Shakha 3547897 223608942 2008-07-04T21:31:17Z Rsazevedo 5338406 pt 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&ndash;265. [[Category:Vedas]] [[Category:Sanskrit words and phrases]] [[id:Sakha (veda)]] [[pt:Shakha]]