Aaranyakas

Aaranayakas are attached to braahmanas but has an independent status. braahmanas are used for yaaga performed during grihasta aashrama stage where as aaranyakas are used for yaagas performed during vaanaprasta aashrama stage of human. Hence the braahmanas that are used for yajnas done in forest/aranyaam are called aaranyakas.

atharva braahmana does not have aaranyaka.

sukriya kaanda that is at the end of saama braahmana is called saama veda aaranyaka.

The last kaanda of satapatha braahmana is the aaranyaka for shukla yajurveda.

katha, maitraayanee etc shaakhaas do not have aaranyaka like others.

kausheetakee braahmana ‘s aaranyaka is available in manuscript stage. It is to be verified whether any one has published by date.

There are also taittireeya aaranyaka and aitareya aaranyaka.

taittireeya aaranyaka just as taittireeya braahmana is very old, by the sentence “aranyeऽdheeyeeran” it is understood that this portion is to be used in aranya only. The “saavitra naachiketa chaturhotra vaishva sruja” bhaagas/ parts do not have this restriction-as dictated by achaaryas. In this there are 10 prapaathakas. Tenth one “naaraayanopanishat”. But earlier it was declared that the 10th prapaathaka was lost. Hence this naarayanopanishat is considered as included at later stages. This naraayanopanishat is written with suitable words and chandas and melodious to hear.

The famous sheekshaavallee, aanandavallee and bhruguvallee are 7 ,8 and 9 prapaathakas and famous as “taittireeyopanishat.”

The aaranyakaa attached to aitareya braahmana has 5 kaandas.

In first kaanda, the mahaavrata karma that is required to complete samvatsara satrayaaga is described. Hence it is termed as aitereyopanishat.

dviteeya and truteeya kaandaa teach ultimate knowledge/jnaana bodhakas.

Fourth kaanda, small one, gives mahaanaamnee naama mantras, that are to be recited in aranya.

Fifth kaanda gives procedures for mahaavrata prayogam. This could be a repetition to first kaanda and hence might have been added later stages.

bruhadaaranyaka is from shukla yajurveda. In this mostly the discussion is on aatmaa tattvam. Hence it is called as bruhadaaranyakopanishat.

maitraayanya aaranyakam which is from krishna yajurveda is also called upanishat.

talavaka aaranyakam from saamaveda has 4 chapters/adhyaayas. 4^th chapter of this tenth anuvaakam is named as kenopanishat. This aaranyakam is also called as jaimineeyopanishat braahmanam.

 REF: Samskruta saahitya Charitra Written by Achaarya A. Ramulu Samskrut Professor, and HOD, OU. -in Telugu.