Divisions of the Vedas

Excerpt from BTG March/April 2000

SRUTI (revealed writings, or “that which is heard”)

I. The four Veda Samhitas: Rg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva
II. Brahmanas
III. Aranyakas
IV. Upanisads (more than 108 books)

SMRTI (tradition, or “that which is remembered”)

I. Itihasas
Epics, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which includes the Bhagavad-gita

II. Puranas (histories)
A.Eighteen