Sama Veda

   Sama Veda, or “VEDA of the sung chants,” is one of the three original Vedas that form the founda-tion of Hindu tradition (a fourth Veda was added sometime later). Most of its hymns are devoted to the god SOMA. This god was invoked in many Vedic rituals and was particularly honored by the preparation of a psychedelic substance that took the same name as the god: Soma. The honoring of the god and the preparation of the drug were the particular realm of the Sama Vedic priests.

   Any public Vedic ritual required the recitation of passages from the Sama Veda. Many public rites also required the consumption of the Soma drug. The priests of the Sama Veda were known for their sonorous chanting, which is considered the origin of Indian music.

   Further reading: Barend Faddegon, Studies on the Samaveda (Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1951); S. V. Ganapati, trans., Sama Veda (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1992); G. H. Tarlekar, Saman Chants, in Theory and Present Practice (Delhi: Sri Satguru, 1995).