There is indeed a long and layered tradition of interpretation surrounding the Sāmaveda, extending from early ritual expositions to later scholastic commentaries. Among the earliest are the Brāhmaṇa texts, which function as ritual exegesis, explaining how the Sāman chants are to be used and what they signify within sacrificial practice. The Pañcaviṃśa (Tāṇḍya) Brāhmaṇa is especially central for the Sāmaveda, with the Ṣaḍviṃśa Brāhmaṇa serving as its supplement, while the Jaiminīya (Talavakāra) Brāhmaṇa represents another important strand of the tradition. These works, together with smaller texts such as the Sāmavidhāna and Devatādhyāya Brāhmaṇas, embed interpretation directly into the ritual corpus rather than standing apart as purely theoretical commentaries.

A second layer of exegesis appears in the Āraṇyakas and Upaniṣads associated with the Sāmaveda, where the focus shifts from external ritual to inner contemplation. The Jaiminīya Āraṇyaka, for example, stands at the threshold between ritual and meditation, treating the chants not only as liturgical acts but as supports for inner realization. The Chāndogya Upaniṣad, belonging to the Sāmavedic tradition, offers profound reflections on the sāman, on the udgītha (the sacred syllable Oṃ), and on the deeper meaning of sacrifice. The Kena Upaniṣad is also linked, in one recension, with this same Vedic stream, further illustrating how Sāmavedic chant inspired philosophical inquiry.

Later, more systematic written commentaries arise, representing a classical scholastic engagement with the Sāmaveda. Foremost among these is Sāyanācārya’s extensive bhāṣya on the Sāmaveda Saṃhitā, which elucidates the words, meters, ritual contexts, and connections to the Ṛgveda. Around such works grew a network of sub‑commentaries and related scholastic literature within the Sāmaveda schools, showing that the tradition did not remain static but continued to reinterpret its own foundations. Alongside these, the Prātiśākhyas and related ancillary treatises, such as the Sāmaveda Prātiśākhya, offer a more technical kind of exegesis, concerned with phonetics, accent, and melodic patterns. Through this combination of ritual manuals, philosophical texts, and technical guides, the Sāmaveda has been accompanied across the centuries by a rich and continuous interpretive tradition.