However, this assumption is wrong. The Āraṇyaka-texts are Vedic texts written with a different purpose. On the other hand, this is somewhat right in the sense that ,
“According to the other, and no doubt right, interpretation these works — all other books of the brāhmanic variety, subjects of instruction of Vedic schools — were to be imparted to and studied by advanced students in the solitude of the forest, because their contents were too sacred, too secret and esoteric, too uncanny and dangerous to be learnt in the villages. Their main subject was indeed, not only the explanation of the sacrificial rites, but the relevant texts themselves and their mystic and allegorical, ‘symbolical’ and ‘philosophical’ significance.
In fact the activities of yāga-yajña are the subject matter of the Brāhmaṇa texts, but the spiritual knowledge of Veda, Atmatatva (Self-knowledge) , Brahmatatva (knowledge of the Brahman)and the like, which are called jñanakāṇḍa, are the contents of Āraṇyaka at first, and then, of Upaniṣad. Yajña that is to be performed externally, using several equipments, as described in Brāhmaṇa-texts, has become Jñānayajña (yajna of knowledge) in the Āraṇyaka-texts.In the tenth chapter of the Śāṅkhāyana Āraṇyaka of Ṛgveda (Rigveda), the Agnihotra yāga of Brāhmaṇa texts — which involves so much of external rituals, has been described fully in spiritual terms.It is said that the Agnihotra of a Brāhmaṇa is actually the internal, spiritual Agnihotra. The Vedic Āhavanīya (Ahavaniya)agni and Gārhapatya (Garhapatya) agni have been conceptualised here as the Yogic forms of Prāṇa and Apāna vāyu residing in human bodies.And about the equipments of Agnihotra yajña, it is said that — śraddhā (sraddha; respect)is dugdha (milk), vākya is samit (the sacred piece of wood used for yajna), satya (truth) is āhuti (offering), and prajñā (prajna; wisdom)is ātmā (atma, the soul)
From this conception, it becomes clear that the grandeur of external yajña-rituals as described in the ‘Brāhmaṇa’ section of Veda, was transformed into internal yajña ad worship in the later Āraṇyaka texts. Afterwards, these would become the Jñānakāṇḍa (Jnanakanda)of Upaniṣad (Upanishad).
For each branch of Veda, there is one Āraṇyaka associated with it, for instance – Ṛgveda -1. Aitareya Āraṇyaka (the Aitareya branch of Ṛgveda)
2.Kauṣitakī or Śāṅkhāyana Āraṇyaka (The Kauṣitakī or Śāṅkhāyana branch of Ṛgveda) Yajurveda – 1. Taittirīya Āraṇyaka (the Taittirīya branch of Kṛṣṇayajurveda)
2. Maitrāyaṇīya Āraṇyaka (The Maitrāyaṇīya branch of Kṛṣṇayajurveda)
3. Kaṭha Āraṇyaka (the Kaṭha or Caraka branch of Kṛṣṇayajurveda)
4.Vṛhadāraṇyaka (the Mādhyandina or Kāṇva branch of Śuklayajurveda; the first nine paragraphs of the Mādhyandina branch is Āraṇyaka, and the last six paragraphs constitute the Upaniṣad part. Sāmaveda – Talavakāra Āraṇyaka or Jaiminīya Upaniṣad Brāhmaṇa (the Talavakāra or Jaiminīya branch of Sāmaveda) Atharvaveda – No Āraṇyaka text. Gopatha Brāhmaṇa is considered as the Āraṇyaka part of this Veda.
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In Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), it is said that the discourse on God Nārāyaṇa (Narayana) is the essence of all scriptures. By way of comparison, the has said, it is as if, Āraṇyaka is among the Vedas. To develop the analogy, it is said, as we get navanīta (navanita;buttermilk) from the churning of curd, as we collect sandalwood from Malayaparvata; as we get the essence Veda from Āraṇyaka (Aranyaka) — Āraṇyakañca vedebhyaḥ — so is this nectre-like discourse on Nārāyaṇa. From this analogy it is clear that the greatness of Āraṇyaka texts had already been established in the time of Mahābhārata.
It is further said in Mahābhārata that Vānaprastha (Vanaprastha) is a consequence of studyinh Āraṇyakaśastra. After successfully enjoying life in gṛhasthāśrama (grihasthasrama;the life of a householder), one should go through Āraṇyakaśāstra (Aranyakasastra)and then go for the life of a recluse — staying in forest, and trying to realise the Infinite Brahman. Elsewhere Yudhiṣṭhira (Yudhishthira) says to Arjuna that, the search of the Supreme truth is all about getting the essence of tyāgamārga (tyagamarga; the path of a recluse). Otherwise if one does not realise what to search for, even after going through Veda and studying Āraṇyaka, it is like the failure to get the wood, after removing the layers of a banana tree.
