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Each chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad is called a ''Valli'' (वल्ली), which literally means a medicinal [[vine]]-like climbing plant that grows independently yet is attached to a main tree. Paul Deussen states that this symbolic terminology is apt and likely reflects the root and nature of the Taittiriya Upanishad, which too is largely independent of the liturgical Yajur Veda, and is attached to the main text.<ref name="pauldeussen" />
 
Each chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad is called a ''Valli'' (वल्ली), which literally means a medicinal [[vine]]-like climbing plant that grows independently yet is attached to a main tree. Paul Deussen states that this symbolic terminology is apt and likely reflects the root and nature of the Taittiriya Upanishad, which too is largely independent of the liturgical Yajur Veda, and is attached to the main text.<ref name="pauldeussen" />
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Advaitins consider that Taittiriya Upanishad has only three chapters: the ''Siksha Valli'', the ''Ananda Valli'' and the ''Bhrigu Valli''.<ref name=":1">Insights Into the Taittiriya Upanishad, Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Published by Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Mysore, Page 20</ref>  Visistadvaitins, consider that there is a fourth chapter also - Yajniki Chapter. This fourth chapter is designated by them as तैत्तिरीय नारायणीयं.<ref name=":1" />
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Advaitins consider that Taittiriya Upanishad has only three chapters: the ''Siksha Valli'', the ''Ananda Valli'' and the ''Bhrigu Valli''.<ref name=":1">Insights Into the Taittiriya Upanishad, Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Published by Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Mysore, Page 20</ref>  Visistadvaitins, consider that there is a fourth chapter also - Yajniki Chapter. This fourth chapter is designated by them as तैत्तिरीय नारायणीयं.<ref name=":1" />
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The first chapter Siksha Valli includes twelve ''Anuvaka'' (lessons). The second chapter ''Ananda Valli'', sometimes called ''Brahmananda Valli'' includes nine verses.<ref name="maxmullerbv">Max Muller, The [[Sacred Books of the East]], Volume 15, Oxford University Press, Chapter 3: Taittiriya Upanishad, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe15/sbe15005.htm Archived Online]</ref> The third chapter ''Bhrigu Valli'' consists of ten verses.<ref>Original: [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद् Taittiriya Upanishad] (Sanskrit);<br>'''English Translation''': Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120814684, pages 220-246</ref>
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The four chapters have another structure also.
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=== Alternate structure ===
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The Four chapters can also be arranged as:
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* Samhiti "Upnaishad" (This comprises of Siksha Valli)
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* Varuni "Upanishad" (This comprises of Ananda and Bhrgu Vallis)
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* Yajniki
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The first chapter Siksha alli includes twelve ''Anuvaka'' (lessons). The second chapter ''Ananda Valli'', sometimes called ''Brahmananda Valli'' includes nine verses.<ref name="maxmullerbv">Max Muller, The [[Sacred Books of the East]], Volume 15, Oxford University Press, Chapter 3: Taittiriya Upanishad, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe15/sbe15005.htm Archived Online]</ref> The third chapter ''Bhrigu Valli'' consists of ten verses.<ref>Original: [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद् Taittiriya Upanishad] (Sanskrit);<br>'''English Translation''': Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120814684, pages 220-246</ref>
    
Some ancient and medieval Hindu scholars have classified the Taittiriya Upanishad differently, based on its structure. For example, Sâyana in his ''Bhasya'' (review and commentary) calls the Shiksha Valli (seventh chapter of the Aranyaka) as Sâmhitî-upanishad, and he prefers to treat the Ananda Valli and Bhrigu Vallu (eighth and ninth Prapâthakas) as a separate Upanishad and calls it the Vāruny Upanishad.<ref name="maxmullerbv"/>
 
Some ancient and medieval Hindu scholars have classified the Taittiriya Upanishad differently, based on its structure. For example, Sâyana in his ''Bhasya'' (review and commentary) calls the Shiksha Valli (seventh chapter of the Aranyaka) as Sâmhitî-upanishad, and he prefers to treat the Ananda Valli and Bhrigu Vallu (eighth and ninth Prapâthakas) as a separate Upanishad and calls it the Vāruny Upanishad.<ref name="maxmullerbv"/>
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=== Uniqueness of Structure ===
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=== One of the Earliest Texts to have Index ===
 
The Upanishad is one of the earliest known texts where index was included at the end of each section, along with main text, as a structural layout of the book. At the end of each Vallĩ in Taittiriya Upanishad manuscripts, there is an index of the Anuvakas which it contains. The index includes the initial words and final words of each ''Anuvaka'', as well as the number of sections in that ''Anuvaka''.<ref name="maxmullerbv"/> For example, the first and second Anuvakas of ''Shiksha Valli'' state in their indices that there are five sections each in them, the fourth Anuvaka asserts there are three sections and one paragraph in it, while the twelfth Anuvaka states it has one section and five paragraphs.<ref name="maxmullerbv"/> The ''Ananda Valli'', according to the embedded index, state each chapter to be much larger than currently surviving texts. For example, the 1st Anuvaka lists ''pratika'' words in its index as ''brahmavid'', ''idam'', ''ayam'', and states the number of sections to be twenty one. The 2nd Anuvaka asserts it has twenty six sections, the 3rd claims twenty two, the 4th has eighteen, the 5th has twenty two, the 6th Anuvaka asserts in its index that it has twenty eight sections, 7th claims sixteen, 8th states it includes fifty one sections, while the 9th asserts it has eleven. Similarly, the third Valli lists the ''pratika'' and ''anukramani'' in the index for each of the ten ''Anuvakas''.<ref name="maxmullerbv"/>
 
The Upanishad is one of the earliest known texts where index was included at the end of each section, along with main text, as a structural layout of the book. At the end of each Vallĩ in Taittiriya Upanishad manuscripts, there is an index of the Anuvakas which it contains. The index includes the initial words and final words of each ''Anuvaka'', as well as the number of sections in that ''Anuvaka''.<ref name="maxmullerbv"/> For example, the first and second Anuvakas of ''Shiksha Valli'' state in their indices that there are five sections each in them, the fourth Anuvaka asserts there are three sections and one paragraph in it, while the twelfth Anuvaka states it has one section and five paragraphs.<ref name="maxmullerbv"/> The ''Ananda Valli'', according to the embedded index, state each chapter to be much larger than currently surviving texts. For example, the 1st Anuvaka lists ''pratika'' words in its index as ''brahmavid'', ''idam'', ''ayam'', and states the number of sections to be twenty one. The 2nd Anuvaka asserts it has twenty six sections, the 3rd claims twenty two, the 4th has eighteen, the 5th has twenty two, the 6th Anuvaka asserts in its index that it has twenty eight sections, 7th claims sixteen, 8th states it includes fifty one sections, while the 9th asserts it has eleven. Similarly, the third Valli lists the ''pratika'' and ''anukramani'' in the index for each of the ten ''Anuvakas''.<ref name="maxmullerbv"/>
  

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