Vedic Shakhas

A Vedic shakha (Sanskrit śākhā, "branch" or "limb") is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school. An individual follower of a particular school or revision is called a shakhin. The term is also used in Hindu philosophy to refer to an adherent of a particular orthodox system.

A related term, charana ("conduct of life" or "behavior") is also used to refer to such a Vedic school: "although the words charana and shakha are sometimes used synonymously, yet charana properly applies to the sect or collection of persons united in one school, and shakha to the traditional text followed, as in the phrase shakham adithe ("he recites a particular version of the Veda").

In short, shakha is the branch and charana is the way of the followers of that branch.

Some more intro notes

The schools have different points of view, described as shakhabedhah ("difference of (Vedic) school"). Each school would learn a specific Vedic Saṃhita (one of the "four Vedas" properly so-called), as well as its associated Brahmana, Aranyakas, Shrauta Sutras, Griha Sutras and Upanishads.

In traditional Hindu society affiliation with a specific school is an important aspect of class identity. By the end of the Rig Vedic period the term Brahmana (Brahmin) had come to be applied to all members of the priestly class, but there were subdivisions within this order based both on varna (class) and on the shakha (branch) with which they were affiliated.

A Brahmana (Brahmin) who changed school would be called shakharandah ("a traitor to his śākhā").

List of Shakhas by Vedas

I'm skipping Shrauta Sutras and Grhya Sutras for now (except whenever I find it)

Note that several of the Sakhas have gone missing over the years.

Rig Veda

Saakala Shakha

• Samhita: Saakala Samhitha
• Brahmana: Aitreya Samhita
• Aranyaka: Aitreya Aranyaka
• Upanishad: Aitreya Upanishad
• Shrauta Sutra: Asvalayana Shrauta Sutra
• Griha Sutra: Asvalayana Grihya Sutra

Yajur Veda

The Yajurvedin shakhas are divided in Shukla (White) and Krishna (Black) schools.

The White recensions have separate Brahmanas, while the Black ones have their(much earlier) Brahmanas interspersed between the Mantras.

Shukla (White)

Madhyandina Shakha

• Samhita: Vajasneyi Samhita (Madhyandina) (VSM)
  • Currently recited by all over North Indian Brahmins and by Deshastha Brahmins
• Brahmana: Shatapatha Brahmana (Madhyandina) (SBM)
• Aranyaka: Survives as Shatapatha XIV.1–8, with accents.
• Upanishad: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (SBM XIV.3–8 with accents), Ishavasya Upanishad (VSM 40)

Kanva Shakha

• Samhita: Vajasneyi Samhita (Kanva) (VSK)
• Brahmana: Shatapatha Brahmana (Kanva) (SBK)
• Aranyaka: survives as book XVII of SBK
• Upanishad: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (SBK with accents), Ishavasya Upanishad (VSK 40)

Katyayana Shakha

• Samhita:
• Brahmana:
• Aranyaka:
• Upanishad:

Krishna (Black)

Taittiriya Shakha

• Samhita: Taittirīya Saṃhita
  • Present all over South India and in Konkan
• Brahmana: Taittiriya Brahmana and Vadhula Br. (part of Vadhula Srautrasutra)
• Aranyaka: Taittiriya Aranyaka
• Upanishad: Taittiriya Upanishad
• Shrauta Sutras The Shrauta Sutras of Apastamba (450–350 BCE), Bodhayana (500–200 BCE), and Vaikhanasa (300–100 BCE).
  • All are attached to the Taittiriya Samhita.

Maitrayani Shakha

• Samhita: Maitrayani Saṃhita
  • Recited by few Brahmins in Nasik
• Brahmana:
• Aranyaka: Virtually same as the Upanishad
• Upanishad: Maitrayaniya Upanishad

Caraka-Katha / Katha Shakha

• Samhita: Caraka-Katha Saṃhita / Kāṭhaka saṃhitā
• Brahmana: Śatādhyāya Brāhmaṇa (only exists in fragments)
• Aranyaka: Katha Aranyaka (almost the entire text from a solitary manuscript)
• Upanishad: Kathaka Upanishad, Katha-Shiksha Upanishad

Kapishthala Shakha

• Samhita: Kapiṣṭhala-Katha Saṃhita (fragmentary manuscript, a variant of Kathaka Samhita, only first sections accented), edited (without accents) by Raghu Vira.
• Brahmana:
• Aranyaka:
• Upanishad:

Sama Veda

Kauthuma Shakha

• Samhita: Edited, Recited by all over North and in South India
• Brahmana: Edited (8 Brahmanas in all), no accents
• Aranyaka: None. The Samhita itself has the ‘Aranyaka’.
• Upanishad: Chandogya Upanishad

Ranayaniya Shakha

• Samhita: Manuscripts of Samhita exist. Recited by Gokarna, and Deshastha Brahmins
• Brahmana: Same as Kauthuma with minor differences.
• Aranyaka: None. The Samhita itself has the ‘Aranyaka’.
• Upanishad: Same as Kauthuma.

Jaiminiya/Talavakara Shakha

• Samhita: Samhita edited. Recited by Nambudiris and choliyal of Tamil nadu. Two distinct styles of Saman recitation, partially recorded and published.
• Brahmana: Brahmana published (without accents) – Jaiminiya Brahmana, Arsheya Brahmana
• Aranyaka: Tamil Nadu version of Talavakara Aranyaka (=Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana) published
• Upanishad: Kena Upanishad

Shatyayana Shakha

• Samhita:
• Brahmana:
• Aranyaka:
• Upanishad:

Atharva Veda

Only one shakha of an original nine is now extant for the Atharvaveda. The nine sakhas were Paippalada, Tauda, Mauda, Shaunakiya, Jajala, Jalada, Brahmavada, Devadarsa and Chaarana-Vaidya.

The Shaunaka is the only shakha of the Atharvaveda for which both printed texts and an active oral tradition are known to still exist.

Shaunaka Shakha

• Samhita: Atharva Veda Shaunaka Samhita
• Brahmana: Fragmentary Gopatha Brahmana (extant and published), no accents.
• Aranyaka:
• Upanishad: Mundaka Upanishad (?) published.

Paippalada Shakha

• Samhita: Atharva Veda Paippalada Samhitha
• Brahmana: Lost, similar to that of Gopatha Brahmana
• Aranyaka:
• Upanishad: Prashna Upanishad, Sharabha Upanishad etc. – all edited.