Shakala Shakha

Shakala Shaka (Sanskrit: शाकल शाखा; IAST: Śākala Śākhā), is the oldest shakha (from skt. śākhā f. "branch" or "recension") of the Rigveda. The Śākala tradition is mainly followed in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The Mahābhāṣya of Patanjali refers to 21 śākhās of the rigveda; however, according to Śaunaka's Caraṇa-vyuha there are five śākhās for the Rigveda, the Śākala, Bāṣkala, Aśvalayana, Śaṅkhāyana, and Māṇḍukāyana of which only the Śākala and Bāṣkala and very few of the Aśvalayana are now extent. The only complete recension of this text known today is of the Śākala School. As far as the Rigveda is concerned only Śākala Śākhā is preserved out of 21 which existed at one time. There is a claim that Śaṅkhāyana Śākhā is still known to a few Vedapathis in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat but this is not certain.

The main saṃhitā for Śākala Sākhā is the Śākala Saṃhitā and the corresponding brahmana is Aitareya Brāhmaṇa. The main Upanishad of the Śākala Śākhā is Aitareya Upaniṣad. The Shrauta Sutra for Śākala Shākhā is Āśvalāyaṇa Śrauta Sūtra and the Grihya Sutra is Āśvalāyana Gr̥ya Sūtra. The Aranyaka of Śākala Śākhā is Aitareya Āraṇyaka.