Shakha
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2008-07-04T21:31:17Z
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The [[Sanskrit]] term '''shakha''' ([[IAST]] ''{{IAST|śākhā}}''), literally "branch" (as of a tree) or "arm", is used to refer either to a school of the [[Vedas]], or to the traditional texts followed by a school.<ref>V. S. Apte. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, p. 913, left column.</ref> Monier-Williams defines it as "a branch or school of the Veda, each adhering to its own traditional text and interpretation)".<ref>Monier-Williams, A Sanskit-English Dictionary, p. 1062, right column.</ref> That is, a '''shakha''' is a theological school that specializes in learning certain [[Vedas|Vedic]] texts chosen from the extensive Vedic corpus.<ref>Flood, Gavin. op. cit., p. 39.</ref>
The related term ''{{IAST|caraṇa}}'', which in general means "conduct of life" or "behavior", is also used to refer to a school or branch of any of the Vedas.<ref>V. S. Apte. ''A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary''. p. 429, middle column.</ref> Monier-Williams says that "although the words ''{{IAST|caraṇa}}'' and ''{{IAST|śākhā}}'' are sometimes used synonymously, yet ''{{IAST|caraṇa}}'' properly applies to the sect or collection of persons united in one school, and ''{{IAST|śākhā}}'' to the traditional text followed, as in the phrase ''{{IAST|śākhām adhite}}'', he recites a particular version of the Veda."<ref>Monier-Williams, A Sanskit-English Dictionary, p. 1062, right column.</ref>
An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a "follower" (''{{IAST|śākhin}}'').<ref>V. S. Apte. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, p. 913, left column.</ref> This term is also used in [[Hindu philosophy]] to refer to an adherent of a particular [[nastika|orthodox system]].<ref>E.g., Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli; and Moore, Charles A. ''A Source Book in Indian Philosophy''. Princeton University Press; 1957. Princeton paperback 12th edition, 1989. ISBN 0-691-01958-4. p. 560. The example is given here of a text which refers to a dispute involving ''śākhins'' [followers] who do not accept a particular position.</ref> The schools have different points of view on some things, which are described as "difference of (Vedic) school" (''{{IAST|śākhābhedaḥ}}'').<ref>V. S. Apte. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, p. 913, left column.</ref> <ref>Monier-Williams, A Sanskit-English Dictionary, p. 1062, right column.</ref>
In traditional Hinduism affiliation with a specific school is an important aspect of class identity. By the end of the Rig Vedic period the term [[Brahmin|{{IAST|Brāhmaṇa}}]] had come to be applied to all members of the priestly class, but there were subdivisions within this order based both on [[caste]] and on the shakha (branch) with which they were affiliated.<ref>Basham, A. L. ''The Wonder That Was India: A Survey of the Culture of the Indian Sub-Continent Before The Coming Of The Muslims''. (Grove Press, Inc.: New York, 1954) p. 139.</ref> A [[Brahmin|{{IAST|Brāhmaṇa}}]] who changed his own school of the Vedas would be called "a traitor to his ''śākhā''" (''{{IAST|śākhāraṇḍaḥ}}'').<ref>V. S. Apte. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, p. 913, left column.</ref>
==Summary of schools==
[[Image:Map of Vedic India.png|thumb|410px|Map of early Iron Age [[Vedic India]] after Witzel (1989). Location hypotheses for Vedic ''shakhas'' are shown in green.]]
A Vedic text may have a number of theological schools associated with it. For each school, adherents would learn a specific Vedic {{IAST|Saṃhita}} (one of the "four [[Vedas]]" properly so-called), as well as its associated [[Brahmana]], [[Aranyaka]]s, [[Shrautasutra]]s, [[Grhyasutra]]s and [[Upanishad]]s.
The traditional source of information on the shakhas of each Veda is the ''{{IAST|Caraṇa-vyūha}}'', of which two mostly similar versions exist: the 49th [[Parisista|''{{IAST|pariśiṣṭa}}'']] of the Atharvaveda, ascribed to [[Shaunaka]], and the 5th ''{{IAST|pariśiṣṭa}}'' of the Śukla (White) Yajurveda, ascribed to [[Katyayana|Kātyāyana]]. These have lists of the numbers of recensions that were believed to have once existed as well as those still extant at the time the works were compiled. Only a small number of recensions have survived.<ref>For a brief summary of the shakhas as given in Shaunaka's ''{{IAST|Caraṇa-vyūha}}'' see: Monier-Williams, ''A Sanskit-English Dictionary'', p. 1062, right column.</ref>
===Rig===
*Monier-Williams says that {{IAST|Śaunaka}}'s ''{{IAST|Caraṇa-vyuha}}'' lists five shakhas for the Rig Veda, the {{IAST|Śākala}}, {{IAST|Bāṣkala}}, {{IAST|Aśvalāyana}}, {{IAST|Śaṅkhāyana}}, and {{IAST|Māṇḍukāyana}}, but that only one, the {{IAST|Śākala}}, is now extant.
