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Samhita

Samhita (Sanskrit, "joined," "collected") is the collected arrangements of hymns, chants, etc., constituting the Vedas, and thus is the basis for the Hindu scriptures. Originally the term referred to the connected and continuous style of recitation, and later applied to the collections of hymns and chants that were recited. A.G.H.

Bowker, John, The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, New York, Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 848