Vedas

Samhithas

Brahmanas

Aranyakas

• Rigveda
  • Aitareya Aranyaka belongs to the Aitareya Shakha of Rigveda
  • Kaushitaki Aranyaka belongs to the Kaushitaki and Shankhayana Shakhas of Rigveda
• Yajurveda
  • Krishna
    • Taittiriya Aranyaka belongs to the Taittiriya Shakha of the Krishna Yajurveda
    • Maitrayaniya Aranyaka belongs to the Maitrayaniya Shakha of the Krishna Yajurveda
    • Katha Aranyaka belongs to the (Caraka)Katha Shakha of the Krishna Yajurveda
  • Shukla
    • Brihad Aranyaka in the Madhyandina and the Kanva versions of the Shukla Yajurveda. The Madhyandina version has 9 sections, of which the last 6 are the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
• Samaveda
  • Talavakara Aranyaka or Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana belongs to the Talavakara or Jaiminiya Shakha of the Samaveda. A part of this text forms the Kena Upanishad.
  • Aranyaka Samhita is not a typical Aranyaka text: rather the Purvarchika of the Samaveda Samhitas has a section of mantras, called the 'Aranyaka Samhita', on which the Aranyagana Samans are sung.

The Atharvaveda has no surviving Aranyaka, though the Gopatha Brahmana is regarded as its Aranyaka, a remnant of a larger, lost Atharva (Paippalada) Brahmana.

Upanishads

The Upanishads are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hinduism.

They are the most recent addition to the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, and deal with meditation, philosophy, consciousness, and ontological knowledge.

Earlier parts of the Vedas dealt with mantras, benedictions, rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices.

There are 108 Upanishads, and each Upanishad is associated with a separate Vedic Shakha.

Mahavakyas

They mean "Great Sayings", and these four are handpicked from Upanishads of the four Vedas. There are other Mahavakyas, but these are "the Mahavakyas".

• "Prajñānam brahma" - "Consciousness is Brahman" (Aitareya Upanishad)
• "Aham brahmāsmi" - "I am Brahman" (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad)
• "Tat tvam asi" - "That Thou art" (Chandogya Upanishad)
• "Ayamātmā brahma" - "This Atman is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad)