सामवेद [ sāmaveda ] [ sāma-vedá ] m. " Veda of chants " , N. of one of the three principal Vedas (see [ veda ] )

   it contains a number of verses or stanzas nearly all of which ( except about 78 ) occur in the Ṛig-veda and which , modified in various ways , are chanted , mostly , by the Udgātṛi priests at Soma sacrifices

   the Saṃhitā of the Sāma-veda consists of two parts

   the first , called Ārcika ( or Pūrvârcika or Chando-grantha ) , contains 585 verses disjoined from their proper sequence in the Ṛig-veda and arranged in 59 Daśatis or decades , which again are subdivided into Prapāṭhakas and Ardha-prapāṭhakas

   the second , called Uttarârcika or Uttarā-grantha , contains 1225 verses , also chiefly from the Ṛik-saṃhitā , but less disjointed than in the first part , and arranged in nine Prapāṭhakas with Ardha-prapāṭhakas , mostly , however , grouped in triplets

   the directions for the formation of Sāmans or chants out of these verses are carefully laid down in the Gānas or manuals for chanting , two of which , viz. the Geya-gāna and Āraṇya-gāna , are a directory for the Ārcika portion , and two , viz. Ūha-gāna and Ūhya-gāna , for the Uttarârcikā

   in Lit. Mn. i , 23 the Sāma-veda is described as drawn forth from the sun

   in iv , 124 it is described as having a special reference to the Pitṛis or deceased ancestors , and its sound is therefore said to possess a kind of impurity , whereas the Ṛig-veda has the gods for his objects and the Yajurveda men

   the Sāma-veda is said to possess 8 Brāhmaṇas ( see [ brāhmaṇa ] ) Lit. Br. Lit. ŚāṅkhŚr. ( ( Lit. IW. 25 ) )