इन्द्रियाणां मनश्चास्मि भूतानामस्मि चेतना ||
vedanaam sama-vedo'smi devanaam asmi vasavah
indriyaanaam manas chasmi bhutaanaam asmi chetana.
- Bhagavat Gita – 10.22 Vibhuti yoga
"Of the Vedas I am the Sama-veda; of the demigods I am Indra; of the senses I am the mind, and in living beings I am the true knowledge."
Again, in Bhagavat Gita 10.35, Lord says
brihat-sama tatha samnam gayatri chandasam aham
masanam marga-shirsho’ham ritunam kusumakarah
"Of the hymns in the Sama Veda, I am the Brihat-Sama (the song of Gods), and of poetry I am the Gayatri. Of months I am Margashirsha, and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.”
Hi viewer, welcome to my blog on Sama Veda.
Let us first experience the sonic vibrations of Sama Veda revealed to the Sages, thousands of years back in the Himalayan region.
Please click the following link and enjoy the bliss:
Sama Veda assumes special significance for its richness in musical praise of gods. The mantras of Sama Veda are chanted musically so they're are especially pleasing to the Gods more than the mantras of the other Vedas. You can say, it is the height of praising the gods.
The verses of the Sama Veda are used to glorify Indra in a 10 day sacrificial ritual, in which different Vedas are enlisted along with the entities to whom these Veda are to be presented during sacrificial offerings. Day 1 starts with recitation of Rig Veda, Day 2 with Yajur Veda, Day 3 with Atharva Veda, Day 4 with Angirasa Veda, Day 5 with Sarpa Vidya Veda, Day 6 with Deva Jnana Vidhya Veda, Day 7 with Maya Veda, Day 8 with Ithihasa Veda, Day 9 with Purana Veda and the ultimate 10th day is started with reciting Sama Veda with final offerings to Indra. This is perhaps why Lord Krishna compares himself to the Sama Veda.
Kanchi seer, Maha Periyava, has spelt out clearly the importance of Sama Veda as follows:
"Sāma" denotes that which brings equipoise or tranquillity to the mind. There are four well-known ways of dealing with an opponent or rival: sāma, dāna, bheda and danda. The first method is that of conciliation, making an enemy a friend through affection. The Sāmaveda enables us to befriend the divine forces, even the Paramātman. How do we make a person happy? By praising him. If the panegyric is set to music and sung he would be doubly pleased.
Many of the mantras of the Rigveda are intoned with a cadence in the Sāmaveda; thus we have Sāma-gāna. While the riks are chanted with the tonal differences of udātta, anudātta and Svarita, the Sāmans are intoned musically according to certain rules.
Our music, based on the seven notes (saptasvara), has its origin in Sāmaveda. All deities are pleased with Sāmagāna. We become recipients of their grace not only through the offerings made in the sacrificial fire but through the intoning of the samans by the Udgata.
Though the sāmans are indeed Rig Vedic mantras, they are specially capable of pleasing the deities and creating Athmic uplift because they are intoned musically. This is what gives distinction to the Sāmaveda.
Sri Krishna Paramātman says in the Gita: "Vedānām Sāmavedosmi" (Of Vedas I am the Sāmaveda). The Lord is everything, including good as well as bad. Even so, as he speaks to Arjuna about the things in which his divine quality specially shines forth, he mentions the Sāmaveda among them.
In the Lalita-Sahasranama, Ambā has the name of "Sāmagāna-priya (one who delights in Sāmagāna); she is not called "Rigvedapriya" or "Yajurveda-priya". Syāmasāstri refers to the goddess Meenakshi as "Sāma-gāna-vinodinī" in one of his compositions.
Click the link below for "Sama Gana Priye":
Lord Shiva is believed to be a great fan of the Sama Veda chanting and in the epic Ramayana, Ravana gains the special favour of Lord Shiva by singing the Samaveda ganas to him while playing on his veena. There is a story of Ravana lifting mount Kailash, which is a prelude to his devotion.
Ravana had always been jealous of his half – brother, Kubera, who was the treasurer of the Gods. Right from childhood, he wanted to prove himself stronger, and more powerful than Kubera, and accordingly performed penance to gain strength and power. As soon as his penance yielded results, he attacked Kubera and looted his magnificent city, taking whatever he wished to.
Ravana was returning from Kubera’s city, when suddenly, his aerial vehicle stopped. He was surprised, and enquired about the reason. When he learnt that this was the abode of Lord Shiva, and that no one was allowed to pass that way, he was livid! Arrogant, and believing himself to be all-powerful, he refused to change his path, and decided to challenge the Lord himself! Getting down from his vehicle, he went to the foot of the mountain and began uprooting it with his immense strength!
Meanwhile, Lord Shiva, Parvati and the others on the mountain were disturbed by the shaking of the mountain. While Parvati and the other women worried about the cause of the disturbance, Shiva simply smiled. When at last, Ravana had managed to lift the entire mountain, Lord Shiva simply pressed his toe down….. and the huge mountain came back down to earth, crushing Ravana underneath!
At last, Ravana realized his error, and from under the mountain, prayed to Lord Shiva, who blessed and released him. It is also believed that when he was crushed under the mountain, he sang out to the Lord for mercy, and his composition so pleased the Lord that he forgave him at once! It is believed that these words were the origin of the ‘Sama Gaanam’ – the ritual singing of the hymns of the Sama Veda!
Ravana lifting Mount Kailash
In the Śiva-ashtottaram, the 108 names of Śiva, He is worshipped thus: "Sāma priyaya namah." The Thevāram extols Śiva as one who keeps chanting the Chandoga-Sāman (Chandoga-Sāman odhum vāyān). Appayya Diksita has sought to establish that Isvara or Śiva, Amba and Visnu are "Ratna-trayi" (the Three Gems) occupying the highest plane.
Listen to the song on Lord Shiva:"Sama Gana Lolane" in the following link:
And all three have a special relationship with the Sāmaveda.
(Ref: Hindu Dharma: The Universal Way of Life, Swami Chandrasekarendra Saraswati)
Sama Veda is the driving force behind emergence of a formal system of music from the ancient liturgical world of music. It has been unanimously acknowledged that the origin of our classical music is Sama Veda or more simply Saman singing.
Authentic texts like Bharatha’s Natyasastra attribute the art and science of music to the third Veda (Sama) which is the source of the seven notes (Saptaswara) that form the basic scale of musical notation. The raga (tonal framework) is developed from a series of rhythmic syllables set to a pattern which again can be traced to the tradition of Saman chanting.
The ancients worked close to Nature in formulating musical syllables by paying close attention to the cries of birds and beasts over a period of time. The fine distinctions may have been noted and made use of to form a scale. The accent all along was a mark of musical pitch. The upper, middle and lower (uttama or tara, madhyama, mandra) were connected with three spots (sthanaas) corresponding to the voice registers. The count and mode of emphasis was by means of finger and hand movements (present day tala).
