The Samaveda (Sanskrit: सामवेद, IAST: Sāmaveda), derived from sāman ("song") and veda ("knowledge"), is the Veda of melodies and chants. It is one of the four Vedas and an ancient Vedic Sanskrit text held sacred in Hinduism. As a primarily liturgical compilation, it consists of 1,875 verses, of which all but 75 are drawn from the Rigveda.
Three recensions of the Samaveda have survived, with variant manuscripts found in different parts of India. While its earliest portions are believed to originate in the Rigvedic period, the existing Samhita is generally placed in the post-Rigvedic Mantra period of Vedic Sanskrit, roughly contemporary with the Yajurveda and the Atharvaveda. The text is structured in successive layers, comprising the Samhita, Brahmana texts, and a concluding philosophical layer in the form of the Upanishads, with the later layers traditionally associated with the post-Rigvedic Mantra period.
Embedded within the Samaveda are the Chandogya Upanishad and the Kena Upanishad, both counted among the principal Upanishads. These works have exercised significant influence on the six schools of Hindu philosophy, especially the Vedanta tradition, and remain widely studied within Hindu thought.
Beyond its scriptural and philosophical importance, the Samaveda is regarded as having laid important foundations for the development of Indian music, owing to its emphasis on melodic recitation and chant. Its standing within the Vedic corpus is also reflected in the Bhagavad Gita (chapter 10, verse 22), where Krishna declares, "Among the Vedas I am the Samaveda."
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on the Samaveda (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaveda).