Samhitas

Samhitas are the core collections of the Vedas, comprising hymns and mantras compiled for liturgical use. The term samhitā denotes a putting together or collection, and these texts form the oldest layer of Vedic literature. In traditional Hindu scholarship, the Samhitas are regarded as Shruti, or heard knowledge, and are generally dated to the early second millennium BCE, though exact dating remains debated.

There are four Vedic Samhitas: the Rigveda Samhita, the Sama Veda Samhita, the Yajur Veda Samhita, and the Atharva Veda Samhita. The Rigveda Samhita is a collection of hymns addressed to deities such as Agni, Indra, and Soma, organized into ten mandalas. The Sama Veda Samhita largely consists of melodies and chants derived from Rigvedic hymns and is intended for liturgical recitation and ritual singing. The Yajur Veda Samhita provides prose and verse formulas used in sacrificial rites and exists in two primary recensions, Shukla (White) and Krishna (Black), which arrange material somewhat differently. The Atharva Veda Samhita contains hymns, spells, charms, and incantations, with a broader emphasis that includes domestic life, healing, protection, and practical matters.

Samhitas serve as the primary source for Vedic ritual and liturgy, while their ritual and philosophical interpretations are expanded in the later Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads. They were preserved and transmitted orally for centuries before being written down, and their recitation and mantras continue to influence Hindu practice and ritual today.