Since the basis of Sama chant was for rituals to extol and appease the element forces of Nature, the morning chant to Agni (Fire), was generally sung in the bass; the noon chant to Indra was in the middle octave, the afternoon chant to Viswedeva was in the third octave and on all other occasions it was the middle octave that was usually adopted as it was steady and believed to secure good fortune.
Sama Veda Samhita
Sama Veda is "the Rigveda set to music". It is a fusion of older melodies (sāman) and the Rig verses – FRITS STAAL.
The shanti mantra of Sama Veda goes like this:
May my limbs, speech, vital air, eyes, ears, strength, and all the senses be fully developed, all that is revealed by the Upanishads is Brahman. May I never deny Brahman, May Brahman never disown me, Let there be no repudiation (from Brahman), Let there be no infidelity from my side, May all the dharmas extolled by the Upanishads shine in me, Who am intent on knowing the Self. May they shine in me .
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!
The Sama Veda is the shortest of all 4 Vedas. The total number of verses in the Sama Veda Samhita is 1549 of which 1474 Verses are from the Rigveda, 8th and 9th mandalas. Thus you will see that most of the verses were from Rig Veda Samhita but converted into musical style. Just like Rigveda, the early sections of Samaveda typically begin with Agni and Indra hymns but shift to abstract speculations and philosophy, and their meters too shifts in a descending order.
The Samaveda, like other Vedas, contains several layers of text, with Samhita being the oldest and the Upanishads the youngest layer. Samaveda Samhita is not meant to be read as a text, it is like a musical score sheet that must be heard.
Sama Veda Samhita is called ‘Samaga’ or ‘Chandoga’. The Sama Veda Samhita is made of two parts, the text taken from Rig Veda, called “Archika” and also the converted texts, called “Sama-gana”, with numbers indicated on them. A large part of the texts are in praise of Agni, Indra, and Soma.
The Archika part of the text is made of two parts called, Purvarchika and Uttararchika, according to the Chandas or meters and the devatha gods to be praised and sequence of events to be followed during the Yagna sacrifice.
The Gana part is also divided into two parts, Prakriti Gana and Uha Gana.
The hymn-melodies for the Soma-yaga performed at homes in the villages (Grama) were different from those performed by the hermits living in the forests (Aranya). The other variations include ‘Uha-gana’ and ‘Uhya-gana’.
The priests who sing the tunes to the mantras in high pitch are called “Udgathrus”. They were usually a group of three singers, called Prasthothru, Udgathru and Prathiharthra. And, the group, together, rendered the Sama in five stages.
Prasthava: The initial portion of the mantra is sung by an Udgathru designated as Prasthothru. And, he starts with a deep Huuum sound (Hoon- Kara).
Udgita: Prasthothru is followed by the chief Ritwik (designated the chief Udgathru) who sings his portion of the Rik. He commences with an elongated Om Kara.
Prathihara: the mid-portion is sung loudly by Prathiharthra. This adulates the Devatha to whom Rik is addressed.
Upadrava: The chief Udgathru sings again; and
Nidhana: the final portion is sung by all the three together, commencing with prolonged Om-kara.
The mantras are rearranged differently into “Samans”, to suit the ritual musical rendering, through turning, twisting, elongating its syllables; and, by inserting various modulations, rests, and other modifications. The musical effect or the ‘floating form’ of the Sama-gana is enhanced by interpolation of Svaras and meaningless sounds called Stobha (which resemble shouts of joy) such as: Hoyi, Hoi, Hova, Hai, Haw, Oi, Ai, Ha, Ho, Uha, Tayo, etc.
Listen to the following link for rendering of Sama Veda with explanations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu0iitUY-gg
The portion of the first song of Samaveda illustrates the link and mapping of Rigvedic verses into a melodic chant:
अग्न आ याहि वीतये – Rigveda 6.16.10
Agna ā yāhi vītaye
Samaveda transformation (Jaiminiya manuscript):
o gnā i / ā yā hi vā i / tā yā i tā yā i /
To understand it better, you can listen to the chanting of Gayatri Mantra in Rig and Sama Veda in the following link:
There were many styles of singing the Sama gana, up to thirteen of them or more. But the names of only eleven are traceable - “Ranayaniya; Chatyamugra; Kaleya; Kalvala; Mahakaleya; Langalayana; Mahakalvala; Sardula; Langala; Kouthuma; Jaiminiya” as found in texts. Out of the above, only three of them are being recited today – “Kauthumiya, Ranayaniya and Jaiminiya”.
Both Kauthumiya and Ranayaniya carry the same set of mantras; but, their internal grouping differs; and there are also variations in their svaras (accent). The Jaiminiya is said to be different from the other two, in both the aspects. Of the three shakhas, Kauthumiya is regarded the prominent one. The Kauthumiya recension is current in North India, the Ranayaniya in Central India and the Jaiminiya in South India.
According to Taittiriya Upanishad (1.2), the elements of chanting includes six factors. The first four deal with correct pronunciation of individual syllables; and the last two with the recitation of the entire line or the verse.
Varna (correct pronunciation of every syllable);
Svara (three accent – udatta, anudatta and svarita);
Maatra (time durations – harsva, dhirga, plutam and ardha-maatra);
Balam (stress);
Sama (even tone) ; and
Santana (continuity)
The Sama–gana texts, however, indicate Udatta by writing the Sanskrit numeral ‘one’ above the letter; Anudatta by writing the numeral ‘three’ above the letter; and Svarita by writing the numeral ‘two’ above the letter. In the Sama text, the syllables that have no symbols are called prachaya. In the later Sama texts, it became customary to write the numerals (one to seven) on top of the Sama mantras to indicate their note-delineations (Sama vikara). (Ref: Srinivasa Rao’s blog)
An example is given below for better understanding:
The Sama Veda also contains its own Brahmana, which describes the necessary procedures that are to be followed before as well as during the chanting of the Samaveda Samhita. It sets the standards for the proper recitation of the Samhita. It also contains topics cantering on social customs as well as countering bad omen.
Evolution of Indian Music from Sama Veda
Yes, Indian Music originated from the Sama Veda. This is a very prominent view of many, and is accepted by everyone who learns Carnatic Music.
The Rig Veda and Yajur Veda mainly use only three notes which correspond to modern Shadja, Rishabha and Nishada, with the occasional Gandhara svara.
But the Samaveda is sung with all seven svaras (which include in addition to the above four, Madhyama, Panchama and Dhaivata). The way Samaveda is sung resembles to an extent the scale of Raga Kharaharapriya, a major Raga in Carnatic Music, which corresponds to the Kafi Thaat of Hindusthani Music.
Almost all composers in Carnatic Music refer to music as originating from the Samaveda. Prominent among them are the Musical Trinity of Muttusvami Dikshitar, Shyama Shastri and Tyagaraja. Saint Tyagaraja has dedicated many songs to the glory of Music, and in one of his songs, titled 'Nada tanum Anisham Shankaram', (Lord Shiva, the Embodiment of Music), he proclaims, "Modakara Nigamottama Samaveda Saaram Vaaram Vaaram" (I repeatedly worship the embodiment of music), which was born from the Samaveda, the foremost of Vedas.
To listen to this song, please click the link:
He also says in another Kriti, 'Shobhillu Saptasvara', (The Seven Svaras Shine Brightly),
Dhara Rig Samadulalo Vara Gayatri Hrdayamuna (The Seven Svaras shine), in the Vedas headed by the Rig and Sama Vedas, as well as in the core of the sacred Gayatri Mantra (in the sacred Gayatri Hridaya).
Click the following link to listen to this song:
In yet another song: 'Vidulaku Mrokkeda', (I salute the maestroes of Music), he says
Mudamuna Shankara Krita Sama Nigama Vidulaku Nadatmaka Saptasvara who are aware of the knowledge of the seven notes, the embodiment of Music, found in the Samaveda, which was originated from Lord Shiva (as the embodiment of Music). Click the following link to listen to this song by Smt. M.S.:
Thus, we can understand that Indian Music has originated from the Sacred Sama Veda.The Sama chanting is recognized by all musicologists as the basis for the Indian Music. The roots of Sangita, the traditional (classic) Indian Music are firmly founded in Sama-gana.
Over time, the Sama Gana music underwent several improvisions in Music and today we have many notes added to the original version. What started with only three notes gradually increased to seven notes, leading to the evolution of Carnatic music of today. The order of the Svaras in Sama-music was: Ma, Ga, Ri, Sa, Ni, Dha, and Pa. The order of the svaras was revised in the later texts to: Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni ; as we are familiar with it today. The taala system was yet to evolve during Sama Vedic period.
According to some texts (Samavidhana Brahmana and Arseya Brahmana), Sama-Gana employed seven Svaras (notes):
1. Prathama; 2. Dvitiya; 3. Tritiya; 4. Chaturtha; 5. Panchama or Mandra (low); 6. Shasta or Krusts (high); and, Antya or Atiswara (very high)]
Naradiya Shiksha explaining the Sama music states that there were three Gramas (Sadja, Madhyama and Gandhara). It also mentions that each Grama has seven Murchanas (a total of 21 Murchanas).The set Murchanas related to Gandhara Grama are meant to please Devas; and the other two to please Pitris and Rishis. In addition, it mentions 49 Taanas.
Naradiya Shiksha (1.5.3; 1.5.4) explains that each Sama-svara was derived from the sounds made by a bird or an animal in its appropriate season. For instance, bulls roar was Rishabha; kraunchaka’s (heron) cry was Madhyama; goats gave Gandhara; peacock’s sound was Shadja; elephant’s trumpet was Nishadha; horse produced Daiwatha and koel’s (cuckoo) melodious whistle was Panchama and so on.
For over a thousand years the Music scene was dominated by a structured Music format called ‘Prabandhas’. Since Prabandha grew rigid it had to give place, by about 17thcentury, to varieties of free flowing (Manodharma-samgita) such as Padas, Kritis or Kirtanas, Varnas, Javalis etc.
The Indian classical music and dance, states Guy Beck, is rooted in the sonic and musical dimensions of the Sama Veda, along with the Upanishads and Agamas. The Samaveda, in addition to singing and chanting, mentions instruments. The rules and suggestions for playing various instruments form a separate compilation, called the Gandharva-Veda, and this Upaveda is attached to the Samaveda. The structure and theory of chants in the Samaveda have inspired the organizing principle for Indian classical arts and performances, and this root has been widely acknowledged by musicologists dealing with the history of Indian music.
Chandogya Upanishad
The rising of the sun is the syllable Him; the risen sun is the Prastava; the midday sun is the Udgitha; the afternoon sun is Pratihara; the setting sun is the Nidhana. This is the Brihat Saman as interwoven in the sun.
He who thus knows the Brihat Saman as interwoven in the becomes radiant and endowed with a good appetite; he reaches the full length of life, lives brightly, becomes great in children and cattle, great in fame. For him the injunction is: "Do not decry the burning sun." - Chapter XIV - Meditation on the Brihat Saman
The Chandogya Upanishad (Devanagri: छान्दोग्य उपनिषद्) is one of the "primary" (mukhya) Upanishads. Together with the Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad it ranks among the oldest Upanishads, still dating to the Brahmana period ofVedic Sanskrit (before 300 BCE, most likely about the 8th to 7th century BCE). It is associated with the Kauthuma Shakha of theSamaveda. It figures as number 9 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads. It is part of the Chandogya Brahmana, which has ten chapters.
The first two chapters of the Brahmana deal with sacrifices and other forms of worship. The other eight constitute the Chandogya Upanishad. Though there are more than two hundred Upanishads, ten are principal. These are called the Dashopanishads and are known for their philosophical depth, having become popular through the commentaries of Sri Adi Shankara and Madhvacharya.
Along with Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, the Chandogyopanishad is an ancient source of principal fundamentals ofVedanta philosophy. A number of references made to this Upanishad in Brahma sutras indicate the special importance of this Upanishad in Vedantic philosophy. Important Upasana's such as Dahara vidya and Shandilya vidya are its speciality.
The name of the Upanishad is derived from the word Chanda or Chandas, which means "poetic meter, prosody". The name implies that the nature of the text relates to the patterns of structure, stress, rhythm and intonation in language, songs and chants.
It is one of the largest Upanishadic compilations, and has ‘eight chapters’ (Prapathaka), each with many volumes, and each volume contains many verses, a collection of stories and themes. As part of the poetic and chants-focussed Samaveda, the broad unifying theme of the Upanishad is the importance of speech, language, song and chants to man's quest for knowledge and salvation, to metaphysical premises and questions, as well as to rituals.
The Chandogya Upanishad is one of the most cited texts in later Bhasya (reviews and commentaries) by scholars from the diverse schools of Hinduism. Adi Shankara, for example, cited Chandogya Upanishad 810 times in his Vedanta Sutra Bhasya, more than any other ancient text.
Several major Bhasya (commentaries) on Chandogya Upanishad have been written by Sanskrit scholars of ancient and medieval India. These include those by Adi Shankara, Madhvacharya, Dramidacharya, Brahmanandi Tankacharya, and Ramanuja.
The Chandogya Upanishad can be classified into three natural groups. The first group comprises chapters I and II, which largely deal with the structure, stress and rhythmic aspects of language and its expression (speech), particularly with the syllable ‘Ohm’. The second group consists of chapters III-V, with a collection of more than 20 Upasanas and Vidyas on premises about the universe, life, mind and spirituality. The third group consists of chapters VI-VIII that deal with metaphysical questions such as the nature of reality and soul.