*Uncited notes:
:*The Rigveda is known in the Shakala-shakha only (with surviving Bashkala fragments),
:*The Bashkala recension of the Rigveda has the [[Khilani]] which are not present in the Shakala text.
:*Rigveda: The ''Shakala'' has the [[Aitareya-Brahmana]], The Bashkala has the [[Kausitaki-Brahmana]].
===Yajur===
*Monier-Williams says that {{IAST|Śaunaka}}'s ''{{IAST|Caraṇa-vyuha}}'' lists forty-two or forty-four out of eighty-six shakhas for the Yajur Veda, but that only five of these are now extant, with a sixth partially extant.
*Uncited notes:
:*for the Yajur Veda the five (partially in six) shakhas are the (Vajasaneyi Madhandina, Kanva; [[Taittiriya]], Maitrayani, Caraka-Katha, Kapisthala-Katha).
:*Yajurveda: The Yajurvedin shakhas are divided in "White" and "Black" schools. The White recensions have separate Brahmanas, while the Black ones have their Brahmanas interspersed between the Mantras.
::*White Yajurveda: ''{{IAST|vājasaneyi madhyandina}}'' (VSM), ''{{IAST|vājasaneyi kānva}}'' (VSK): [[Shatapatha Brahmana]] (ShBM, ShBK)
::*Black Yajurveda: ''{{IAST|taittirīya saṃhita}}'' (TS) with an additional Brahmana, [[Taittiriya Brahmana]] (TB), ''{{IAST|maitrayani saṃhita}}'' (MS), ''{{IAST|caraka-katha saṃhita}}'' (KS), ''{{IAST|kapiṣṭhala-katha saṃhita}}'' (KapS).
===Sama===
*Monier-Williams says that {{IAST|Śaunaka}}'s ''{{IAST|Caraṇa-vyuha}}'' lists twelve shakhas for the Sama Veda out of a thousand that are said to have once existed, but that of these only one or perhaps two are still extant.
*Uncited notes:
:*The two Samaveda recensions are the Jaiminiya and Kauthuma.
:*Samaveda: The Kauthuma shakha has the PB, SadvB, the [[Jaiminiya]] shakha has the [[Jaiminiya Brahmana]].
===Atharva===
*Apte says there are nine shakhas and five kalpas for the Atharvaveda.<ref>V. S. Apte. ''A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary'', p. 37, left column, says there are nine shakhas and five kalpas for the Atharvaveda.</ref>
*Monier-Williams says that only one shakha of an original nine is now extant for the Atharvaveda.
*Uncited notes:
:*The Shaunaka is the only shakha of the Atharvaveda for which both printed texts and an active oral tradition are known to still exist.
:*For the Atharvaveda, both the Shaunakiya and the Paippalada traditions contain textual corruption, and the original text of the Atharvaveda may only be approximated from comparison between the two.
:*The Paippalada tradition was discontinued, and its text is known only from manuscripts collected since the 19th century.
:*No Brahmana is known for the Shaunaka shakha.
:*The Paippalada is possibly associated with the [[Gopatha Brahmana]].
==Rig Veda==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=#cccccc
! Shakha
! Samhita
! Brahmana
! Aranyaka
! Upanishad
|-
| '''Shakala'''
| Oral and Printed
| Printed (=Aitareya Brahmana) and Oral (?)
| Printed (Aitareya Aranyaka) and Oral (?)
| Printed (Aitareya Upanishad) and Oral (?)
|-
| '''Ashvalayana'''
| Manuscript exists, with accents and Padapatha.
| Same as Shakala
| Same as Shakala
| Same as Shakala
|-
| '''Kaushitaki'''
| -
| Printed (=Kaushitaki Brahmana) and Oral
| Manuscript exists
| Printed (=Kaushitaki Upanishad)
|-
| '''Bashkala'''
| Manuscript exists with accents and Padapatha.
