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Vedic Knowledge

“sanksipya caturo vedams caturdha vyabhajat prabhuh vyasta-vedataya khyato veda-vyasa iti smrtah”

“The prabhu (master, lord, guru) who is most intelligent then divided the Vedas into four. He therefore became known as Veda Vyasa.”

He codified the Veda, the compilation of which was initiated by Maharshi Angiras two millennia back, into four divisions Rik, Yajur, Sama and Atharva.

For further re-organization and editing he entrusted the Books to his trusted disciples:

Rig Veda - Paila
Yajur Veda - Vaisampayana
Sama Veda - Jaimini
Atharva Veda - Sumantu

The knowledge of Rigved admitted 21 branches while the knowledge of other three Veds namely, Yajurved, Samved and Atharvved respectively admitted 101, 1000 & 9 branches. The Yajur Veda is in two major forms, the Krishna and the Shukla with 85 and 16 branches respectively The organizational format of each Vedic branch consisted of four folds designated as Samhita, Brahmana, Aryanak and Upanishad. As such 21+101+1000+9=1131 Vedic branches had 1131 Samhitas, 1131 Brahmanas, 1131 Arynaks and 1131 Upanishads. These 1131x4 = 4524 scriptures together came to be known as Vedic wisdom.

In addition, corresponding to each Ved, as applied value of the pure knowledge of the Ved is Upved. The four Upveds are Ayurved, Dhanurved, Gandharvved and Sthapathyaved.

But only the following parts are available now.

  Rig Veda Krishna Yajur Veda Sukla Yajur Veda Samaveda Atharva Veda
No.of original
Recensions 		21 85 16 1000 9
Samhitas Shakala
Bashkala 		Taitireeya
Mitrayani
Katha
Kapisthala
Swetaswetara 		Kanva,
Madyandina
(Vajasanya) 		Kauthuma,
Ranaayaneeya,
Jaimineeya
  		Pippalada (part)
Saunaka
Brahmanas Aitaraya, Kaushitiki ( or Shankhyayana) Taittireeya Sathapatha Panchavimsa,
Shadvimsa,
Samavidhana,
Aarsheya,
Mantra,
Devatadhyaya,
Vamsa,
Jaimineeya 		Gopatha
Aranyakas Aitaraya,
Sankhyayana 		Taitttireeya Brahad-
aranyaka 		- -
Upanishads Aitaraya,
Kaushitiki,
Bhashkala 		Aitaraya,
Mahanarayana,
Mitrayani,
Katakha,
Swetaswetara 		Isavasya,
Brihadaranyaka 		Chandogya,
Kena 		Prasna,
Mundaka,
Mandukya
Upaveda Ayurveda Dhanurveda Dhanurveda Gandharvaveda Sthapathyaveda

There are six Angas or explanatory limbs, to the Vedas:

  1. The Siksha of Maharshi Panini (Phonetics)
  2. The Vyakarana of Maharshi Panini (Sanskrit Grammar)
  3. The Chhandas of Pingalacharya (Prosody metre)
  4. The Nirukta of Yaska (Philosophy or etymology)
  5. The Jyotisha of Garga (Astronomy and astrology)
  6. The Kalpas (Srauta, Grihya, Dharma and Sulba)