There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda. According to the Vishnu Purana (3.4.7-9), Vyasa divided the one Veda into four and entrusted the Rigveda to Paila, the Yajurveda to Vaishampayana, the Samaveda to Jaimini and the Atharvaveda to Sumantu. The Yajurveda has two branches, Shukla and Krishna.
| # | Name | What it contains | Upaveda | Brahmanas | Principal Upanishads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rigveda | Verses (riks) in praise of the gods, in 10 mandalas; the hotri priest works with them in the yajna | Ayurveda | Aitareya, Kaushitaki (Shankhayana) | Aitareya, Kaushitaki |
| 2 | YajurvedaShukla (Vajasaneyi) and Krishna (Taittiriya and others) | The formulas (yajus) and procedure of the yajna; the Veda of the adhvaryu priest | Dhanurveda | Shatapatha (Shukla); Taittiriya (Krishna) | Brihadaranyaka, Isha (Shukla); Taittiriya, Katha, Shvetashvatara (Krishna) |
| 3 | Samaveda | Chants (samans) for singing; most of its verses come from the Rigveda; the udgatri priest sings them | Gandharvaveda (music) | Tandya (Panchavimsha), Shadvimsha, Jaiminiya, Chandogya | Chandogya, Kena |
| 4 | Atharvaveda | Hymns for healing, protection, household life and kingship; the Veda of the brahman priest in the yajna | Arthashastra (other lists: science of arms, Sthapatyaveda or Shilpashastra) | Gopatha | Mundaka, Mandukya, Prashna |
One Veda, four parts
The Vishnu Purana (3.4.2) says the Veda was once one, and in this Dvapara Vyasa divided it into four. The division followed the four priests of the yajna: the adhvaryu works with the yajus, the hotri with the riks, the udgatri with the samans and the brahman with the Atharva (3.4.11-12). Vyasa gave the Itihasa and Purana to the Suta Romaharshana (3.4.10).
Each Veda is taken to have four layers: the Samhita (the hymns), the Brahmana (explanation of the rites), the Aranyaka and the Upanishad.
Shukla and Krishna Yajurveda
In the Vishnu Purana’s story (3.5), Yajnavalkya, a disciple of Vaishampayana, gave back the Yajurveda he had learnt; the other disciples took it up in the form of partridges (tittira), so it was called Taittiriya. Yajnavalkya then praised the Sun and received new yajus from the Sun in the form of a horse; those who study them are called ‘Vajins’ (3.5.12-30). The tradition knows these as the Krishna and the Shukla Yajurveda.
The difference in the texts: in the Shukla Yajurveda the mantras (Samhita) and the explanation (Shatapatha Brahmana) are kept apart, while the Samhitas of the Krishna Yajurveda mix prose explanation in among the mantras.
Vedangas, Upavedas and the 18 branches of learning
Madhusudana Sarasvati’s Prasthanabheda lists six Vedangas: phonetics (shiksha), grammar, etymology (nirukta), metre, astronomy (jyotisha) and ritual (kalpa). In the order of the four Vedas come four Upavedas: Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Gandharvaveda and Arthashastra. The four Vedas, six Vedangas, Purana, Nyaya, Mimamsa and Dharmashastra make 14 branches of learning, and with the Upavedas 18; the Vishnu Purana (3.6.27-28) counts the same 18.
The shanti mantra of each Veda
The Muktika Upanishad names the shanti mantra recited with the Upanishads of each Veda: ‘vang me manasi’ for the Rigveda, ‘purnamadah purnamidam’ for the Shukla Yajurveda, ‘saha navavatu’ for the Krishna Yajurveda, ‘apyayantu’ for the Samaveda and ‘bhadram karnebhih’ for the Atharvaveda.
Where the sources differ
- Ayurveda: the Prasthanabheda makes it the Upaveda of the Rigveda, but the Sushruta Samhita (Sutrasthana 1) calls Ayurveda a part of the Atharvaveda.
- The Upaveda of the Atharvaveda: the Prasthanabheda gives Arthashastra; Monier-Williams gives the science of arms (shastra-shastra), citing the Charanavyuha, and writes that others count Sthapatyaveda (architecture) or Shilpashastra (the arts) as the fourth Upaveda.
- The Veda of an Upanishad: the Muktika counts the Maitrayani Upanishad under the Samaveda, though the name belongs to the Maitrayani branch of the Krishna Yajurveda.
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of the four Vedas?
Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda. The Yajurveda has two branches, Shukla and Krishna.
Who divided the Veda into four?
According to the Vishnu Purana (3.4), Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa, who entrusted the four Vedas to his four disciples Paila, Vaishampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu.
What are the Upavedas of the four Vedas?
There are four. In the order of the Prasthanabheda, the Upaveda of the Rigveda is Ayurveda, of the Yajurveda Dhanurveda, of the Samaveda Gandharvaveda and of the Atharvaveda Arthashastra. For the Atharvaveda some lists give the science of arms and some Sthapatyaveda or Shilpashastra (Monier-Williams, ‘upaveda’), and the Sushruta Samhita calls Ayurveda a part of the Atharvaveda.
Which Veda is the Gayatri mantra in?
In the Rigveda: the tenth verse of hymn 62 of the third mandala (3.62.10).
How many Vedangas are there?
Six: phonetics (shiksha), grammar, etymology (nirukta), metre, astronomy (jyotisha) and ritual (kalpa).
Sources
- Vishnu Purana 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.27-28 (Sanskrit text, GRETIL)
- Madhusudana Sarasvati, Prasthanabheda: Vedas, Vedangas, Upavedas (Sanskrit text, archive.org)
- Muktika Upanishad, chapter 1: the Upanishads and shanti mantras by Veda (sanskritdocuments.org)
- Sushruta Samhita, Sutrasthana 1 (Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna’s translation, wisdomlib.org)
- Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, ‘upaveda’ (wisdomlib.org)
- Wikipedia articles on the Brahmanas, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda (recensions and texts)
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