Yajurveda Samhitas (यजुर्वेदीयाः संहिताः)

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

No less than six complete samhitas of the Yajurveda is available today.

शुक्लयजुर्वेदीयाः संहिताः ॥ Shukla Yajurveda Samhita

Madhyandina and Kanva are the two prime branches of the Shukla Yajurveda.

माध्यन्दिनसंहिता ॥ Madhyandina Samhita

The Shukla Yajurveda Mantra Samhita is also known by the name Vajasaneyi Samhita as it was obtained by Yajnavalkya Vajasaneya by the grace of Bhagavan Surya. When quoted, the name Vajasaneyi Samhita generally refers to the Samhita belonging to the Madhyandina Shakha of the Shukla Yajurveda. It consists of 40 adhyayas out of which the last 15 as referred to as khila adhyayas with a total of 1975 mantras. An understanding of the contents of this Samhita gives an overview of the general subject matter of the Yajurveda.

Contents of Vajasaneyi Madhyandina Samhita

Adhyayas	Subject-matter
1 and 2	Mantras related to Darsha and Paurnamasa Ishtis
3	Mantras used in Agnihotra and Chaturmasya
4 to 8	Description of Somayagas including a detailed account of the Agnishtoma (a Prakrti Yaga)
9 and 10	Mantras related to Vajapeya and Rajasuya
11 to 18	Agnichayana including a detailed description of construction of Vedis. Adhyaya 16 is also known as Rudhradhyaya and includes the Shatarudriya homa that discusses the concept of Rudra in detail. Adhyaya 18 includes mantras related to Vasordhara
19 to 21	Describes the Sautramani Yajna - A Yajna performed by the Ashvinas to treat Indra.
22 to 25	Mantras specific to the Ashvamedha Yajna that is performed for sovereignity
26 to 29	Collection of Khila Mantras that include some new mantras for the rituals mentioned earlier in the text.
30	Description of Purushamedha Yajna that throws light on the businesses, professions and artistic skills prevalent during those times.
31	Includes the famous Purusha Sukta. However, it consists of 6 more mantras as compared to the Rgvedic Purusha Sukta.
32 and 33	Includes mantras of Sarvamedha. The beginning of adhyaya 32 includes a few mantras from the Rgvedic Hiranyagarbha Sukta.
34	Includes the famous Shivasankalpa Upanishad of 6 mantras that speaks about Manas, its Vrttis, etc.
35	Collection of mantras related to Pitrmedha
36 to 39	A detailed account of the Pravargya ritual
40	Ishavasyopanishad - the only upanishad to form a part of the Samhita itself thereby, considered the oldest among upanishads.

The Madhyandina shakha is known to have presence in Northern India.

काण्वसंहिता ॥ Kanva Samhita

In the recent times, the Kanva Shakha is known to be prevalent in the region of Maharashtra. However, in the ancient times, Northern India seems to be the region of the Kanva shakha considering that the samhita mentions a Kuru and Panchala Raja.

एष वः कुरवो राजा, एष पञ्चालो राजा ।

Also, according to the Mahabharata (Adi Parva), the hermitage of Kanva Muni (the foster father of Shakuntala) was situated on the banks of the river Malini that is identified with the river Malan in Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, it is believed that the Kanvas were indeed connected to Northern India.

The Kanva Samhita consists 40 adhyayas, 328 anuvakas and 2086 mantras that is 111 more than the ones in the Madhyandina Samhita.

Ths Kanva shakha is known to be related to the Pancharatra Agamas, especially the Pancharatra Samhitas.

कृष्णयजुर्वेदीयाः संहिताः ॥ Krshna Yajurveda Samhita

The subject matter of the Krshna Yajurveda is more or less the same as the Shukla Yajurveda. The only difference being that the Shukla Yajurveda gives only the mantras pertaining to the Yajna rituals while the Krshna Yajurveda also adds the pertinent brahmana sections. It is said that there 85 branches of the Krshna Yajurveda of which only 4 of them are extent today with their respective Samhitas. However, being branches of the same Veda, there is similarity in terms of their nature, yagas described and the mantras prescribed. The Samhitas of Krshna Yajurveda are described in brief below:

तैत्तिरीयसंहिता ॥ Taittiriya Samhita

The Taittiriya Samhita is prevalent in the Southern regions of India including some parts of Maharashtra and the whole of Andhra and Dravida regions. The speciality of this shakha lies in its ability to have maintained its textual heritage inclusive of the Samhita, brahmana, aranyaka, upanishad, shrautasutras as well as the grhya sutra intact over the years.

The Taittiriya Samhita is organised into 7 kandas, 44 prapathakas and 631 anuvakas. And like the Shukla Yajurveda it includes descriptions of Paurodasha, Yajamana, Vajapeya, Rajasuya, etc.

Sayanacharya belonged to this shakha and has written a commentary on the same. However, Bhatta Bhaskara's commentary known as Jnana Yajna that provides the adhyatma and adhidaiva perspectives to mantras apart from the adhiyajna meaning preceeds that of Sayanacharya's and is equally scholarly in approach.

मैत्रायणीसंहिता ॥ Maitrayani Samhita

The Maitrayani Samhita is also gadya-padyatmaka (a mix of prose and verse) since it includes both mantras and brahmanas as is the nature of a the Krshna Yajurveda. The Maitrayani Samhita consists of 4 kandas that are described in brief below.

Contents of the Maitrayani Samhita

Kanda	Prapathakas	Subject-matter
1 - Adima Kanda	11	Description of Darshapurnamasa, adhvara, adhana, Punaradhana, Chaturmasya and Vajapeya.
2 - Madhyama Kanda	13	Description of Kamya Ishti, Rajasuya and Agnichiti
3 - Upari Kanda	16	Description of Agnichiti, Adhvara vidhi, Sautramani, etc. Prapathakas 12-16 have a detailed description of the Ashvamedha.
4 - Khila Kanda	14	Other important things related to Yajnas like Rajasuya described earlier are presented here.

The Maitrayani Samhita has 2144 mantras of which 1701 rks are taken from the Rgveda. These mantras are related to the Mandalas 1 (Sukta 419), Mandala 10 (Sukta 323) and Mandala 6 (Sukta 157) of the Rgveda.

कठसंहिता ॥ Katha Samhita

In the Puranas, the Kathakas are known as Madhya-Pradeshiya or Madhyamas that suggests that in the ancient times they lived in Central India. According to Patanjali, the Katha Samhita was prevalent in every village.

ग्रामे ग्रामे काठकं कालापकं च प्रोच्यते । Mahabhashya 4.3.101

The Katha Samhita is available and organised into 5 Khandas, 40 sthanakas, 13 anuvachanas, 843 anuvakas, 3091 mantras and with the brahmanas 18000. The 5 khandas are known as Ithimika, Madhyamika, Ormika, Yajyanuvakya and Ashvamedhagrantha. Sthanakas are their sub-divisions. The contents of the Katha Samhita are described in brief below.

Contents of the Katha Samhita

Khanda	Sthanakas	Subject-matter
1 - Ithimika	18	Description of Purodasha, Adhvara, Pashubandha, Vajapeya, Rajasuya, etc.
2 - Madhyamika	12	Discussion on Savitri, Panchachuda, Svarga, Dikshita, Ayushya, etc.
3 - Orimika Kanda	10	Description of Purodasha Brahmana, Yajamana brahmana, Satra, Prayashchitti, Chaturmasya, Sava, Sautramani, etc.
4 - Yajyanuvakya Kanda		It is considered included in the 3rd Kanda itself.
5 - Ashvamedhaadyanuvachana		Consists of 13 Anuvachanas.

Some of the important yagas included Darshapaurnamasa, Agnishtoma, Agnihotra, Adhana, Kamya Ishti,Nirudha Pashubandha, Vajapeya, Rajasuya, Agnichayana, Chaturmasya, Sautramani and Ashvamedha

कपिष्ठलकठसंहिता ॥ Kapishthala Katha Samhita

Kapishthala is the name of a Rshi that finds mention in Panini's sutra कपिष्ठलो गोत्रे (८.३.९१) and in Durgacharya's commentary on the nirukta where he says, अहं च कापिष्ठलो वासिष्ठः (निरुक्तटीका ४.४). There is only one manuscript of this Samhita available which is also incomplete. Also, the Kapishthala Samhita exhibits an influence of the Rgveda. Its Svarankana Paddhati is similar to that of the Rgveda. The Kapishthala Samhita, like the Rgveda, is organised into Ashtakas and Adhyayas. Details of the available portion of the text is enumerated below:

Kapishthala Samhita

Ashtaka	Adhyayas
1 (complete)	8 adhyayas
2 and 3	adhyayas 9 to 24 (unavailable)
4	adhyayas 25 to 31 available (adhyaya 32 unavailable) adhyaya 27 is the Rudradhyaya
5	adhyayas 33 to 40 (adhyaya 33 unavailable)
6	adhyayas 41 to 48 (adhyaya 43 unavailable)

Even the available chapters are not complete. However, the subject-matter of the Kapishthala Samhita resembles that of the Katha Samhita.