The only recension in which the Sanhita of the Rig- veda has been preserved to us is that of the Sakala school; and the hymns are arranged according either to the material bulk or their authorship. According to the former arrangement, the whole Sanhita consists of 8 ashtakas, or eights; these are divided into 64 adhy- ayas, or lessons ; these into 2006 vargas, or sections ; and these again into richs, or verses, numbering 10,417. According to the other method, the Sanhita is divided into 10 mandalas, or circles ; tliese into 85 anuvakas, or sections; these into 1028 suhtas, or hymns; and the hymns into richs, of the same number, of course, as in the former arrangement. The number of words is said to be 153,826 in this Sanhita.
The Brahmana portion of the Rig-veda is preserved in two works — the Aitareya Brahmana and the San- khayana, or Khiinshitaki Brahmana. The former con- sists of 8 piinchikas, or pentades; each of these com- prising 5 adhyayas, or lessons; and the 40 adhyayas 285 khandas, or portions. The latter contains 80 ad- hyayas, divided into a number of khandas.
The precise date of the composition of the Rig-veda, much the oldest of the Vedas, is not known. By the methods of modern criticism, an approximate date has been assigned. Internal evidence, based upon a com- parison of the older with the later portions, and coupled with such facts as the dispersion of the Aryan race and the historical rise of Buddhism, leads to the conclusion that the mantras of the Rig-veda were composed by a succession of poets between the 15th and 12th cen- turies B.C.
The Sama-veda was compiled chiefly for the perform- ance of those sacrifices of which the juice of the Soma plant is the chief ingredient; and of these sacrifices the Jyotishtoma is the most important. At the performance of such Soma sacrifices the verses of the Sama-veda were chanted; and there are special books which teach the proper manner of chanting them. The Sanhita of the Sama-veda is preserved in two recensions, and consists of two parts— the Chhandograntha, or A rchika, or Pur- varchika, and tiie Staubhika, or Uttarngrantha, or Utlu- rarchika. The first part consists of fifty-nine dasati, or decades, which are divided into prapathakas, or chap- ters; and these again into ardhaprapathakas, ox half-
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chapters; the entire part containing 585 verses. The second portion is dividwl in a similar maimer, and con- tains 1220 verses. The number of Brahmanas relating to this Veda is probably ten, including one of the Ujnini- shach and a later Brahmana.
There are two Ydjitr-rci/ns, resulting from a dissen- sion between its schools, known as the Black and the IVkile. The Black- Yajur-reda is the older of the two, and lacks that complete separation of the Sanhita and Brahmana portions which exists in all the others; but this defect is remedied in the White Yajur-vtda. Tlie contents of both are similar in many respects. The text of the Sanhita of the Black Yajnr-veda is extant in two recensions, one of which consists of 7 khaudus, or books, comprising 4-1 prapalkukas, or chapters, subdi- vided into 651 amtrakas, or sections, and containing 2198 khandikas, or portions. The Sanhita of the White Ya- jur-ctda exists also in two recensions, and contains 40 adhi/ai/as, divided into 303 anuvakas, and subdivided into 1975 khandikas.
The object of the A tharva-veda is to teach how to ap- pease, to bless, to curse, etc. Prof. Whitney {Jviinial of the A jiter. Orient. Soc. iii, 308) says, " The most prom- inent characteristic feature of this Veda is the multi- tude of incantations which it contains; these are pro- nounced either by the person who is himself to be ben- efited, or, more often, by the sorcerer for him, and are directed to the procuring of the greatest variety of de- sirable ends. Most frequently, perhaps, long life, or re- covery from grievous sickness, is the object sought; then a talisman, such as a necklace, is sometimes given ; or, in very immerous instances, some plant endowed with marvellous virtues is to be the immediate external means of the cure; further, the attainment of wealth or power is aimed at, the downfall of enemies, increase in love or in play, the removal of petty pests, and so on, even down to tlie growth of hair on a bald pate." The adherents of this Veda attach great importance to it. They claim that the other Vedas enable a man to fulfil the dhar/na,OT religious law, but that the Atharra-veda helps him to attain moksha, or eternal bliss. The text of this Veda is preserved only in the Saunaka school. The Sanhita portion consists of twenty khandas, or books, some of which are divided into chapters, containing, in all, one hundred and ten sections.
Of all the Vedas the Bifj-veda is by far the most im- portant, and carries the greatest weight of authority.
The literature of the Vedas is quite extensive. The text of the Rig-veda has been edited in Koman charac- ters by Prof. Aufrecht (Berlin, 18GI); in Sanscrit, with the commentary of Sayana (A.D. 1400), by Max Midler (1849-62) ; the text of the Sama-veda by Dr. J. Ste- venson (Lond. 1842-43) and Prof. Benfey (Leips. 1848); the text of the Yajnr-veda by Prof. A. Weber (Berlin, 1852); the text of the A tharva-veda by Profs. K. Koth and W. D. Wliitney (ibid. 1856). The first complete translation of the Bi(/-veda was made by Prof. H. H. Wilson (Lond. 1850-56, 4 vols.). See Koth, ZurLilera- tur und Geschichte des Weda (Stuttgart, 1846) ; Weber, A kademische Vorlesungen iiber indiscJte fAteraturgesch. (Berlin, 1852) ; Miiller, Hi^t. of Ancient Sanscrit Litera- ture (Lond. 1859); id. Chips from a German Workshop (N. Y. 1870) ; Whitney. Oriental and Linguistic Studies (ibid. 1872) ; Muir, Original Sanscrit Texts (1867-72, 5 vols.) ; Kaegi, Der Rir/veda (Zurich, 1878). For addi- tional references, see Hinduism.