JAGADGURU Swami Sri Bharathi Krishna Tirthaji Maharaj, the author of Vedic Mathematics, says he discovered 16 mathematical formulae, which once formed part of the parishishta (appendix) of the Atharva Veda. But the formulae are not to be found in any extant text of the Vedas. The foundations of Vedic mathematics, however, do appear in the sulva sutras and the taittiriya samhita written later.

Veda is the Sanskrit word for knowledge and the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas provide knowledge and form the ancient Hindu scriptures. Vedic literature is divided into the jnana kanda -- which deals with supreme knowledge -- and the karma kanda -- which deals with rituals. Included in jnana kanda are the aranyakas and the Upanishads, which are identified with various Vedas. The karma kanda consists of a samhita (a collection of mantras or incantations) and a brahmana (commentaries that explain the mantras and instruct on their use in sacrifices).

Veda thus has both a narrow and broad definition. In the narrow context, Veda would mean the samhita alone, while the broad definition would in addition include the brahmanas, aranyakas and the Upanishads. In references to Vedic mathematics, Veda is used in the broad sense.