Samhita

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Dear BhakthAs : One or two comments on the word

Samhita .It is a Vedic word meaning a congregation

of several independent units. Like all other Vedic

words , it has several meanings as well .

 

In the Vedic context , Yajur Veda Samhita means redactions

of the Rg Verses according to different schools or sakaas

or branches such as Vajasaneyi -Madhyandhina Sukla Yajur

Veda or the white Yajur Veda. There is another samhita known as

Taittiriya Samhita or the Krishna Yajur Veda , which is more akin

to a BrahmaNaa rather than Sruthi .There are many rescensions of

both sukla and krishna yajur veda samhithAs .

 

When we use the larger definition , a congregation of

several independent units , then AagamAs like PaancharAtra

with its independent samhithAs dealing with temple ritual

onwards ,Brahma SamhitA ( hymns of Brahma in praise of Lord KrishNA

containing manthrAs such as Kama bija manthram and

kaama gayatri manthram and a host of other topics

ranging from GanesA , DurgA to BhagavAn KrishNa ) ,

Bhrigu SamhitA dealing with Jyothisha saasthram ,

DakshiNA murthy Samhitha ( Taantric work dealing with

Sri Vidya UpAsanA ) , Susrutha samhitha dealing with

Aayur Vedam , ALL of these fall in place.

 

SamhitA also is made up two words ( sam +hitha ).

It means roughly one that brings hitham close to one .

There are lot of aspects to the word SamhitA , which

are worthy of intrepretation . But it will be outside

the scope of posting on definition and illustrative

examples.

 

V.Sadagopan