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From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • June 25, 1998 


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