The Samaveda is one of the four Vedas of Hinduism, meaning ‘knowledge of song’, as it consists primarily of musicalchants and melodies meant to be sung during sacrifices and rituals; it is based on the Rigveda, with most of its hymns taken from there, and is considered the foundation of Indian music and classical dance, containing detailed descriptions of swara, tala and raga, and is a confluence of jnana, karma and bhakti yoga.
Key Features:
- Meaning: ‘Sama’ means ‘song’ or ‘music’, hence Samaveda is the Veda of songs and tunes.
- Structure: It is the smallest of the four Vedas, but is extremely important; it contains a total of 1875 hymns, almost all of which are taken from the Rigveda.
- Uses: Its mantras were sung by the Udgata (chief singer) to praise the gods in Soma Yagna and other rituals.
- Parts: It has two main parts: Archika (collection of hymns) and Gaana (songs).
- Branches: It has three main branches: Kauthumiya, Ranayaniya and Jaiminiya.
Importance:
- Origin of Music: Samaveda is considered to be the origin of Indian classical music (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni) and dance.
- Spiritual significance: It is a combination of Gyan Yoga, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga and helps in purification of the soul and self-liberation.
- Mention in Bhagavad Gita: Lord Shri Krishna has described himself as Samaveda in Bhagavad Gita (Vedanam Samavedosmi), which further increases its importance.
- Scientific knowledge: It also includes scientific knowledge and life-useful teachings.
In short, the Samaveda is not just a religious text, but an important and vibrant source of Indian culture, music and spiritual knowledge, which is relevant even today.
Listing of Samaveda Mantras in English