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A shakha () is a Hindu Theology school that specializes in learning certain Vedas texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school.V. S. Apte. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, p. 913, left column.Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, p. 1062, right column. An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a .V. S. Apte. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, p. 913, left column The term is also used in Hindu philosophy to refer to an adherent of a particular nastika.E.g., Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli; and Moore, Charles A. A Source Book in Indian Philosophy. Princeton University Press; 1957. Princeton paperback 12th edition, 1989. . p. 560. The example is given here of a text which refers to a dispute involving śākhins followers who do not accept a particular position.
A related term , ("conduct of life" or "behavior") is also used to refer to such a Vedic school:V. S. Apte. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary. p. 429, middle column "although the words and are sometimes used synonymously, yet properly applies to the sect or collection of persons united in one school, and to the traditional text followed, as in the phrase , ( "he recites a particular version of the Veda")". The schools have different points of view, described as "difference of (Vedic) school" ( ). Each school would learn a specific Vedic (one of the "four Vedas" properly so-called), as well as its associated Brahmana, , , and .
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 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.Basham, A. L. The Wonder That Was India: A Survey of the Culture of the Indian Sub-Continent Before The Coming Of The Muslims. (Grove Press, Inc.: New York, 1954) p. 139. A Brahmin who changed school would be called "a traitor to his śākhā" ( ).
Saraswati Gangadhar's devotional poetry written in Marathi called Shri Gurucharitra describes different shakhas of 4 Vedas in 27th chapter.
The schools are enumerated below, categorised according to the Veda each expounds.
Shri Gurucharitra mentions 12 shakhas for the Rig Veda namely śrāvakā, śravaṇiyā, jaṭā, śaphaṭa, pāṭhakrama(2), daṇḍa, aśvalāyanī, śāṃkhāyanī, śākalā, bāṣkalā and māṇḍūkā (श्रावका, श्रवणिया, जटा, शफट, पाठक्रम(2), दण्ड, अश्वलायनी, शांखायनी, शाकला, बाष्कला, माण्डूका) in Ovi 35 to 38.
There is, however, Sutra literature from the shakha, both a shrauta sutra and a grhya sutra, both surviving with a commentary ( vrtti) by Gargya Naranaya. Gargya Naranaya's commentary was based on the longer commentary or bhashya by Devasvamin, written in the 11th century. Catalogue of Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit Books in the British Museum (1876) p. 9. B.K. Sastry, review of K. P. Aithal (ed.), Asvalayana Grihya Sutra Bhashyam of Devasvamin, 1983.
The shakha has been recently rediscovered in Banswada in Rajasthan where two septuagenarians are the last surviving practitioners.
| Shakala Shakha | Aitreya Samhita | Aitreya Aranyaka | Aitreya Upanishad | |
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.
| Madhyandina (VSM) | Currently recited by all over North Indian Brahmins and by Deshastha Brahmins, and Yajurvedi Shrimali Brahmins | Madhyandina Shatapatha (SBM) | survives as Shatapatha XIV.1-8, with accents. | Brihadaranyaka Upanishad = SBM XIV. 3–8, with accents, Isha Upanishad = VSM 40 |
| Kanva Shakha | Currently recited by , Kannada Brahmins, some and few | Kanva Shatapatha (SBK)(different from madhyandina) | survives as book XVII of SBK | Brihadaranyaka Upanishad=SBK, with accents, Isha Upanishad = VSK 40 |
| Katyayana | - | - |
| Taittiriya | TS, Present all over India and in Konkan recited by Chitpavan Brahmins | Taittiriya Brahmana (TB) and Vadhula Br. (part of Vadhula Srautrasutra) | Taittiriya Aranyaka (TA) | Taittiriya Upanishad (TU) |
| Maitrayani | MS, Recited by few Brahmins in Nasik | - | virtually same as the Upanishad | Maitrayaniya Upanishad |
| Caraka-Katha | Katha Aranyaka (almost the entire text from a solitary manuscript) | Kathaka Upanishad, Katha-Shiksha Upanishada lost Upanishad reconstructed by Michael Witzel as having been very similar in content to the Taittiriya Upanishad, chapter 1. M. Witzel, An unknown Upanisad of the Krsna Yajurveda: The Katha-Siksa-Upanisad. Journal of the Nepal Research Centre, Vol. 1, Wiesbaden-Kathmandu 1977, pp. 135 | ||
| Kapishthala | KapS (fragmentary manuscript, only first sections accented), edited (without accents) by Raghu Vira. | - | - |
In Ovi 203 to 210 of chapter 27, Shri Gurucharitra mentions 8 of the thousands of shakhas namely āsurāyaṇīyā, vāsurāyaṇīya़ā, vātāntareyā, prāṃjalī, ṛjñagvainavidhā, prācīna yogyaśākhā, jñānayoga and rāṇāyaṇīyā (आसुरायणीया, वासुरायणीय़ा, वातान्तरेया, प्रांजली, ऋज्ञग्वैनविधा, प्राचीन योग्यशाखा, ज्ञानयोग, राणायणीया). Of these rāṇāyaṇīyā (राणायणीया) has 10 shakhas namely rāṇāyaṇīyā, sāṃkhyāyanī, śāṭhyā, mugdala, khalvalā, mahākhalvalā, lāṅgalā, kaithumā, gautamā and jaiminī (राणायणीया, सांख्यायनी, शाठ्या, मुग्दल, खल्वला, महाखल्वला, लाङ्गला, कैथुमा, गौतमा, जैमिनी).
The Kauthuma shakha has the PB, SadvB, the Jaiminiya shakha has the Jaiminiya Brahmana.
| Kauthuma | edited, Recited by all over North and in South India | edited (8 Brahmanas in all), no accents | None. The Samhita itself has the ‘Aranyaka’. | Chandogya Upanishad |
| Ranayaniya | Manuscripts of Samhita exist.Recited by Gokarna, and Deshastha Brahmins | Same as Kauthuma with minor differences. | None. The Samhita itself has the ‘Aranyaka’. | Same as Kauthuma. |
| Jaiminiya/Talavakara | Samhita edited.Recited by and choliyal of Tamil nadu Two distinct styles of Saman recitation, partially recorded and published. | Brahmana published (without accents) – Jaiminiya Brahmana, Arsheya Brahmana | Tamil Nadu version of Talavakara Aranyaka (=Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana) published | Kena Upanishad |
| Shatyayana | - | - |
The Shaunaka is the only shakha of the Atharvaveda for which both printed texts and an active oral tradition are known to still exist.
For the Atharvaveda, both the Shaunakiya and the Paippalada traditions contain textual corruptions, and the original text of the Atharvaveda may only be approximated from comparison between the two.
The Paippalada tradition was discontinued, and its text is known only from manuscripts collected since the 20th century. However some Orissa Brahmins still continue the tradition of Paippalada. No Brahmana is known for the Shaunaka shakha. The Paippalada is possibly associated with the Gopatha Brahmana.
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