"The opulence of its chapters is difficult to communicate: the most diverse aspects of the universe, life, mind and experience are developed into inner paths…....of great depth and profundity" - Klaus Witz
First Chapter:
The Chandogya Upanishad opens with providing a high place for the syllable “Ohm”. It calls the syllable Om as udgitha (song, chant). It spells out that the essence of all beings is earth, the essence of earth is water, the essence of water are the plants, the essence of plants is man, the essence of man is speech, the essence of speech is the Rig Veda, the essence of the Rig Veda is the Sama Veda, and the essence of Sama Veda is udgitha, “Ohm”.
“Ohm” is considered the Prajapati or the creator Himself. Inherently therefore “Ohm” is the life principle or the Prana and is always good. However, life consists of both good and evil, which are products of the same Prajapati, but the Prana remains unaffected always.
To a question on the origin of life, the Upanishad explains as follows:
What is the origin of this world? Space, said he. Verily, all things here arise out of space. They disappear back into space, for space alone is greater than these, space is the final goal.
The 13th volume of the first chapter lists mystical meanings in the structure and sounds of a chant. The text asserts that the mystic sounds such as:
hāu, hāi, ī, atha, iha, ū, e, hin correspond to empirical and divine world, such as moon, wind, sun, oneself, Agni, Prajapati, and so on. The thirteen syllables listed are Stobhaksharas, sounds used in musical recitation of hymns, chants and songs.
The first volume of the second chapter states that the reverence for entire Sāman (chant) is good for three reasons, namely:
Saaman - it provides abundance of goodness or valuable,
Sammaan – it gives friendliness or respect, and
Saamaan – it grants property goods or wealth.
Second Chapter:
The Upanishad presents analogies between various elements of the universe and elements of a Saman chant. The latter include five stages : Hinkāra preliminary vocalizing, Prastāva, prelude, Udgītha, sing and chant, Pratihāra, response or after effect and Nidhana, grand finale or conclusion. The sets of mapped analogies present interrelationships and include cosmic bodies, natural phenomena, hydrology, seasons, living creatures and human physiology.
For example, chapter 2.3 of the Upanishad explains these stages in the process of a rain:
The winds blow, that is Hinkāra
A cloud is formed, that is Prastāva
It rains, that is an Udgītha
The lightning that strikes and thunder that rolls, that is Pratihāra
The rains stop and clouds lift, that is Nidhana.
— Chandogya Upanishad 2.3.1
The Upanishad goes on explaining the chant as the natural template for cosmic phenomena, psychological behaviour, human copulation, human body structure, domestic animals, divinities and others. The metaphorical theme in this volume of verses, states Paul Deussen, is that the universe is an embodiment of Brahman, that the "chant" (Saman) is interwoven into this entire universe and every phenomenon is a fractal manifestation of the ultimate reality.
The Upanishad describes the three branches of dharma as sacrifice, acquiring knowledge and dhaana or charity, while emphasising on ethics, education, simple living, social responsibility and moral character as the ultimate goals in life.
Third Chapter:
The Upanishad’s analogy states that Brahman appears as physical Sun in our solar system and provides nourishment to all, referred as ‘honey’ (nectar). The Rig hymns, the Yajur maxims, the Sama songs, the Atharva verses and deeper, secret doctrines of Upanishads are represented as the vehicles, that is the bees, which collect the honey and bring it to us. The nectar itself is described as "essence of knowledge, strength, vigour, health". The Sun is described as the honeycomb laden with glowing light of honey.
Gayatri mantra is the symbol of the Brahman - the essence of everything, states volume 3.12 of the Chandogya Upanishad. Gayatri as speech sings to everything and protects them, asserts the text.
Svarga(heaven), says the Upanishad, is the human body itself, whose doorkeepers are eyes, ears, speech organs, mind and breath. To reach Svarga, asserts the text, one must understand these doorkeepers. The Brahman is the Atma residing in everyone. It goes on to offer proof in verse 3.13.8 that the highest reality is inside man, by stating that body is warm and this warmth must have an underlying hidden principle manifestation of the Brahman. The Upanishad reflects the basic premises of the Vedanta philosophy, namely – Atman (Soul) exists, the Brahman is identical with Atman and God resides in man.
Man is a creature of his Kratumaya (will, purpose). Let him therefore have for himself this will, this purpose: The intelligent, whose body is imbued with life-principle, whose form is light, whose thoughts are driven by truth, whose self is like space (invisible but ever present), from whom all works, all desires, all sensory feelings encompassing this whole world, the silent, the unconcerned, this is me, my Self, my Soul within my heart.
— Chandogya Upanishad 3.14.1 - 3.14.3
The section 3.17 of Chandogya Upanishad describes life as a celebration of a Soma-festival, whose dakshina (gifts, payment) is moral conduct and ethical precepts that includes non-violence, truthfulness, non-hypocrisy and charity unto others, as well as simple introspective life.
The metaphor of man's life as a Soma-festival is described through steps of a yajna (fire ritual ceremony) in section 3.17. The struggles of an individual, such as hunger, thirst and events that make him unhappy, states the Upanishad, is Diksha (preparation for the festival). The prosperity of an individual, such as eating, drinking and experiencing the delights of life is Upasada (days during the festival when certain foods are consumed as a community). When an individual lives a life of laughs, feasts and enjoys, his life is akin to becoming one with Stuta and Sastra hymns of a Soma-festival (hymns that are recited and set to music), states verse 3.17.3 of the text. Death is like ablution after the ceremony.
Fourth Chapter:
The fourth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad opens with the message of Samvarga Vidya, that the cosmic phenomenon and the individual physiology are mirrors, and therefore man should know himself as identical with all cosmos and all beings.
The fourth chapter also is known for its declaration that a seeker of true knowledge, whatever may be his parentage, would be considered as a Brahmana. The story of a King Janasruti seeking knowledge from a poor cart-puller and worker, Raikva and another story of Satyakama, whose parentage is not known, being accepted by a sage for imparting true knowledge are quoted in this Upanishad to confirm this. Both Raikva and Satyakama are considered as Brahmins, as they had acquired true knowledge.
The volumes 4.10 through 4.15 of Chandogya Upanishad asserts that penace is unnecessary to realise Brahman, while presenting the third story through a student named Upakosala. The boy Satyakama Jabala described in volumes 4.4 through 4.9 of the text, is declared to be the grown up Guru (teacher) with whom Upakosala has been studying for twelve years in his Brahmacharya. Upakosala has a conversation with sacrificial fires, which inform him that Brahman is life, Brahman is joy and bliss, Brahman is infinity, and the means to Brahman is not through depressing, hard penance. The fires then enumerate the manifestations of Brahman to be everywhere in the empirically perceived world.