| Same as Kaushitaki
| Same as Kaushitaki
| Same as Kaushitaki
|-
| '''Shankhayana'''
| Manuscript exists with accents and Padapatha.
| Printed (=Shankhayana Brahmana)
| Printed (=Shankhyana Aranyaka)
| Printed as a part of the Aranyaka
|-
| '''Paingi'''
| -
| Manuscript might exist
| ‘Rahashya Brahmana’ lost.
| -
|}
==Yajur Veda==
===White===
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=#cccccc
! Shakha
! Samhita
! Brahmana
! Aranyaka
! Upanishad
|-
| '''Madhyandina (VSM)'''
| Oral and Printed
| Madhyandina Shatapatha ([[SBM]])
| Oral and Printed (=Shatapatha XIV.1-8) with accents
| [[Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]] = SBM XIV. 3-8) with accents.
|-
| '''Kanva (VSK)'''
| Oral and Printed
| Kanva Shatapatha ([[SBK]])
| Oral and Printed (Book XVII of SBK)
| [[Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]
|}
===Black===
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=#cccccc
! Shakha
! Samhita
! Brahmana
! Aranyaka
! Upanishad
|-
| '''Katyayana'''
| Manuscript (?){{Fact|date=July 2007}}
| Manuscript (only first 6 books, rest lost){{Fact|date=July 2007}}
| -
| -
|-
| '''[[Taittiriya Shakha|Taittiriya]]'''
| TS
| [[Taittiriya Brahmana]] (TB) and Vadhula Br. (part of Vadhula Srautrasutra)
| [[Taittiriya Aranyaka]] (TA)
| [[Taittiriya Upanishad]] (TU)
|-
| '''Maitrayani'''
| MS
| -
| [[Maitrayani Aranyaka]]
| virtually same as Aranyaka
|-
| '''Caraka-Katha'''
| KS. Accents survive only on 1/3 on the text.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
| Fragments printed and in manuscript){{Fact|date=July 2007}}
| [[Katha Aranyaka]] (almost the entire text from a solitary manuscript)
| [[Kathaka Upanishad]], [[Katha Shiksha Upanishad]]
|-
| '''Kapishthala'''
| KapS (fragmentary manuscript, unaccented){{Fact|date=July 2007}}
| Small fragment extant in manuscript{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
| -
| -
|}
==Sama Veda==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=#cccccc
! Shakha
! Samhita
! Brahmana
! Aranyaka
! Upanishad
|-
| '''Kauthuma'''
| Samhita and Samans printed/recorded
| Printed (8 Brahmanas in all). Accents lost long back.
| None. The Samhita itself has the ‘Aranyaka’.
| The famous Chhandogya Upanishad with numerous commentaries
|-
| '''Ranayaniya'''
| Manuscripts of Samhita exist. Samans recorded but not printed
| Same as Kauthuma with minor differences.
| None. The Samhita itself has the ‘Aranyaka’.
| Same as Kauthuma.
|-
| '''Jaiminiya/Talavakara'''
| Samhita published. Two distinct styles of Saman recitation, partially recorded and published.
| Brahmana published (without accents) – Jaiminiya Brahmana, Arsheya Brahmana
| Tamil Nadu version of Talavakara Aranyaka (=Jaiminiya Up. Brahmana) published
| [[Kena Upanishad]]
|-
| '''Shatyayana'''
| (traditions might be similar to Jaminiya SV)
| Manuscript (?)
| -
| -
|}
==Atharva Veda==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=#cccccc
! Shakha
! Samhita
! Brahmana
! Aranyaka
! Upanishad
|-
| '''Paippalada'''
| Two versions: Kashmirian (published) and Orissan (partly published, in manuscript, unaccented)
| Lost
| -
| Prashna Upanishad, Sharabha Upanishad etc. – all published.
|-
| '''Shaunaka'''
| Printed and Oral traditions alive
| Fragmentary Gopatha Brahmana (extant and published). No accents.
| -
| Mundaka Upanishad (?) published.
|}
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
==References==
* [[Michael Witzel]], ''Tracing the Vedic dialects'' in ''Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes'' ed. [[Colette Caillat|Caillat]], Paris, 1989, 97–265.
[[Category:Vedas]]
[[Category:Sanskrit words and phrases]]
[[id:Sakha (veda)]]
[[pt:Shakha]]