Shakha


A shakha, is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school. An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a '. The term is also used in Hindu philosophy to refer to an adherent of a particular orthodox system.
A related term ', is also used to refer to such a Vedic school: "although the words ' and ' are sometimes used synonymously, yet ' properly applies to the sect or collection of persons united in one school, and ' to the traditional text followed, as in the phrase , ". The schools have different points of view, described as "difference of school". Each school would learn a specific Vedic , as well as its associated Brahmana, Aranyakas, Shrautasutras, Grhyasutras and Upanishads.
In traditional Hindu society affiliation with a specific school is an important aspect of class identity. By the end of the Rig Vedic period the term Brahmin| had come to be applied to all members of the priestly class, but there were subdivisions within this order based both on caste and on the shakha with which they were affiliated. A Brahmin| who changed school would be called "a traitor to his śākhā".

Summary of schools

The traditional source of information on the shakhas of each Veda is the ', of which two, mostly similar, versions exist: the 49th ' of the Atharvaveda, ascribed to Shaunaka, and the 5th of the Śukla Yajurveda, ascribed to Kātyāyana. These have lists of the numbers of recensions that were believed to have once existed as well as those still extant at the time the works were compiled. Only a small number of recensions have survived.
Saraswati Gangadhar's devotional poetry written in Marathi called Shri Gurucharitra describes different shakhas of 4 Vedas in 27th chapter.
The schools are enumerated below, categorised according to the Veda each expounds.

Rig Veda

's lists five shakhas for the Rig Veda, the,,,, and of which only the and and very few of Asvalayana are now extant.
The Bashkala recension of the Rigveda has the Khilani which are not present in the Shakala text but is preserved in one Kashmir manuscript.
The Shakala has the Aitareya-Brahmana, The Bashkala has the Kausitaki-Brahmana.
Shri Gurucharitra mentions 12 shakhas for the Rig Veda namely śrāvakā, śravaṇiyā, jaṭā, śaphaṭa, pāṭhakrama, daṇḍa, aśvalāyanī, śāṃkhāyanī, śākalā, bāṣkalā and māṇḍūkā in Ovi 35 to 38.
There is, however, Sutra literature from the shakha,
both a shrauta sutra and a grhya sutra, both surviving with a commentary by Gargya Naranaya.
Gargya Naranaya's commentary was based on the longer commentary or bhashya by Devasvamin, written in the 11th century.
The shakha has been recently rediscovered in Banswada in Rajasthan where two septuagenarians are the last surviving practitioners.

Yajur Veda

's ' lists forty-two or forty-four out of eighty-six shakhas for the Yajur Veda, but that only five of these are now extant, with a sixth partially extant.
For the Yajur Veda the five shakhas are the.
The Yajurvedin shakhas are divided in Shukla and Krishna schools. The White recensions have separate Brahmanas, while the Black ones have their Brahmanas interspersed between the Mantras.

Krishna

Sama Veda

's ' lists twelve shakhas for the Sama Veda out of a thousand that are said to have once existed, but that of these only one or perhaps two are still extant.
The two Samaveda recensions are the Jaiminiya and Kauthuma.
In Ovi 203 to 210 of chapter 27, Shri Gurucharitra mentions 8 of the thousands of shakhas namely āsurāyaṇīyā, vāsurāyaṇīya़ā, vātāntareyā, prāṃjalī, ṛjñagvainavidhā, prācīna yogyaśākhā, jñānayoga and rāṇāyaṇīyā. Of these rāṇāyaṇīyā has 10 shakhas namely rāṇāyaṇīyā, sāṃkhyāyanī, śāṭhyā, mugdala, khalvalā, mahākhalvalā, lāṅ‌galā, kaithumā, gautamā and jaiminī.
The Kauthuma shakha has the PB, SadvB, the Jaiminiya shakha has the Jaiminiya Brahmana.
ShakhaSamhitaBrahmanaAranyakaUpanishad
Kauthumaedited,Recited by all over North and in South Indiaedited, no accentsNone. The Samhita itself has the ‘Aranyaka’.Chandogya Upanishad
RanayaniyaManuscripts of Samhita exist.Recited by Gokarna,and Deshastha BrahminsSame as Kauthuma with minor differences.None. The Samhita itself has the ‘Aranyaka’.Same as Kauthuma.
Jaiminiya/TalavakaraSamhita edited.Recited by Nambudiris and choliyal of Tamil nadu Two distinct styles of Saman recitation, partially recorded and published.Brahmana published – Jaiminiya Brahmana, Arsheya BrahmanaTamil Nadu version of Talavakara Aranyaka publishedKena Upanishad
Shatyayana'''--

Atharva Veda

Only one shakha of an original nine is now extant for the Atharvaveda. The nine sakhas were Paippalada, Tauda, Mauda, Shaunakiya, Jajala, Jalada, Brahmavada, Devadarsa and Chaarana-Vaidya. In Ovi 217 to 219 of chapter 27, Shri Gurucharitra mentions 9 shakhas namely paippalā, dāntā, pradāṃta, stotā, autā, brahmadā yaśadā, śaunakī, vedadarśā and caraṇavidyā
The Shaunaka is the only shakha of the Atharvaveda for which both printed texts and an active oral tradition are known to still exist.
For the Atharvaveda, both the Shaunakiya and the Paippalada traditions contain textual corruptions, and the original text of the Atharvaveda may only be approximated from comparison between the two.
ShakhaSamhitaBrahmanaAranyakaUpanishad
ShaunakaAVS, edited and recited by all over North India and South IndiaFragmentary Gopatha Brahmana, no accents.-Mundaka Upanishad published.
PaippaladaAVP; recited by Utkala Brahmins as samhita patha only. otherwise, two manuscripts survive: Kashmiri and Oriya lost,similar to that of Gopatha Brahmana-Prashna Upanishad, Sharabha Upanishad etc. – all edited.

The Paippalada tradition was discontinued, and its text is known only from manuscripts collected since the 20th century. However some Orissa Brahmins still continue the tradition of Paippalada.
No Brahmana is known for the Shaunaka shakha.
The Paippalada is possibly associated with the Gopatha Brahmana.