there is a large overlapping of content among different vEda shAKas,
especially vEda shAKas of same vEda. Some times, the same portion in two vEda
shAKas are referred by different names. For example, aitarEya samhita
and sAnkhyAyaNa samhita are essentially same in shakala and sankhyayaNa
shAKas of rigvEdas. The two shAKas
having same samhita and brAhmaNa may be referred by two different
names. For example, madhyandina and kaNva shAKas of shwEta
yajurvEda includes the same samhita, brAhmaNa, araNyaka
and upanishds. In some vEda
shAKa, a upanishad may be a part of an araNyaka, or an araNyaka
may be a part of the brAmaNa. The
brAhamaNa of a vEda shAKa may also be a part of the samhita.
RigvEda samhita is
organized into mandalas, anuvAkas, sUktas and riks.
Alternatively, the same samhita is also organized into aStaka, sUkta,
varga and riks. AitarEya
brAhmaNa of rigvEda is organized into panchikas, and adhyAyas.
AitarEya araNyaka of rigVEda is organized into smaller araNyakas,
adhyAyas and khanDas.
Taittareeya samhita of Krishna
yajurvEda is organized into kaanDas, prapAtakas, and anuvAkas.
Some times, anuvAkas are organized into vAkyas, and prapAtakas
are called kAtakas. Taittareeya araNyaka of Krishna yajurvEda incudes
prashnas. Prashans are also referred to as vallis. Mandhyandina
samhita of Shukla yajurvEda includes anuvAkas in adhyAyas.
The anuvAkas are further organized into kAanDikas and yajus
mantras.
Jaiminiya samhita of SAmavEda
is organized into Archikas, prapAtakaas, dashatis, and sAmans.
Atharva samhita is organized into bhAgas. BhAgas are
further categorized into prapAtakas, kandikas, and atharva.
The relative sizes of the four vEdas could be
understood by looking at the specifics of the contents. Rig vEda Samhita
has 10 manDalas, 85 anuvAkas, 1028suktas. There are 10552 riks
(mantras) in the entire rigvEda samhita. Aitareya brAhmaNa has 8 panchikas and fourty adhyAyas.
AitarEya araNyaka includes five araNyakas, 18 adhyAyas,
and 75 KhanDas. In an alternative structure, rigvEda samhita
has 8 ashtakas., 1028 sUktas, 2024 vargas and 10552 riks.
Taittareeya is a krishna yajurvEda Samhita includes 7 kAnDas, 43 prapatakas,
and 636 anuvAkas. Taittareeya Brahmana has three kAnDas,
28 prapAtakas, 338 anuvAkas, and 19383 vAkyas. Taittareeya
araNyaka includes 10 prashnaas.
The Taittareeya Upanishad is included in the last three prashnas
of the taittareeya araNyaka.
Mandhyandina is a shukla yajurvEda shakha. Mandhyandina
Samhita includes 40 adhyayas, 303 anuvAkas, 1975 kandikas
and 3988 yajus. Mandhyandina
brAhmaNa includes 14 kAnDas, 68 prapAtakas, 100 adhyAyas,
436 brAhmaNa, and 7179 kAndikas.
The 14th kAnDa of brAhmaNa is bruhadAraNyaka
upanishad.
SaamvavEda samhita
of Jaiminiya shaka includes 2 Archikas called pUrva and
uttara. There are 15 prapAtakas,
179 dashatis, and 1605 sAmans in both the Archikas. Jamineeya
brAhmaNa includes 8 units, each one of them is a brAhmaNa.
Atharva samhita includes 20 kAnDas, 736 sUktas
and 5977 atharvas. Pippalada brAhmaNa includes 20 kAnDas
with 7950 mantras. Gopatha
brAhmaNa is araNyaka of the atharva vEda and includes two bhAgas,
11 prapAtakas, and 258 kandikas.
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