The Yajur Veda (from yajus, a liturgical formula) is, as its name denotes, a collection of the sacrificial hymns and formula and pri marily those of the Adhvaryu. Like the Sama Veda, it follows in its arrangement the order of the ritual, but it is broader in the scope of its material, for the Sama Veda is limited to the treatment of the soma sacrifice, while the Yajur extends to the other crania sacrifices also. It is the Veda in which the school dif ferences are most noticeable. The two great divisions are the White and the Black Yajur Vedas. The difference being that the Satithita of the former is merely a collection of mantra material, while the Sariihita of the latter con tains not only this material which properly belongs is a Sathhita, but also a certain amount of theological exposition which should prop erly be in the Brahmana. Of the White Yajur Veda we have two recensions, those of the Madhyadidinas and the Kisivas. The Black Yajur Veda exists in the following recensions: the Taittiriya Satithita, the Maitrayani Saris hita, the Kathaka Sarnhita, and the Kapisthala Katha The Brahmans (relating to brahman, 're ligious formula))) are theological treatises con cerned chiefly with the ritual of the sacrifice. They do not systematically describe the ritual, for they presuppose a knowledge of it, and also a knowledge of the mantra material of the Sathhita. Their object is to explain the mutual relationship of these two elements rite and formula. This involves exegesis of the mantras and leads to the telling of many myths. Furthermore, as they are concerned not only with the external relationship of the ceremony to its formulae but much more with its internal relationship (for to the Hindu what a thing is, is never of as great importance as what the thing symbolizes), they contain masses of theological and philosophical specula tions frequently of the most fantastic mysti cism. In form they are throughout in prose, except for certain peculiar parts imbedded in them called the Gathas. Appended to them are certain works of a theosophical character — called the Aranyakas or Forest Books, because owing to their peculiar mystic sanctity they could safely be transmitted from teacher to pupil only in the seclusion of the forest. The Upan4ads ('confidential sessions') are esoteric philosophical speculations concerning chiefly the nature of Atman or Brahma, the world soul. They are also called the Vedanta, that is, "end of the Veda° either because of their posi tion or as their adherents insist in the sense of the "final goal of the Veda." Now each of these Brahmanas attaches itself to one of the Satithitis and accordingly treats only of the portion of the ritual in which the correspond ing priest is engaged. According to this prin ciple they are classified: (1) Belonging to the Rig Veda; the Aitareya Brahniana. and the Kausitalci or cafildiayana Brahmana to each of which is attached an Aranyalca and an Upanipd of the same name. (2) Brahmanas belonging to the Sama Veda. Of these we have the Paficavinca Brahmana, so called from its consisting of 25 books with its supplement, the Sadviiica Brahmana; the Chandogya Brahmana with its Upanisad, and the Jilin iniya Brahmana containing the Kena Upain pad. Four other works belonging to this school, the Sama-Vidhana Brahmana, the De vatadhyiya Brahmana the Vanua Brahmana, and the Sarhhitopanisad are Brahmanas only in name. (3) For tfie White Yajur we have the catapatha Brahmana in two recensions, corresponding to the two recensions of the Sarbhita. (4) For the Black Yajur Veda the Brahmana material is already imbedded in the Sarithita, but there also exist as independent works the Taittiriya Brahmana, and Aranyaka, the latter containing two Upanisads in addi tion to which there are the Kaphaka and the Maitrayana Upanipads.
The Sutras or °clues") are com pendiums of practical rules for various sub jects. Stylistically works of this class are characterized by the utmost endeavors for con ciseness. The extent to which these efforts
were carried is shown by the aphorism that an author should rejoice more over the saving of half a long vowel than over the birth of a son — on which depended his happiness in the next world. The name is frequently applied in a narrower sense to the Sutras that treat of religion, the so-called Kalpa Sutras. The greater part of these Sutras fall into two classes, the crauta (relating to ova, revela tion) Sutras which deal with the elaborate ceremonies for the performance of which three fires are required and the services of a num ber of priests; and the Grhya (from gylia, "house") Sutras which deal with the simpler observances of daily life that are performed by the householder himself in the house fire. Each Sutra attaches itself to a particular Sarithita. In the case of the crauta Sutras this con nection is evidenced by their limiting them selves to the duties of the corresponding priest so that a complete picture of the sacrifice can be gained only by the combination of several Sutras; for the Grhya Sutras the connection is not so close. All treat of essentially the same subjects, but each draws its mantra ma terial as far as possible from its own Satii hita. The following Sutras have been pre served: for the Rig Veda caillchayana, crauta Sutra, and the Acvalayana crauta Sutra, and two Grhya Sutras of the same name; for the Sama Veda, the Crauta Sutras of Macaka, Lityiyana and Drahyayana, and the. Grhya Sutras of Gobhila and Drahya yana; for the White Yajur Veda the crauta Sutra of Kityayana, and the Grhya Sutra of Paraskara; for the Black Yajur Veda the crauta Sutras of Apastamba, Hiranyakecin, Baudhayana and Bharadvaja, also the Manava and the Vaildianasa crauta Sutras. To each of these is a corresponding Grhya Sutra and also the Kithala Grhya Sutra.
This summary of the hieratic literature has included in the Grhya Sutras one side of the popular religion. In them, however, we have the popular ceremonies as developed, systema tized and codified by the Brahmans. Moreover, they represent the Hindu only in the natural course of his life and in his orderly and lawful desires. Fortunately the picture is completed by the Atharva Veda; so that we have a knowl edge of the private life of the Hindu with a fullness of detail that is not equaled by the records of any people of a similarly remote period.
Of the Atharva Veda Saiithita two olkhds exist: one of these, the Paippalada, has been preserved only in a single manuscript and has only recently become generally accessible; the other that of the caunaka school has been care fully edited and extensively studied. It con sists of a little over 700 hymns of about 6,000 stanzas divided into 20 books. Of these the last two are later additions, one being taken chiefly from the Paippalada calcha, the other from the Rig Veda. Books 13-18 are devoted to special subjects; the other books contain charms for the cure of various diseases fre quently regarded as possession by demons; prayers for long life and health; imprecations against demons, sorcerers and enemies; charms pertaining to women; charms to secure har mony and influence in the assembly; charms per taining to royalty; prayers and imprecations in the interest of the Brahmans; charms to secure prosperity; charms in expiation of sin and defilement; cosmogonic and theosophic hymns and ritualistic hymns. In short the Atharva touches the interests of every class of life and ranges from the highest metaphysics of the osophic mysticism to the lowest bathos of sorcery. The redaction of this material is later than the redactions of the other Sarhhitas and probably later than the composition of some of the Brahmanas. The material itself is of widely different ages; some of it cannot be much older than the time of the redaction; other parts may be among the earliest products of Vedic literary activity as some of the practices go back even to Indo-European times.