Samhita

Hindu text

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July 15, 2026

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The term "Samhita" refers to any of the four basic canonical books of Hindu scriptures, which comprise hymns, prayers, and liturgical formulas. These four collections are known as the Vedas: the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda. The Vedas are considered the oldest Hindu texts, believed to have been revealed to inspired seers and memorized in Sanskrit.123

The Rigveda is the oldest of these collections and contains hymns praising various deities associated with nature and abstract qualities. The Yajurveda contains formulas for sacrifice, the Samaveda consists of chants, and the Atharvaveda includes spells and incantations. These texts form the foundation of Hinduism, known as Shruti ("What Is Heard"), and are still recited in religious ceremonies today.4562738

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Upanishad
…Samaveda, and Atharvaveda—consists of a Samhita (a “collection” of hymns or sacred formulas); a liturgical prose exposition called a Brahmana; and two appendices to the Brahmana—an Aranyaka (“Book of the Wilderness”), which contains esoteric doctrines meant to be studied by the initiated in the forest or some other remote place,…
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…Samaveda, and Atharvaveda—consists of a Samhita (a “collection” of hymns or sacred formulas); a liturgical prose exposition called a Brahmana; and two appendices to the Brahmana—an Aranyaka (“Book of the Wilderness”), which contains esoteric doctrines meant to be studied by the initiated in the forest or some other remote place,…
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Veda
The foremost collection, or Samhita, of such poems, from which the hotri (“reciter”) drew the material for his recitations, is the Rigveda (“Knowledge of the Verses”). Sacred formulas known as mantras were recited by the adhvaryu, the priest responsible for the sacrificial fire and for carrying out the ceremony.…
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The foremost collection, or Samhita, of such poems, from which the hotri (“reciter”) drew the material for his recitations, is the Rigveda (“Knowledge of the Verses”). Sacred formulas known as mantras were recited by the adhvaryu, the priest responsible for the sacrificial fire and for carrying out the ceremony.…
Read More