Kauṯhūma Sāmagāna

By Dr. Suvraṯaḏēv Śarmaṇā

(Dr. Śubroṯo Roy)
Mention of Saama in Rg Ved

37 mentions of Saam in Rg Veda

Bhagvaan Krishna

‘Vedaanam Saamavedosmi’
 Branches of Saam Veda
As per different sources
• Patanjali in his Vyakaran Mahabhashya= 1000
• Prapanchahridaya = “now there are only 12 shakhas”
• Atharvan Parishishtha charanavyuha = 1000
• Subrahmanya Shastri in his Gobhilagrihakarma = 10
Acharya and 13 Pravachankars
• Rudraskand Khadirgrihya Tika [older than Sayana and
Dhanvi] 3/2/14 have also mentioned these acharyas
and pravachankars.
• Jaiminiya Grihyasutra = has mentioned 13 acharyas
 Saam: Definitions

N.A. Uploaded by TheBakshiGroup, Oct 25, 2011 retrieveḏ on 2.2.2012 from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6XDbbyTzMg&feature=related
 Saama Definition: Based on Chaandogya Upanishad

Meaning of Saam
Saa= She= Richa
Ama = Prana
Saa + Ama = Saama

Udaana Praana = Atman – Saama

Prana = Buddhi – Yajur
Vyana = Uccha Maanas - Rig
 Saama Ved Sanhita
A B
• (a) Pūrvārćika, (a) Grāmagēya,
• (b) Araṇyaka, and (b)Araṇyagēya,
• (c) Uṯṯarārćika ( c ) Ūha, and
– (d) Ūhya
or (Rahasya).
 Exegetic Texts of Sama Veda
• Brahmanas: Tandya, Panchavimsha,
Shadavimsha, Mantra, Arsheya, Samavidhaana,
Devataadhyay, Vamsha, Talavakara,
• Aranyakas: Jaiminiyaupanishadabrahmana
• Upanishadas: Chandogya, Kena, Talavakara
• Sutras: For each recension there are different
sutra like Latyayana, Arsheya/Mashaka kalpa,
Nidana, Upanidaana, anupaada, panchavidhaa,
Riktantra, Saama Tantra, Matralakshanam,
Stobhaanusandhana, Gayatra Vidhana etc.
 Exegetic texts: Sutras cont’d
• Gobhila, Drahyayana, Khadira, Jaiminiya,
• Dharma Sutra: Gautama
 Chapterization

Lakshmanan, S., N.d. Sāma Veḏa Kauṯhūma Śākhā. Retrieveḏ from https://www.celextel.com/sama-Veḏa a-
kauthuma-shaka-4-mp3-cds-p-6157.html on 25.10.2012.
 Number of saam mantras
• Vayu Purana ( 1.61.63) and Brahmanda Purana (
2.35.71.72) say there are 8014 Saman mantras

• According to Bhagavdutta based on a path by

Shayana there must have been 8000 Samans in all
including the 1000 shakhas
• Shatapatha Brahmana in 10/4/2/2 says Sama
Mantra Path is the result of 4000 Brihati (36
letters) = 4000x 36 = 14400 letters have gone into
the Samans.
 Distribution of Saaman
Kauthuma Shakha
• Garmageya Gaana = 1167
• Aranya = 264
• Uhagaan = 1026
• Uhya or Rahasya Gaana = 205
Total = 2722
Jaiminiya Shakha = 3681
 Kauthum Shakhiya
Gramegeya Veya Prakriti Ganatmaka
• Agneya Parva (Agni) = 116
Not all only using only Agni word:
Eg.: Shanyo Devihi
• Aindra Parva (Indra) = 352
• Pavamanya (Som) = 116
• Arana = 55
Total = 342
 Saama is Atman
• The Stobha Iha represents Atman
• Therefore the Semeiotic of stobha is
established

