Samaveda

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

Melodies and chants for the soma sacrifice. It is often called the root of Indian classical music.

Traditional attribution

The Veda of chants, revealed to the rishis.

Historical scholarship

Mostly verses from the Rigveda arranged for singing in ritual.

Context and curiosity

In the Gita, Krishna says 'Among the Vedas, I am the Sama Veda'.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Hinduism & Vedic India (Vedic India). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as c. 1200–1000 BCE and original language or script as Vedic Sanskrit. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaveda

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.