The Upanishad asserts in verses 4.15.2 and 4.15.3 that the Atman is the "stronghold of love", the leader of love, and that it assembles and unites all that inspires love. Those who find and realize the Atman, find and realize the Brahman, states the text. “Anbe Sivam” – the Tamil Saying.
Fifth Chapter:
The first volume of the fifth chapter of the text tells a fable of a rivalry between eyes, ears, speech, mind. They all individually claim to be "most excellent, most stable, most successful, most homely". They ask their father, Prajapati, as to who is the noblest and best among them. Prajapati states, "he by whose departure, the body is worst off, is the one". Each rivalling organ leaves for a year, and the body suffers but is not worse off. Then, Prana (breath, life-principle) prepares to leave, and all of them insist that he stay. Prana, they acknowledge, empowers them all.
The volumes 5.3 through 5.10 of Chandogya Upanishad present the Panchaagni vidya, or the doctrine of "five fires and two paths in after-life. The two paths of after-life, states the text, are Devayana – the path of the Devas (gods), and Pitryana – the path of the fathers. The path of the fathers, in after-life, is for those who live a life of rituals, sacrifices, social service and charity – these enter heaven, but stay there in proportion to their merit in their just completed life, then they return to earth to be born as rice, herbs, trees, sesame, beans, animals or human beings depending on their conduct in past life. The path of the Devas, in after-life, is for those who live a life of knowledge or those who enter the forest life of Vanaprastha and pursue knowledge, faith and truthfulness – these do not return, and in their after-life join unto the Brahman.
All existence is a cycle of fire, akin to a Yagna sacrifice, asserts the text, and the five fires are:
• The cosmos as altar where the fuel is sun from which rises the moon,
• The cloud as altar where the fuel is air from which rises the rain,
• The earth as altar where the fuel is time from which rises the food (crops),
• The man as altar where the fuel is speech from which rises his progeny,
• The woman as altar where the fuel is her womb from which rises the baby.
The verse 5.10.8 of the Chandogya Upanishad is notable for two assertions.
One, it adds a third way for tiny living creatures (flies, insects, worms) that neither take the Devayana nor the Pitryana path after their death. Those born in this state are so short-lived that no sooner are they born than they die, as if life has no other purpose for them.
Second, the text asserts that the rebirth is the reason why the yonder-world never becomes full (world where living creatures in their after-life stay temporarily). These assertions suggest an attempt to address rationalization, curiosities and challenges to the reincarnation theory.
The Chandogya Upanishad ends chapter 5 with the story of five adults seeking knowledge. The adults are described as five great householders and great theologians who once came together and held a discussion as to what is our Self, and what is Brahman? The five householders approach a sage named Uddalaka Aruni, who admits his knowledge is deficient, and suggests that they all go to king Asvapati Kaikeya, who knows about Atman Vaishvanara. When the knowledge seekers arrive, the king pays his due respect to them, gives them gifts, but the five ask him about Vaisvanara Self.
The answer that follows is referred to as the "doctrine of Atman Vaishvanara", which literally means "One in the Many". The essence of the theory is that the inner fire, the soul, is universal and common in all men, whether they are friends or foe, good or bad. This idea of universal oneness of all souls, seeing others as oneself, seeing Brahman as Atman and Atman as Brahman, became a foundational premise for Vedanta theologians.
Sixth Chapter:
The sixth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad contains the famous Maha-vakyam “Tat TvamAsi” ("That Thou art") precept. The precept is repeated nine times at the end of sections 6.8 through 6.16 of the Upanishad.
The Tat Tvam Asi precept emerges in a tutorial conversation between a father and son, Uddalaka Aruni and 24-year-old Śvetaketu Aruneya respectively, after the father sends his boy to school saying "go to school Śvetaketu, as no one in our family has ever gone to school", and the son returns after completing 12 years of school studies. The father inquires if Śvetaketu had learnt at school that by which "we perceive what cannot be perceived, we know what cannot be known"? Śvetaketu admits he hasn't, and asks what that is. His father, through 16 volumes of verses of Chandogya Upanishad, explains.
Uddalaka states in volume 1 of chapter 6 of the Upanishad, that the essence of clay, gold, copper and iron each can be understood by studying a pure lump of clay, gold, copper and iron respectively. The various objects produced from these materials do not change the essence, they change the form. Thus, to understand something, studying the essence of one is the path to understanding the numerous manifested forms.
Life emerges through three routes: an egg, direct birth of a living being, and as life sprouting from seeds. Heat, food and water nourish all living beings, regardless of the route they are born. Heat or warmth in the body gives it the strength of voice; food gives proper mind and body; and water gives good breath.
Each of these nourishment has three constituents, the coarse, the medium and the finest essence. The coarse becomes waste, the medium builds the body or finest essence nourishes the mind.
Sat (Existence, Being) is the root of all these, it is the essence (atman), it is at the core of all living beings. It is True, it is Real, it is the Self (atman), and Thou Art That, Śvetaketu.
Living beings are like rivers that arise in the mountains, states the Upanishad, some rivers flow to the east and some to the west, yet they end in an ocean, become the ocean itself, and realize they are not different but are same, and thus realize their Oneness.
The soul and the body are like salt and water, states the Upanishad in volume 6.13. Salt dissolves in water, it is everywhere in the water, it cannot be seen, yet it is there and exists forever no matter what one does to the water. The Sat is forever, and this Sat is the soul, the essence, it exists, it is true, asserts the text.
Man's journey to self-knowledge and self-realization, states volume 6.14 of Chandogya Upanishad, is like a man who is taken from his home with his eyes covered, into a forest full of life-threatening dangers and delicious fruits, but no human beings. He lives in confusion, till one day he removes the eye cover. He then finds his way out of the forest, then finds knowledgeable ones for directions. He receives the directions, and continues his journey on his own, one day arriving home and to happiness.
Seventh Chapter:
The seventh chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad opens as a conversation between Sanatkumara and sage Narada. The latter asks, "teach me, Sage, the knowledge of Soul, because I hear that anyone who knows the Soul, is beyond suffering and sorrow". Sanatkumara first inquires from Narada what he already has learnt so far. Narada says, he knows the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Atharva Veda, the epics and the history, the myths and the ancient stories, all rituals, grammar, etymology, astronomy, time keeping, mathematics, politics and ethics, warfare, principles of reasoning, divine lore, prayer lore, snake charming, ghosts lore and fine arts. Narada admits to Sanatkumara that none of these have led him to Self-knowledge, and he wants to know about Self and Self-knowledge.
Sanatkumara states that Narada, with the worldly knowledge, has so far focussed on name. Adore and revere the worldly knowledge asserts Sanatkumara but meditate on all that knowledge as the name, as Brahman. Narada asks Sanatkumara to explain, and asks what is better than the worldly knowledge.