• Dictionary and etymological meanings of

stobha as ‘interjections’ or ‘exclamations of
joy’ are limited in their explanation of stobha.
 GATRAVEENA
Hasṯa Muḏrā: Svaras, Tattvas, Beejas,

agni
7-Ahigeeta
Resting svara
between 1 & 2

2
3

4
5
6
Jala
 Stobha – Oi
SVARA COMB. MUDRA TATVA

Svara 1 = Agni Agni Mudra = Agni…o

Svara 2 = Enhanced
Agni with controlled vayu Vayu Mudra = Agni…o
Svara 3 = Agni with Akash Vanhi Mudra = Vanhi…o
Svara 4 = Agni with prithivi Prithivi Mudra = Amrit …o
Svara 5 = Agni with Jala Jala Mudra = Prithivi…i

Therefore Oi represents the pancha-maha-

bhootas indicated individually. Da represents
Dakini in Kundalini Yoga. So, Oida is
movement of the Mooladhaara or the
fourht Sam svara.
 Oida
• Although in the book it is written that the
Da Oida is on the fifth svara, the voice goes
to the fourth and stops in the following
manner:

Prathama (O), karhsan (O), dwitiya (O), tritiya

(O), chaturtha (O), panchama (O), prathama
(i), tritiya (daa), and chaturtha (aa).
Chakra colours

Tatva Svaras colour prana Principle

Akash -3 blue Udana aura/atma

Vayu -2 yellow prana buddhi
Agni -1 d. blue vyana higher manas
Jala -5 green samana lower manas
Prithivi -4 red apana kama rupa

Complied from Leadbeater (1927), Deshpande, M (2009)

Human nervous system, svaras and
chakras
3

1st Chakra- Muladhara- root

2nd Chakra- Svadhisthana- sacral

3rd Chakra- Manipura- power

4th Chakra- Anahata- love

2
5th Chakra- Vishuddha- communication

6th Chakra- Ajna- intuition (third eye)

1
7th Chakra Sahasrara-(crown) divine
5

4
 Voitoyai
It is action (ya) with the help of
pancha mahabhuta (oi) and
agni (i) being the main driving force.

Since oi means panchamahabhuta, ya in voitoyai means anna or energy and i means agni,
voitoyai means

“speed up the upasana process with the help of panchamahabhuta and with energy
drawn from agni who is the leading/guiding force (Agranirbhavati)”

[ViDyAmArTaNda (2033 SamvaTsar, Foreword) AgraNIrbhavaTi drawing from YAska (NirukTa chapter 7, p-4, khaNDa 15) the world’s top leader.
GaNapaTi (1978:1) prefers to give Agni as the presider of life-activity since he defines yajna as ‘life-activity’.]
 Two types of Stobhas
Those that have appeared in RV
Om, Ya,
Those that have not appeared in RV but only in SV
Oi-DA, AuhovA, IhA, hau, ihA,
-RAmamUrTy SrouTy - SAraDA MuTh SringEri
(VITayE) to give progress in our upAsanA. Then Why Voyitoyai?
Table of stobhaksharas
Sr No Stobha DEvaTa Samanya Sam
1 HAukAr Prithvi RathAntara Charana (feet)
2 HAiKAr VAyu VAmdevya
3 AthakAr Chandra Sams namely ‘a’ and ‘th’
4 IhakAr AtmA the word Iha
5 IkAr agni I (GarhyapTyAgni)
6 UkAr Aditya (ViSvarUpa) CakSu (eye)
7. EkAr Nihava E (AhvAnIyAgni) Mukha Mouth)
8 AuhoyikAr ViSvDev VaiSvaDevya

10 HinkAr PrajApaTi AvyakTaTva

11 Svara Prana SvarahETuTva
12 YA Anna YATva
13 HunkAr SarvaKAraNa AnirukTaTva
Table 1: Triunity of sTobha DevaTA and Sam. Also compare with table 2.
 Prenkha

1
toya2i
Here yai is the prenkha part and does not
individuate five svaras, but is 1, rest,
abhigeeta, 1,rest, 2
 Om
Om appears in all the three VEDas, therefore Stobha is not the sole feature of SV.