A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c10.54

c10.54

There is an objection that might be raised against this view, and which deserves to be considered. No one acquainted with the ceremonial of the Brahmans could well maintain that, after the final division of that ceremonial among the three classes of priests, a collection like that of the Rig-veda could have been conceived. The Rig-veda is not a Veda for the Hotri priest, in the same sense in which the Sâma and Yajur-vedas are for the Udgâtri and Adhvaryu priests. But it might be said that there is a fourth class of priests, the Brahman class, and that the Rig-veda might have been collected for their special benefit. In order to answer this objection, we shall have to examine more closely the real character of the four classes of priests.