A History of Indian Literature v1.c8.s6.13

v1.c8.s6.13

The chief difference between the Saṃhitās of the "black" and the "white" Yajurveda lies in the fact that the Vājasaneyi-Saṃhitā contains only the Mantras, *i.e.* the prayers and sacrificial formulæ which the priest has to utter, while the Saṃhitās of the Black Yajurveda, besides the Mantras, contain a presentation of the sacrificial rites belonging to them, as well as discussions on the same. That is to say, in the Saṃhitās of the Black Yajurveda there is that which is called "Brāhmaṇa" or "theological discussion," and which forms the contents of the Brāhmaṇas to be discussed in the next chapter, mixed with the Mantras. Now it is easily conceivable that in the prayer-books intended for the use of the Adhvaryus, the sacrificial rites themselves too were discussed, for these priests had above all to perform the separate sacrificial acts, and the muttering of prayers and formulas in the closest connection with these acts formed only a small part of their duties. It can therefore hardly be doubted that the Saṁhitās of the Black Yajurveda are *older* than the Vājasaneyi-Saṁhitā. Only later systematizers among the Yajurveda-theologians probably felt the necessity of having a Saṁhitā consisting only of Mantras analogous to the other Vedas, as well as a Brāhmaṇa separate from it.¹