Samaveda (सामवेदः)

सामवेद का परिचय एवं वैशिष्ट्य

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Samaveda (Samskrit:सामवेदः) is the third of the Four Vedas, and is the third of Vedatrayi. Samaveda is made up of mantras called as "Saman" or "Sama" meaning lyrical mantra. The union of Rik mantras and Swara alone is Sama. Hence the text of the Sama Veda is a reduced version of the Rigveda. It is mandatory for Sama to be lyrical and its secret is in its musical annotation and rendering.

Introduction

The Samaveda is shortest of all the four Vedas. It is closely connected with the Rigveda. It is important to note that the Samhita of the Samaveda includes many mantras, a large number indeed, from the Samhita of Rigveda. These mantras are chiefly derived from the eighth and the ninth Mandalas of the Rigveda. The Samaveda is compiled exclusively for ritual application, for Samans are all meant to be chanted during the ceremonies of the Soma-yajna. In the ritualistic tradition, these mantras are recited at those yajnas in which Soma plant is pressed and juice is extracted which with other ingredients is offered to various deities. The Samaveda is, therefore, specially intended for the Udgatr priest, who chants Samans at the yajnika ritual. Its mantras assume their proper character of musical samans or chants only in the various song-books called Ganas. According to Jaimini - Melody is called Saman.

Traditionally the Vedas are spoken of as 'Veda Trayi' as they are composed of three kinds of mantras - Rk mantras set to metres, Yajus mantras in prose form, and Saman mantras set to musical chants.

Samaveda Dhyan Shlok

नीलोत्पलदलाभासः सामवेदो हायाननः । अक्षमालान्वितो दक्षे वामे कम्बु धारः स्मृतः॥

Meaning of Saman

Saman or Sama means lyrical mantra as mentioned in the previous section. When the mantras (Rik or Richa) of Rigveda are sung in a specific musical system, then they are called Samaan (Saam). Therefore, in Purvamimamsa, गीति (geeti) or गान (song) has been called Sama - 'गीतिषु सामाख्या' (Purv. Mima. 2.1.36). In Rigveda, Stotrarupa or Geetirupa mantra has been called 'आंगूष्यं साम' (Rig 1.62.2). Angushya means a form of stotra or geeti rendering. It is known that when Mantra or Richas are presented in the form of Geeti then it is called the Saman.

Rigveda and Samaveda have an interdependent relationship. Richa (ऋचा) when rendered in lyrical form becomes Saman. This aspect has been expressed in many ways in Atharvaveda, Aitareya Brahmana, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads in expressively or figuratively. This has been elucidated as follows.

(1) सा + अम = साम। स/सा (ऋचा) + अम ( गीति) = सामन् ।

What it means is that स/सा (Sa or Saa) is Rigveda and अम (Am) is music when put together we get Saman. The mixture of both forms Sam (Samveda).

(2) सा।Sa (i.e., ऋचा is female or wife) + Am (गान is male or man) = सामन् (saman). 'The relationship between Rigveda and Samaveda is like that of husband and wife.'

References of Saman in Brahmanas and Upanishads are as follows.

- या ऋक् तत् साम । छान्दो १.३.४ That which is Rik is Sama.

- ऋयि अध्यूढं साम । छान्दो १.६.१

अमोऽहमस्मि सा त्वम् , सामाहमस्मि-ऋक् त्वम् , द्यौरहं पृथिवी त्वम् । ताविह सं भवाव प्र॒जामा जनयावहै । अथर्व० १४.२.७१ । एत० ब्रा° ८.२७ । बृहदा०उप० ६.४.२०

- सा च अमश्चेति तत् साम्नः सामत्वम् । बृहदा०उप० १.३.२२

It is clearly stated in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad that Gana (music) is the essence of Samveda.

- तस्य हैतस्य साम्नो यः स्वं वेद, .... तस्य स्वर एव स्वम् । बृहदा० उप० १.३.२५

विशिष्टा काचिद् गीतिः सामेत्युच्यते । मी०सूत्र २.१.३७ In the explanation of Mimamsa Sutras, Shabaraswami has also expresses that singing of richas in a special way is called Sama.

Philosophical and Spiritual Nature of Samaveda

The philosophical and spiritual form of Samaveda has been described in Brahmana texts. Samaveda is pertinent to Upasana. It mainly contains a collection of mantras of spiritual nature.

साम प्राणं प्र पद्ये | यजु० ३६.१ - Yajurveda says that Samaveda is vital element, that is, life force increases from Samaveda. The same thing has been said in Shatapatha Brahmin and Jaiminiya Brahmana.

प्राणो वै साम । शत० १४.८.१४.३ स यः प्राणस्तत् साम । जैमि० उप० ब्रा० १,२५.१०

It is the coordination of Rik and Geeti, and Jaiminiya Brahmana expresses that it is the coordination of speech principle (सा Sa) and vital principle (अम Am).

प्राणो वावामो वाक् सा, तत् साम । जै० ब्रा० ४.२३.३

Speech is the word form of Brahman and lifeforce is the power behind it. Samveda is representative of Sun, hence it imbibes the solar energy. Sun exists everywhere with equality, hence Sun is equated to Samaveda. Sama is the meaningful form of Sama. Samaveda is the

The root of music with seven Swaras is Samaveda. Sastras convey that the divine blessed in the form of Sama Gana many mantras of eulogy from Rigveda. Maharishis listened to these ganas with their divine ears and sang them.

The Samaveda represents the ecstasy of adhyatmik knowledge and the power of devotion. The Rigveda is the word, the Sama Veda is the song or the meaning. The Rigveda is the knowledge, the Sama Veda its realization. Hence the two always go together like husband and wife where Rig Veda is the wife and the Sama is the husband.

