Yajurveda Samhita

by Ravi Prakash Arya

"The present edition of Yajurveda with English version of Mahidhara and Uvata's commentary by Griffith has become conspicuous with the following salient features:

The old usage of English version has been replaced by the corresponding modern usage in order that the contents of the translation may be easily made out even by a layman. For instance, the old pronominal forms like, thy, thou, thee, thine, etc. have been replaced by the corresponding terms in modern English. The old English usage of verbal forms has also been supplanted with the corresponding usage in modern English.
Some of the Vedic terms like Savita, hota, etc. were used in the English version in an inappropriate manner like Savitar, hotar etc. by Griffith. In the present edition such Vedic terms have been retained in their true form.
Griffith's version simply transliterate Sanskrit phonemes in Roman ones without any aid of diacriticals. Keeping in view the dearth of diacritical marks, a proper care has been taken to equip the Sanskrit phonemes with appropriate diacriticals in the present edition.
The most notable feature of this edition is that it contains the original Mantras in Devanagiri script and complete index of Yajurveda mantras for ready reference.
Griffith didn't reproduce the Mahidhara and Uvata's translation on the Mantras (20-31) of the 23 chapter. According to him, the subject nine stanzas (20-29) are not reproducible even in the semi-obscurity of a learned European language; and stanzas 30, 31 would be unintelligible without them. In fact the stanzas don't have any pornographic colour as has been depicted by Mahidhara and Uvata in their translations. Hence the present author deems it fit and proper to render the actual intent of the above mentioned 11 stanzas so that the readers may not be mislead by the translations of Mahidhara and Uvata and the Griffith's remarks thereof."

Contents:

1. Introduction:

i. Compilation of Yajurveda.

ii. Origin of rituals.

iii. Vedic fire-alters.

iv. Significance of rituals.

v. Agnisomiya Pasuyaga.

vi. An operation for rain making.

vii. Interpretations of Yajurveda.

viii. Seers of Yajurveda.

ix. Schools of Yajurveda.

2. Yajurveda Samhita.

3. Mantranukramani.