In volumes 2 through 26 of the seventh chapter, the Upanishad presents, in the words of Sanatkumara, a hierarchy of progressive meditation, from outer worldly knowledge to inner worldly knowledge, from finite current knowledge to infinite Atman knowledge, as a step-wise journey to Self and infinite bliss, as follows:
• In its exposition of progressive meditation for Self-knowledge, the Chandogya Upanishad starts by referring to the outer worldly knowledges as name. We should meditate on this.
• Deeper than this name, is speech, because speech is what communicates all outer worldly knowledge. We should meditate on this.
• More elevated than Speech, is Manas (mind) because Mind holds both Speech and Name (outer worldly knowledges). We should meditate on this.
• Deeper than Mind, is Sankalpa (will, conviction) because when a man Wills he applies his Mind, when man applies his Mind he engages Speech and Name. We should meditate on this.
• Higher than Will, is Chitta (thought, consciousness) because when a man Thinks he forms his Will. One must adore and revere Thought as manifestation of Brahman.
• Greater than Thought, is Dhyanam (meditation, reflection) because when a man Meditates he Thinks. One must adore and revere Meditation as the manifestation of Brahman.
• Deeper than Meditation, is Vijñana (knowledge, understanding) because when a man Understands he continues Meditating. One must adore and revere Understanding as the Brahman.
• Higher than Understanding is Bala (strength, vigour) because a Strong man physically prevails over the men with Understanding. One must adore and revere Strength as the manifestation of Brahman.
• Higher than Strength, is Annam (food, nourishment) because with proper Food, man becomes Strong. One must adore and revere Food as manifestation of Brahman.
• Greater than Food, is Āpah (water) because without Water one cannot grow Food. One must adore and revere Water as the Brahman.
• Higher than Water, is Tejas (heat, fire) because it is Heat combined with Wind and Atmosphere that bring Rain Water. One must adore and revere Heat as the manifestation of Brahman.
• Higher than Heat, is Ākāsa (space, ether) because it is Space where the sun, moon, stars and Heat reside. One must adore and revere the Space as the Brahman.
• Deeper than Space is Smara (memory) because without memory universe to man would be as if it didn't exist. One must adore and revere Memory as the manifestation of Brahman.
• Deeper than Memory is Asha (hope), because kindled by Hope the Memory learns and man acts. One must adore and revere Hope as the Brahman.
• Still deeper than Hope is Prāna (vital breath, life-principle), because life-principle is the hub of all that defines a man, and not his body.
• The one who knows life-principle, states the Upanishad, becomes Ativadin (speaker with inner confidence, speaker of excellence).
Eighth Chapter:
Theosophist Charles Johnston calls this section to be a “Law of Correspondence”, where the macrocosm of the universe is presented as microcosm within man, that all that is infinite and divine is within man, that man is the temple and God dwells inside him.
The eight chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad opens by declaring the body, one is born with, as the "city of Brahman", and in it is a palace that is special because the entire universe is contained within it. Whatever has been, whatever will be, whatever is, and whatever is not, is all inside that palace asserts the text, and the resident of the palace is the Brahman, as Atman – the Self, the Soul. Those who do not discover that Self within themselves are unfree, states the text and those who do discover that Self-knowledge gain the ultimate freedom in all the worlds.
The Upanishad describes the potential of self-knowledge with the parable of hidden treasure. When the Atman resides hidden within our body, we keep seeking it all over the external world and fail to find it. The section states all external forms of rituals are equivalently achievable internally when someone becomes a student of sacred knowledge and seeks to know the Brahman-Atman.
An analysis of true and false Atman reveals the four states of consciousness. The three Self, which are false, are the material body, corporeal self in dreams and individual self in deep sleep. There is a fourth, which is the true Self – the self in beyond deep sleep state that is one with others and the entire universe.
The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer admired and often quoted from Chandogya Upanishad, particularly the phrase "Tat tvam asi", which he would render in German as "Dies bist du", and equates in English to “This art thou.”
One important teaching of Chandogya Upanishad, according to Schopenhauer is that you are the world as a whole. Each and every living creature is understood to be a manifestation of the same underlying nature, where there is a deep sense of interconnected oneness in every person and every creature, and that singular nature renders each individual being identical to every other.
Kena Upanishad
“He who thinks he does not know It, knows It. He who thinks he knows It, does not know It. The true knowers think they can never know It (because of Its infinitude), while the ignorant think they know It.”
“Kena” literally means "by what, by whom, whence, how, why, from what cause". This root of Kena, in the sense of "by whom" or "from what cause", is found the inquisitive verses of the Kena Upanishad. The Kena Upanishad belongs to the Talavakara Brahmana of Sama Veda.
Chapter 1 starts thus:
केनेषितं पतति प्रेषितं मनः केन प्राणः प्रथमः प्रैति युक्तः
केनेषितां वाचमिमां वदन्ति चक्षुः श्रोत्रं क उ देवो युनक्ति || 1.1 ||
keneṣitaṃ patati preṣitaṃ manaḥ kena prāṇaḥ prathamaḥ praiti yuktaḥ
keneṣitāṃ vācamimāṃ vadanti cakṣuḥ śrotraṃ ka u devo yunakti (1.1)
The disciple asked: By whose will directed does the mind proceed to its object? At whose command does the prana, the foremost, do its duty? At whose will do men utter speech? Who is the god that directs the eyes and ears?
Kena Upanishad's opening lines state that Upanishads' primary focus is Atman-Brahman (Soul, Self), in Hindu theosophy. These opening lines are:
सर्वं ब्रह्मौपनिषदं
Brahman is all of which the Upanishads speak.
— Kena Upanishad Opening Lines
This is a tiny Upanishad of only 35 mantras, yet it is considered one of the top ten Upanishads, out of the 108 in numbers. It deals with the nature of Brahman, nature of our mind and how we can orient our mind towards Brahman.
“Human mind is highly limited; but with all its limitations, it is the only instrument that we have in our possession, to contemplate on Brahman.”
The Upanishad makes a radical observation that whatever the human mind conceives as God cannot be an absolute reality, as it is only a subjective conception. Brahman cannot be objectified but can only be experienced.
Again, it confirms that Brahman reveals true knowledge to a person who is highly disciplined and who identifies himself as well as all other beings, with the unknown Brahman. This may be a bit far-fetched for many of us mortals, who find it difficult to raise up to that level of fine ability. The Upanishad suggests different paths for those who are at a lower level of evolution, a ‘saguna’ path, permitting worship of gods with attributes according to our societal prejudices and understandings. The Upanishad prescribes upasana of deities of individual’s choice in order to gradually achieve self-restraint, keeping this path of worship as a stepping stone to move up the level to ultimate enlightenment.
Brahman, according to the story, obtained a victory for the gods; and by that victory of Brahman the gods became elated. They said to themselves: "Verily, this victory is ours; verily, this glory is ours only."
Brahman, to be sure, understood it all and appeared before them. But they did not know who that adorable Spirit was.
