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YAJURVEDA 1 Nature and Importance In its character Yajurveda is quite different from the Rigveda amp Samaveda Samhitas It is principally in prose form The word 8216Yajush8216 in the Yajurveda is explained variously But one of its definitions says 8211 8216Gadyatmakam yajuh8217 A Yajuh is that which is in prose form8217 Another definition Yajur Yajateh talks about its relation with the sacrifice Yajna because both the terms are derived from the root 8216Yaj 8216 The Yajurveda is more pronouncedly a ritual Veda for it is essentially a guidebook for the Adhvaryu priest who had to do practically all ritualistic works in a sacrifice His works vary from the selection of a plot of land for the sacrificial altar down to offering oblations to the sacred fires Just as the SamavedaSamhita is the songbook of the Udgata priest so the YajurvedaSamhitas are the prayerbooks for the Adhvaryu priest It is solely meant for the purposes of sacrificial rituals The Yajurveda is also important for its presentation of philosophical doctrines It preaches the concept of Prana and Manas also Many times it is quoted for depicting religious and social life of the Vedic people It is also known for giving certain geographical data 2 Division and Samhitas The Yajurveda is twofold The White or Pure Yajurveda The Black or Dark Yajurveda The Krishna Yajurveda is characterised by mixture of mantra and brahmana whereas the Shukla Yajurveda maintains the clear separation of the two The Shukla Yajurveda is related with the Adityaschool and the Krishna Yajurveda is related with the Brahmaschool In the beginning of his commentary on the ShuklaYajurveda Samhita a story is given by Mahidhara about the twofold division of the Yajurveda Rishi Vaishampayana taught the Yajurveda to Rishi Yajyavalkya and other pupils Once Vaishampayana got angry with Yajyavalkya and asked him to give back what he had learnt Yajyavalkya vomited the Veda by the power of Yoga while the other pupils at the command of his teacher swallowed up the Yajush thus vomited assuming the form of birds called Tittiri Thus the Yajush became dark and was named Kishna or Taittiriya Then Yajyavalkya prayed to the Sun who came to him in the form of a horse ie Vaji and gave him back the Yajush Hence this Yajurveda was named Shukla or Vajasaneyi Sukla Yajurveda has two Samhita available today Madhyandina Samhita Kanva Samhtia Krishna Yajurveda has four Sanhitas available today Taittiriya Samhita Kathaka Samhita Kapishthala Samhita Maitrayani Samhita 3 Contents We find detailed description of sacrifices in the Samhita of Yajurveda The VajasaneyiSamhita gives a vivid description of many important sacrifices such as 8211 Darshapurnamasa Agnihotra Somayaga Chaturmasya Agnihotra Vajapeya Ashvamedha Sarvamedha Brahmayajya Pitrimedha Sautramani and so on For a general idea the contents can be divided into three sections The first section comprises the Darshapurnamasa the second section deals with the Somayaga and the third section comprises the Agnicayanas The last section of the VajasaneyiSamhita contains the popular IshavasyaUpanishad It is important to know that the first eighteen Adhyayas of the Vajasaneyi Samhita are completely given word for word and explained in the Shatapatha Brahmana of the white Yajurveda On the basis of this point few scholars think that the last sections of this Samhita are of a later date