Aranyakas

Aranyakas

"forest [books]"

The sacred scriptures of Hinduism belong to the category of revealed shruti scriptures and are part of the Vedas. These religious texts were composed in the Vedic Sanskrit characteristic of the Brahmanas and the early Upanishads. Some Aranyakas are part of the Brahmanas or Upanishads. The Aranyakas describe various dangerous ritual practices such as mahavrata and pravargya, which is why they were studied in wild and remote places.

The Aranyakas explain various complex Vedic sacrifices (yajnas) and the rules for performing rituals. Aranyakas are "secret" scriptures in the sense that their use is limited to certain kind of rituals. Aranyakas, as well as other Vedic texts, have been transmitted from teacher to disciple along the parampara chain throughout history.