Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.5130

c9.5130

1) General. The Caturvedas are:—Ṛg veda, Yajurveda Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda. Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Part 3, Chapter 5, mentions that Vaiśampāyana, the disciple of Vedavyāsa, divided Yajurveda into twentyseven branches and taught them to his disciples. Among those disciples there was Yājñavalkya, the son of Brahmarāta. It was Vyāsa who divided the Vedas into four parts. After dividing them, the sage Vyāsa taught Ṛgveda to Paila, Yajurveda to Vaiśampāyana, Sāmaveda to Jaimini and Atharvaveda to Sumantu. The rules for Japa, Homa etc. of Yajurveda were taught to Vyāsa by Agnideva. If all the rules of Yajurveda are correctly observed, all desires will be fulfilled. There are special rules for the observance of homa for the fulfilment of particular desires.