Sam Veda

Sāma is composition of words in Rigvedic hymns from notes. The hymns of Rigveda form the base of Sāmagāna. Sāmagāna is not merely a name given to singing hymns of Veda but represents the philosophy and science of uniting thought, sound and music. Sāmagāna is purpose of creation of Samaveda.

Sāma is singing of hymns from Rigveda alone and not from other Veda-s. "richi adhyoodham sama" ऋचि अध्यूढ्रम साम (Chhandog Upnishad 1.6.1). Hence Sāma is composition of words in Rigvedic hymns into notes. The richā-s or hymns of Rigveda are called yoni or ādhāra as they form the base of Sāmagān. In musicological parlance Sāma Veda has taken mātu (words) from Rigveda and provided dhātu (notes) to these words. (Bharatiya Sangeet Ka Itihaas. Dr. Thakur Jaidev Singh. Calcutta: Sangeet Research Academy, 1994, pp. 35 – 72)

Ārchika.आर्चिक् Only a few hymns in Sāma Veda Samhita were not based upon richa-s taken from Rigveda. The bulk being based on Rigveda is known as Ārchika. It has two parts.

Poorvārchika. पूर्वार्चिक 585 Richa-s are sub-grouped into 6 Prapāthaka-s. Each Prapāthaka has two Ardha-s. Each Ardha has 10 Dashati-s. A collection of ten (here, hymns) is called a Dashati.

Uttarārchika. उत्तरार्चिक It has 1225 richa-s contained in 9 Prapāthaka-s, first five having two ardha-s each and the remaining four having three ardha-s each.

Āranyaka Samhita. अरण्यक सम्हिता It is merely a collection of verses that could be sung.

Patanjali's statement, "sahasravartma samvedaha" सहस्रवर्त्म समवेदः gives rises to speculation that there were a thousand branches of Sām, while he poetically indicated there could be a thousand ways in which Sāma could be sung. In 'Sāmatarpana' there are a maximum of 13 Āchārya-s but today there are only three branches. 1. Rān#aneeya राणानीय 2. Kouthumeeya कौथ्हुमीय 3. Jaimineeya जैमिनीय

Ārchika grantha (treatises) contains hymns that are yoni or base to Gāna or singing. The collections of suitably modified richa-s are known as Gāna-grantha. These are the true Sāma. Sāma created on richa-s of Poorvārchika are called Grāma-gāna,ग्रामगान् Grāmegeya-gāna, ग्रामगेयोगान् Prakriti-gāna प्रकृतिगान or Veya-gāna वेयगान्. Sāma created on richa-s of Āranyak Samhita are termed Aranya-gāna अरण्यागान or Aranyageya-gāna अरण्यगेयोगान्. Sām created on richa-s of Uttarārchik are known as Ooha-gāna.ऊहगान् The Sanskrit root ooh means 'to modify according to need'. (Caland in preface to PanchaVimshaBrahmin)

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