Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c5.s2.17

v1.c5.s2.17

It is in the period of the Brāhmaṇas and the Śrauta-sūtras, that we notice an abnormal increase in the avarice of the priests officiating at the sacrificial ceremonies. The references in the Pāli texts are to the state of things as found in the Yajur *Vedas* and the *Brāhmaṇas*. The different *śākhās* viz., *Adhvaryū*, *Tittirīyā*, *Chandokā* and *Bavhṛjā* evidently refer to *Śuklayajurveda*, *Kṛṣṇa-yajurveda*, *Sāmaveda* and *Ṛgveda* respectively. In a sacrifice, the presence of priests of these four classes was compulsory, each being in charge of a particular function.¹