One interpretationof Saman is that they are Mantras representing the rays of the sun, that is, the solar energy from the Samaveda is given to man. In the Samaveda, Sama (song) is Svarga, and Rik (Richa or mantra) is the Prthvi (Earth), so the Samaveda is a combination of Svarga and Prthvi.

Thus it is known that the Samaveda gives three major teachings:

• To awaken a sense of Samatvabhava or equality.
• A sense of coordination. The combination of Rig and Sama is the combination of heaven and earth. It is the unification of husband and wife. To awaken the sense of harmony in life is an important teaching of Samaveda.
• Saman is the Prana or life force. The goal of man is to awaken the life force or self-power in life.

Greatness of Samaveda

Samaveda has been acclaimed as the important one among the Vedas as mentioned in the following texts:

1. Samaveda is the essence of the Vedas. According to Shatapatha and Gopatha Brahmanas the essence of all the Vedas is Samaveda (सर्वेषां वा एष वेदानां रसो यत् साम । शत० १२.८.३.२३ । गोण २.५.७)

2. Yajnas are incomplete without Saman mantras as mentioned in Shatapatha Brahmana (नासामा यज्ञोऽस्ति । शत० १.४.१.१)

3. There is solar energy in Samveda. Shatapatha says that Samaveda originated from and has the power of the Surya. (सूर्यात् सामवेदः (अजायत) । शत० ११.५.८.३)

4. The essence (rasa) of Samveda is Dyulok (heavenly lokas). Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmin says that Prajapati created the world by taking the essence of Samveda. The same juice took the form of the Sun. (स्वरित्येव सामवेदस्य रसमादत्त । सोऽसौ द्यौरभवत् । तस्य रसः ... आदित्यः । जैमि० १.१.५)

5. 'Brihaddevta' says that only the one who knows the Samveda can know the secret of the Veda. (सामानि यो वेत्ति स वेद तत्त्वम् । बृहद्देवता ।)

6. In Bhagavadgita, Shri Krishna has given the highest place to Samveda and considered it to be highest divine form. (वेदानां सामवेदोऽस्मि । गीता १०.२२)

7. In Chandogya Upanishad, the essence of the Rik mantras has been described as Samaveda and the essence of Samaveda is Udgeetha (Pranav, Omkar, Om). Udgeetha has been described as the most precious juice in the world. In this way Samaveda propounds Om or Paramatma. (ऋचः साम रसः, साम्न उद्गीथो रसः । रसतमः परमः परार्ध्यः .. उदमीथः । छा० १,१.२ ओर ३)

8. Samveda is composed of geeti and is termed as the Veda of music. Music is the best knowledge in the world, hence Samaveda is praised among the four Vedas. The one who sings Samveda has been praised by calling him 'Samaga'. (सामगेभिः अ० २,१२.४)

9. Samveda is a symbol of awareness. Therefore, it is said in Rigveda that the one who is aware, likes Rigveda and Samaveda. (यो जागार तमृचः .... तमु सामानि यन्ति । ऋग् ० ५.४.१४)

10. Samagaan is the best way to praise and please deities. Music sung with a pure heart attracts all divine entities. That is why it is said in Rigveda that one should sing with a pure heart.

Nature of Samaveda

Samveda has two main parts: (1) पूर्वार्चिक । Purvarchika, (2) उत्तरार्चिक । Uttararchika. The literal meaning of 'आर्चिक ।Archika' is - a group or collection of Richas.

(1) पूर्वार्चिक ॥ Purvarchika

It has four sections: (a) आग्नेय । Agneya, (b) ऐन्द्र । Aindra, (c) पवमान । Pavamana. (d) महानाम्नी आर्चिक ।Mahanamni Archik, Aaranyakanda and Parishista (appendix). There are 6 Adhyayas in Purvarchika. Adhyayas are divided into Kanda and named as 'Dashati'. Dashati means ten Richas, but there appears no restriction on the number of ten in each Dashati, at some places they are less and at other places they are more. Adhyaya 1 is Agneya Kand. Adhyayas 2 to 4 constitute Aindra Kand. Adhyaya 5 is the Pavamana kand. Adyaya 6 is Aranyakaand. Its appendix is Mahanamni Archik (10 mantras).

The details of Purvarchika in terms of subject and mantra number etc. are as follows:

Kand	Subject	Adhyaya	Section	Mantras	Description
Agneya	Agni devata	1	12	114	(1-114)
Aindra	Indra Devata	2 to 4	12	352	(115 - 466)
Pavamana	Soma Devata	5	11	119	(467 - 585)
Aaranya	Indra, Agni and Soma	6	5	55	(586 -640)
Mahanamni Archika		Parishishta	---	10	(641 - 640)
Total number of Mantras					640

The mantras from adhyayas 1 to 5 are called 'Grama-gaana'. where their songs were sung in villages. Adhyaya 6 is Aranya Kand. Its mantras were sung in the forest.

(2) उत्तरार्चिक॥ Uttararchika

It has 21 Adhyayas (or 9 prapathakas) and the number of mantras is 1225. There are a total of 400 Suktas in Uttararchika. Of these 287 suktas, each contains a group of three mantras. 66 have two mantras each and the remaining 47 hymns have groups of mantras from 1 to 12.

References

1. https://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/prkannan/Sama%20Veda-%20An%20Introduction.pdf Book by Sri P.R. Kannan found at https://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/prkannan/
2. http://www.hindunet.org/vedas/samveda/index.htm