Brahmana

A prose genre of Vedic texts that explains sacrificial rituals through instructions, narratives, and symbolic interpretations. The Brahmanas are attached to particular Vedic schools and collections.

Vedas: The foundational collection of ancient Sanskrit religious texts of South Asia. Brahmanas form a layer of Vedic literature, attached to specific Vedic collections.
Aitareya Brahmana: A Brahmana text associated with the Rigveda’s Shakala school. It presents ritual explanations and narratives within the Rigvedic tradition.
Shrauta: The Vedic ritual tradition based on prescriptions found in shruti texts. Brahmanas explain large-scale sacrificial rites central to shrauta practice.
Rigveda: The oldest Vedic collection, composed chiefly of hymns addressed to deities. Brahmanas attached to the Rigveda explain rites using its hymns.
Mimamsa: A Hindu philosophical tradition focused on interpreting Vedic authority, language, and ritual duty. Its theories of Vedic injunction and ritual meaning engage questions raised by Brahmana texts.
Yajna: A Vedic sacrificial rite involving offerings made according to prescribed procedures. Brahmana prose explains how yajnas are performed and what their details signify.
Kaushitaki Brahmana: A Brahmana text associated with the Kaushitaki school of the Rigveda. It offers a distinct Rigvedic account of sacrificial procedures and their meanings.
Yajurveda: A Vedic collection of ritual formulas and prose directions used in sacrifice. Its ritual formulas and associated Brahmanas closely connect words with sacrificial acts.
Samaveda: A Vedic collection of melodies and verses used in ritual singing. Its Brahmanas interpret the ceremonies and chants of Samavedic specialists.
Vedic exegesis: The interpretation of Vedic language, ritual prescriptions, and textual meaning. Brahmanas are an early, extensive form of Vedic interpretation in prose.

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