Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s1.t3.4

v2.c11.s1.t3.4

The Vedas are not only the oldest Indian masterpiece on religion, literature and philosophy but also the most important source of Indian music. *Samaveda*, one of four Vedas, is a collection of songs in the ancient era includes 1,875 odes. “Sama” means a tune, so *Samaveda* is a tune collection produced for the needs of the flamen chanters, therefore, the contents of those poems is in the subsidiary position. Different factions have different singing methods that are inherited up to now. Hence, *Samaveda* is very important for studying the ancient Indian music history.