A report on Vedas and Brahmana

A 17th-century manuscript page of Sadvimsha Brahmana, a Pañcaviṃśa-Brāhmaṇa supplement (Sanskrit, Devanagari). It is found embedded in the Samaveda.

The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the Atharvaveda.

Page form the Mimamsa sutra of Jaiminimi, who also recorded the Jaiminiya Brahmana and other works.

Extract from a 13th-century manuscript of the Shatapatha Brahmana (Khanda 14).

A page from the Taittiriya Samhita, a layer of text within the Yajurveda

The Brahmanas (Sanskrit: ब्राह्मणम्, Brāhmaṇam) are Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas.

- Brahmana

Each Veda has four subdivisions – the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge).

- Vedas

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Rigveda

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Ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (sūktas).

Rigveda (padapatha) manuscript in Devanagari, early 19th century. After a scribal benediction ('), the first line has the first pada, RV 1.1.1a ('). The pitch-accent is marked by underscores and vertical overscores in red.

A map of tribes and rivers mentioned in the Rigveda.

Geographical distribution of the Late Vedic Period. Each of major regions had their own recension of Rig Veda (Śākhās), and the versions varied.

Rigveda manuscript page, Mandala 1, Hymn 1 (Sukta 1), lines 1.1.1 to 1.1.9 (Sanskrit, Devanagari script)

Devi sukta, which highlights the goddess tradition of Hinduism is found in Rigveda hymns 10.125. It is cited in Devi Mahatmya and is recited every year during the Durga Puja festival.

The hymn 10.85 of the Rigveda includes the Vivaha-sukta (above). Its recitation continues to be a part of Hindu wedding rituals.

It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (śruti) known as the Vedas.

the Brahmanas, commentaries on the hymns

Upanishads

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The Upanishads (उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts of Hindu philosophy which supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.

Impact of a drop of water, a common analogy for Brahman and the Ātman

Adi Shankara, expounder of Advaita Vedanta and commentator (bhashya) on the Upanishads

German 19th century philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, impressed by the Upanishads, called the texts "the production of the highest human wisdom".

They are the most recent part of the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, and deal with meditation, philosophy, consciousness and ontological knowledge; earlier parts of the Vedas deal with mantras, benedictions, rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices.

The mukhya Upanishads are found mostly in the concluding part of the Brahmanas and Aranyakas and were, for centuries, memorized by each generation and passed down orally.

Yajurveda

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Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.

A page from the Vajasneyi samhita found in the Shukla Yajurveda (Sanskrit, Devanagari script). This version of the manuscript opens with salutations to Ganesha and Sadashiva (Shaivism).

Yajurveda text describes formula and mantras to be uttered during sacrificial fire (yajna) rituals, shown. Offerings are typically ghee (clarified butter), grains, aromatic seeds, and cow milk.

Ashvamedhika parva of the Mahabharata describes the year long ceremony according to Yajurveda.

Yajurveda is one of the four Vedas, and one of the scriptures of Hinduism.

The middle layer includes the Satapatha Brahmana, one of the largest Brahmana texts in the Vedic collection.

Atharvaveda

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The "knowledge storehouse of atharvāṇas, the procedures for everyday life".

A page from the Atharva Veda Samhita, its most ancient layer of text.

Rishi Caraka (above), the author of Caraka Samhita credits Atharvaveda as an inspiration.

The text is the fourth Veda, and is a late addition to the Vedic scriptures of Hinduism.

Along with the Samhita layer of text, the Atharvaveda includes a Brahmana text, and a final layer of the text that covers philosophical speculations.

Aranyaka

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The Aranyakas (आरण्यक; IAST: ) are the part of the ancient Indian Vedas concerned with the meaning of ritual sacrifice.

The other parts of the Vedas are the Samhitas (benedictions, hymns), Brahmanas (commentary), and the Upanishads (spirituality and abstract philosophy).

Shatapatha Brahmana

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Commentary on the Śukla (white) Yajurveda.

A miniature replica of the Falcon altar (with yajna utensils) used during Athirathram

Described as the most complete, systematic, and important of the Brahmanas (commentaries on the Vedas), it contains detailed explanations of Vedic sacrificial rituals, symbolism, and mythology.

Samhita

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Saṃhitā literally means "put together, joined, union", a "collection", and "a methodically, rule-based combination of text or verses".

Saṃhitā also refers to the most ancient layer of text in the Vedas, consisting of mantras, hymns, prayers, litanies and benedictions.

The Vedas have been divided into four styles of texts – the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Brahmanas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), the Aranyakas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (text discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge).

Yajna

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Yajna (यज्ञ) refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.

(clockwise from left top corner) Rishi, Pitri, Bhuta, Manushya and (centre) Deva yajnas

A miniature illustration of a falcon bird Athirathram yajna altar built using the square principle.

Typical sacrificial space used in Vedic yajnas with officiants

Yajna has been a Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature called Brahmanas, as well as Yajurveda.

Agni

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Agni (fire) is a part of major rites-of-passage rituals such as weddings and cremation in Indian religions.

A pre-3rd century CE, Kushan Empire era red-stone Agni statue. Art of Mathura.

Agni with an aura of flames, seated on ram.

Saptapadi, a Hindu wedding ritual, around Agni in progress.

Agni is a part of the ritual grammar in many Hindu festivals. Above Holika for Holi, includes Agni.

Agni god in southeast corner of the 11th-century Rajarani Temple in Bhubaneshwar Odisha. The ram is carved below him.

Agni seated on a ram, 14th–15th century Indonesia.

Agni (right) with his son Skanda (Karttikeya), about 1st-century CE.

The Buddhist Fire God "Katen" (火天) in Japanese art. Dated 1127 CE, Kyoto National Museum.

Agni ( English:, अग्नि) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism.

In the Brahmanas layer of the Vedas, such as in section 5.2.3 of Shatapatha Brahmana, Agni represents all the gods, all concepts of spiritual energy that permeates everything in the universe.

Taittiriya Shakha

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Shakha (i.e. 'branch', 'school', or rescension) of the Krishna (black) Yajurveda.

Taittiri is also stated in the Mahabharata to have attended 'the Yaga [ Vedic ritual sacrifice] conducted by Uparicaravasu'.

Taittiriya Samhita: Seven books of hymns and mantras. Includes Brahmana and Anukramani (index) sections. One of four total Samhitas of the Krishna YajurVeda.