A History of Indian Literature v1.c8.s6.1

v1.c8.s6.1

Just as the Sāmaveda-Saṃhitā is the song-book of the udgātar, so the Yajurveda-Saṃhitās are the *prayer-books* for the Adhvaryu priest. The grammarian Patañjali² speaks of "101 schools of the Veda of the Adhvaryus," and it is conceivable that many schools of just this Veda existed; for with reference to the separate sacrificial acts, such as the Adhvaryu had to execute and accompany with his prayers, differences of opinion and sectarian divisions could easily arise, which led to the formation of special manuals and prayer-books. The least deviation in the ceremonial or in the liturgy was sufficient cause for the formation of a new Vedic school. Up to the present we know the following five Saṃhitās and schools of the Yajurveda: