samhit

Samhit, or Samhita (Sanskrit: samhita, often transliterated Samhita or Samhitā), is a term used in Hindu and Vedic literature to denote a core collection or compendium of texts. The word is typically understood to mean a gathered or put together collection of texts, especially hymns, mantras, or formulas. In scholarly usage, Samhita refers to one or more canonical collections that form the primary content of a larger scripture.

In the Vedic tradition, the four main Samhitas correspond to the four Vedas. These are:

- Rigveda Samhita: a collection of hymns (suktas) addressed to deities, organized into mandalas.

- Yajurveda Samhita: a collection of formulas and mantras used in rituals, presented in prose and verse.

- Samaveda Samhita: a collection of verses meant to be sung, with musical and chant notation.

- Atharvaveda Samhita: a collection of spells, charms, prayers, and practical formulas, including some occult and everyday-use verses.

Samhitas constitute the core textual material, while surrounding works such as Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads provide ritual explanations, philosophical commentary, and interpretive prose connected with the Samhita verses. The language of these texts is Vedic Sanskrit, and their liturgical use historically centered on sacrifices, ceremonies, and rites.

Outside the Vedic corpus, the term Samhita also appears in other Indian textual traditions to denote similar compilations of mantras, verses, or ritual formulas. In modern scholarship, Samhita texts are studied for their linguistic, liturgical, and historical significance, as well as their influence on later Hindu philosophy and ritual practice.