They said to Agni (Fire): "O Agni! Find out who this great Spirit is." "Yes," he said and hastened to It. Brahman asked him: "Who are you?" He replied: "I am known as Agni; I am also called Jataveda." Brahman said: "What power is in you, who are so well known?" Fire replied: "I can burn all whatever there is on earth." Brahman put a straw before him and said: "Burn this." He rushed toward it with all his ardour but could not burn it. Then he returned from the Spirit and said to the gods: "I could not find out who this Spirit is,"
Then they said to Vayu (Air): "O Vayu! Find out who this great Spirit is." "Yes," he said and hastened to It. Brahman asked him: "Who are you?" He replied "I am known as Vayu; I am also called Matarisva." Brahman said: "What power is in you, who are so well known?" Vayu replied: "I can carry off all whatever there is on earth." Brahman put a straw before him and said: "Carry this." He rushed toward it with all his ardour but could not move it. Then he returned from the Spirit and said to the gods: "I could not find out who this Spirit is,"
Then the gods said to Indra: "O Maghavan! Find out who this great Spirit is." "Yes," he said and hastened to It. But the Spirit disappeared from him. Then Indra beheld in that very region of the sky a Woman highly adorned. She was Uma, the daughter of the Himalayas. He approached Her and said: "Who is this great Spirit?"
She replied: "It is, indeed, Brahman. Through the victory of Brahman alone have you attained glory." After that Indra understood that It was Brahman.
The essence of this conversation is that evil (asura) instincts can only be overcome by the grace of Brahman. Without his strength and will nothing can be done to even a blade of grass. Therefore, one should never be arrogant.
Among the Upanishads Kena Upanishad is one of the most analytical and metaphysical, its purpose being to lead the mind from the gross to the subtle, from the effect to the cause. By a series of profound questions and answers, it seeks to locate the source of man's being; and to expand his self-consciousness until it has become identical with God-Consciousness, Brahman.
Jaiminīya Upanishad
Jaiminīya Upaniṣad is the oldest known Upaniṣad but is not a part of the eleven principal Upaniṣads commented on by Adi Sankara. However, sections 4.18-21 of this Upanishad took on a separate life of their own and later became Kena Upaniṣad.
Jaiminiya Upanishad belongs to Jaiminīya branch of the Sāmaveda, while the most famous Upaniṣad, Chāndogya-Upaniṣad, belongs to Kauthuma-Rāṇāyanīya branch of Sāmaveda.
Jaiminiya Upanishad, consisting of four chapters, was first translated into English in 1896 by Hans Oertel, an American Sanskritist. This is the only English translation attempted so far. The Japanese Vedic scholar, Masato Fujii, is by far the most erudite scholar of Jaiminiya Upanishad and his numerous papers on this text are indispensable.
We will focus on three important topics where JUB makes a seminal contribution to the further development of Hinduism: OM, prāṇa (breath) and rebirth.
Ohm
In the beginning, the world was sonic, presenting itself as both the unmanifest and the material universe. This primordial sound of creation, Ohm, is variously called Akṣara, Vāk, and Brahman.
However, the sacred syllable, Ohm, does not occur in the Ṛig Veda Saṃhitā. Ohm is mentioned for the first time in the older Saṃhitā portion of Sāmaveda (assuming Yajurveda came later). The Jaiminiya Upanishad develops the idea that Ohm, as a sound, embodies the three Vedas, uniting a range of different Vedic recitational practices.
“Ohm is Indra, karma, imperishableness, the immortal, the manifold, the numerous, the all, the light higher than the all; righteousness, truth, distinction, decision which is not to be contradicted; the ancient all, all speech.”
The universe, according to the Vedas, manifested from subtle to the gross. The syllable Ohm, the subtlest of the subtle, is the very sonic essence from which the universe emerged and in which it is permeated. The chanter can understand the very nature of existence and attain immortalitythrough the proper intonation and recitation of Ohm, says Jaiminiya Upanishad.
Prana and Meditation
Ohm, both as a cosmic sound and as a human chant, is intimately connected with Prana at an individual and at a cosmic level. Through the cosmic vibration of Ohm, the entire universe is pervaded with prana. The prana governs all the vital functions of man not just as an individual prana of a living being, but as the cosmic prana which pervades the entire universe. Through this prana, man as a microcosm is connected with the cosmos as a macrocosm:
“The speech connected with fire, the mind with the moon, the sight with the sun, and the hearing with the quarters”.
All the vital functions of humans emerged from the prana and, after death, the individual prana merges back into the supreme prana, because prana is the eternal substance that every life goes back into.
Meditation by connection of the Vedic chant of Ohm with regulated breathing and mental concentration forms one of the bases of the early teaching of yoga in the Upaniṣads and the Dharmasutras.
Rebirth
While the concept of rebirth is vaguely referred to in the earlier Rig Veda,it is only the Jaiminiya tradition that karma and rebirth emerged as a coherent doctrine.In the Jaiminīya Upaniṣad the deceased takes either of two paths available.
In the first path, the soul goes to the sun but, unable to go beyond, comes back to the moon. The moon is associated with rebirth, and it is the repository of all the good deeds and sacrificial activity that the person did in his life. Now enjoying the fruits of his good deeds in previous life, the soul comes back to the earth.
The second path is more complicated. It involves the role of Vedic priests to recite and intone correctly the chants to help the deceased to reach the path of the sun. The path involves a dialogue between the deceased and the cosmic entities.
As shown below, the deceased passes through various cosmic entities before reaching the final goal:
The earth → the fire → the wind → the intermediate region → the quarters → the day and night → the half-months → months → the seasons → the year → the heavenly Gandharvas → Apsaras → the sky → the gods → the sun and then the moon.
At the end of this path, the soul reaches the sun, but has full freedom to travel between the sun and the moon, which means that the deceased has the option to stay in the sun (brahma loka) or come back to the earth by taking the lunar path.
In the later Upaniṣads, the lunar path would be called the path of the fathers (pitṛayāna), which is the path of rebirth, and the solar path would be called the path to the gods (devayāna) the world of Brahman from which there is no rebirth. The pitṛayāna is associated with the householder life and Vedic sacrifice, while the devayāna path is associated with asceticism and renunciation.
Jaiminiya Upanishad suggests that your good karma stays with you after death and can be enjoyed later, and there is a path back to earth after the enjoyment of karma. This paved the way for very sophisticated development of karma theory in later periods.
Brihat-Saman
Among Sama mantras, there is a special Sama called Brihat Sama. It is a highly spiritually charged invocation of God; therefore, it is called Brihat Sama—Greatest Sama—the most powerful of Samas. It is the most important mantra, and it is chanted with music in the Sama Veda.