These Āraṇyaka texts actually came after Veda and Brāhmaṇa-texts, and before the Upaniṣad(s) (Upanishad). Sine these scriptures were originally uttered in the forest, so they are called Āraṇyaka — araṇye uktamiti āraṇyaka. In the beginning of the annotations of Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, Sāyanācārya writes — this particular section of Veda has been called Āraṇyaka, because these are to be studied while staying in the forest —
In the beginning of the annotation of Aitareya Brāhmaṇa (Aitareya Brahmana), however, Sāyanācārya (Sayanacharya)has once referred to the Brāhmaṇa section of Veda as Āraṇyaka-vrata —
āraṇyakavratarūpaṃ brāhmaṇam,
This had led many to doubt that this Āraṇyaka-section is a complementary part of the Brāhmaṇa-texts, which help the yāgñika(s)(those who perform yajna) dwelling in forest.
However, this assumption is wrong. The Āraṇyaka-texts are Vedic texts written with a different purpose. On the other hand, this is somewhat right in the sense that ,
“According to the other, and no doubt right, interpretation these works — all other books of the brāhmanic variety, subjects of instruction of Vedic schools — were to be imparted to and studied by advanced students in the solitude of the forest, because their contents were too sacred, too secret and esoteric, too uncanny and dangerous to be learnt in the villages. Their main subject was indeed, not only the explanation of the sacrificial rites, but the relevant texts themselves and their mystic and allegorical, ‘symbolical’ and ‘philosophical’ significance.
In fact the activities of yāga-yajña are the subject matter of the Brāhmaṇa texts, but the spiritual knowledge of Veda, Atmatatva (Self-knowledge) , Brahmatatva (knowledge of the Brahman)and the like, which are called jñanakāṇḍa, are the contents of Āraṇyaka at first, and then, of Upaniṣad. Yajña that is to be performed externally, using several equipments, as described in Brāhmaṇa-texts, has become Jñānayajña (yajna of knowledge) in the Āraṇyaka-texts.In the tenth chapter of the Śāṅkhāyana Āraṇyaka of Ṛgveda (Rigveda), the Agnihotra yāga of Brāhmaṇa texts — which involves so much of external rituals, has been described fully in spiritual terms.It is said that the Agnihotra of a Brāhmaṇa is actually the internal, spiritual Agnihotra. The Vedic Āhavanīya (Ahavaniya)agni and Gārhapatya (Garhapatya) agni have been conceptualised here as the Yogic forms of Prāṇa and Apāna vāyu residing in human bodies.And about the equipments of Agnihotra yajña, it is said that — śraddhā (sraddha; respect)is dugdha (milk), vākya is samit (the sacred piece of wood used for yajna), satya (truth) is āhuti (offering), and prajñā (prajna; wisdom)is ātmā (atma, the soul)
From this conception, it becomes clear that the grandeur of external yajña-rituals as described in the ‘Brāhmaṇa’ section of Veda, was transformed into internal yajña ad worship in the later Āraṇyaka texts. Afterwards, these would become the Jñānakāṇḍa (Jnanakanda)of Upaniṣad (Upanishad).
For each branch of Veda, there is one Āraṇyaka associated with it, for instance – Ṛgveda -1. Aitareya Āraṇyaka (the Aitareya branch of Ṛgveda)
2.Kauṣitakī or Śāṅkhāyana Āraṇyaka (The Kauṣitakī or Śāṅkhāyana branch of Ṛgveda) Yajurveda – 1. Taittirīya Āraṇyaka (the Taittirīya branch of Kṛṣṇayajurveda)
2. Maitrāyaṇīya Āraṇyaka (The Maitrāyaṇīya branch of Kṛṣṇayajurveda)
3. Kaṭha Āraṇyaka (the Kaṭha or Caraka branch of Kṛṣṇayajurveda)
4.Vṛhadāraṇyaka (the Mādhyandina or Kāṇva branch of Śuklayajurveda; the first nine paragraphs of the Mādhyandina branch is Āraṇyaka, and the last six paragraphs constitute the Upaniṣad part. Sāmaveda – Talavakāra Āraṇyaka or Jaiminīya Upaniṣad Brāhmaṇa (the Talavakāra or Jaiminīya branch of Sāmaveda) Atharvaveda – No Āraṇyaka text. Gopatha Brāhmaṇa is considered as the Āraṇyaka part of this Veda.