A recital of this Brihat Sama is available in the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pj7ppAyYdw
Vedas are not only just some chants or some type of books, they are the fundamental building blocks of this universe itself. Every part of universe is composed of some vibrating Veda mantras. The particles contain abundance of RigVeda (Ayam Lokoh RigVeda), the space consists of abundance of YajurVeda (Antarikshyam vai YajurVeda), the bright particles/light contain abundance of SamaVeda.
Lord Krishna in Bhagvad Gita declares He is SamaVeda among the Vedas, in the Vibhuti chapter, where all the things told are shining nature of all. Now, we have to find how Sama Veda is shining than other Vedas. For this we have to think of what are those places which contains abundance of Saman? For this we have to look upon pramanas or declarations of Rishis from Vedas.
Samans are very sukshma and we can't observe them with our eyes. And we get that the most appropriate representative of Saman is light. This is made clear in Shatapatha Brahmana:
अर्ची सामानी।
The rays of light are Samans. (Shatapatha Brahmana 10.5.1.5)
From above verse we can have faint understanding of Samans. We can consider them as rays of light. Due to this everything which has brightness in this world contains Samans:
सर्वं तेज साम रुप्यम्
Whatever is brightness (Teja) in this world is all the form of Saman. (Taittariya Brahmana 3.12.9.2)
The above quotation is itself sufficient to prove why Lord Krishna says he is Sama Veda among Vedas; it's because whatever bright (luminous) things/particles exist in this universe they all are formed from Saman. Saman vibrations (Rashmis) condense themselves and form light and other Teja form. Taittariya Samhita also confirms the above statement:
देवलोको वै साम
DevaLokas (Shining bodies) are Samans (Taittariya Samhita 7.5.1.6)
For the planetary bodies which are not shining (or do not emit light) we can use the term Prithivi Loka, for the lokas/bodies which are bright in themselves we can use the term Deva Loka (Div = To shine). Thus shining bodies like stars contain abundance of Sama Rashmis. In the spritual sense too we can understand the realm of Gods is composed of Samans.
The same is cleared again in Tandya Brahamana:
साम वा असौ द्युलोक
Samans are the world of stars/ bright bodies. (Tandya Brahmana 4.3.5)
Brightness of bright particles is only possible because they feed upon Saman. Light is not possible by only resting on Rig rashmis and Yaju rashmis. This is made clear in Taittariya Samhita:
देवा वै नऋच् न यजुष्य आश्रयन्त ते सामन् एवाश्रयन्त।
Devas could neither live on Rig, nor on Yajus, on the Saman only they rest.(Taittariya Samhita 2.5.7)
Samans are the food for the Devas. A particle can be bright (Deva) only by feeding Saman Rashmis:
साम देवानां अन्नं
Samans are the food for Devas (Tandya Brahmana 6.4.13)
And most importantly whatever interactions are taking place in this universe is possible only because of Saman.
अयज्ञो वा एष योऽसामा
Without Samans there is no Yajna (interactions). (Taittariya Samhita 2.5.8).
From above Vedic quotes, it is clear why Lord declared that he is Sama Veda among Vedas. But this doesn't mean that Sama Veda is superior and other Vedas are of no use. Each Veda and each mantra of Veda and each syllable of mantra is very important. Just like light is formed mainly from Samans similarly, Space/ Antariksha is formed from Yajush and Prithivi tatva are mainly formed from Rik.
Further the Sama Veda mantras are indeed Rig Vedic mantras but they are specially capable of pleasing the deities and creating Athmic uplift because they are intoned musically. This is what gives distinction to the Sāmaveda.
One could not but wonder on the similarity between 'photons', which are the elementary light quantum particles and the Vedic declaration of 'Samans'. Photons are indeed Samant.
Sama Veda Teachings
Let us listen to Sringeri Acharya on the teachings from Sama Veda in the following link:
"Sethu Mantra" is Verse 87 in Arka Parva of Sam Veda. Sethu literally means 'bridge' in Sanskrit. This mantra of Sama Veda acts as a bridge to all of us for crossing the ocean of Samsara. Hence the name. It is said that Maha Periyava of Kanchi used to listen to this Saman everyday. This mantra asserts that by conquering our mind we can get rid of the obstacles to liberation.
These obstacles are listed as Krodham (anger), Lobham (miserliness), Asathyam (untruth) and Asradhyai (lack of focus). Samaveda has been described as the Veda of Bhakti. Sama Veda’s focus is mainly on worship and devotion through musical chanting. The hymns of Sama Veda, when sung in the appropriate manner, enable you to understand the universal truths. In fact, the musical patterns in Samaveda have been derived from the vibrations of the cosmos. Sama Veda helps you to attain spiritual evolution through music. It represents the force of spiritual knowledge.
Some teachings of Sama Veda include:
• Through cleanliness, you can keep away diseases
• One who is steadfast can accomplish anything
• A scholar of knowledge can defeat all his enemies
• Perform virtuous deeds to become great
• One who wears gems possesses wealth
• People with double standards never experience happiness
• “Fire of Tapa” helps you to achieve great heights
• Knowledge can help the ignorant to attain supremacy
• A man with self-control becomes the master
• Yagna enlightens the flames of consciousness
• Sacrifice ignites in us the enthusiasm to win
• Deities bless the diligent
• A truthful person’s speech is like honey
• Never be in the company of those who hate knowledge
• Never listen to whatever is evil
• Engage yourself in auspicious activities
• You fight a battle every day. Seek deities’ help always.
• One can accomplish great deeds by being truthful.
• Adorn your speech
• There are ten characteristics of “Dharma” –
(Stability of mind, Purity, Forgiveness, Abstinence, Benevolence, Control of Senses, Intellect, Truth, Knowledge, and abstinence from anger)
• Protect your children using your own efforts
• Never fall prey to your pride
• May the brilliant men of capabilities inspire you.
• Move ahead and be a winner.
The ancient Sāmavedic singers were both scholars and mystics. They have preserved the oldest surviving music tradition (10th century BCE) of Hindu civilisation and have influenced almost all the music that has emerged from India. It is the Sāmaveda tradition that made seminal breakthroughs in the science of prosody, melody and linguistics.
The Sāmavedic Upaniṣads—Chāndogya and Jaiminiya Upanishad—are the metaphysical texts of the Sāmaveda tradition. Their monumental speculation on Ohm, its inner meaning and its connection to mind and prāṇa, has led to the development of Yogic meditation and the sophisticated tantric speculations on the emanation of cosmos from the primordial sound.
Sages Gautama, Vamadeva, Bharadvaja and Kashyapa are considered four primary Saama Gayaka (singer).
A few trained Sāmavedic sāman singers among the Namboodhris of Kerala and few scattered families in South India still maintain their thousands-of-years-old family tradition. While modern Hindus tend to think of Hinduism as a unified huge entity, it is these specialised traditions that provided the building blocks of what we call Sanatana Dharma. However, modernity does not care for tradition, and we will have to see how long this ancient living tradition survives.
"Manasa Sanjarare", Composer Sadasiva Brahmmendra
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