Yajurveda
Vedic text of prose mantras for ritual worship.
The Yajurveda, whose name combines the Sanskrit words *yajus* ("worship" or "sacrificial formula") and *veda* ("knowledge"), is a Vedic text focused on prose mantras used in rituals. It consists of formulas recited by a priest while a person performed actions like those at the yajña fire. As one of Hinduism's four Vedas, its composition date is uncertain, though scholar Michael Witzel places it between 1200 and 800 BCE, making it contemporary with the Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda.
This Veda divides into two main branches: the Krishna (black or dark) Yajurveda and the Shukla (white or bright) Yajurveda. "Black" refers to an unarranged, unclear, motley collection of verses, while "white" indicates a well-arranged, clear version. Four recensions of the Krishna Yajurveda survive today, alongside two of the Shukla Yajurveda.
The earliest layer of the Yajurveda samhita contains roughly 1,875 verses, some original and some built upon the Rigveda. A middle layer includes the Satapatha Brahmana, one of the largest Brahmana texts. The youngest layer features several major Upanishads—such as the Brihadaranyaka, Isha, Taittiriya, Katha, Shvetashvatara, and Maitri—which influenced various Hindu philosophical schools. Two of the oldest surviving Shukla Yajurveda manuscripts, discovered in Nepal and Western Tibet, date to the 12th century CE.
Etymologically, *yajus* has been translated as "religious reverence," "sacrificial prayer," or "prose formulae muttered at a sacrifice," while *veda* means "knowledge." Interpretations of the name include "knowledge text of prose mantras" (Witzel), "knowledge of sacrifice or sacrificial texts and formulas" (Ralph Griffith), and a text of "mantras repeated and used in rituals" (Carl Olson).
The core text belongs to the classical Mantra period of Vedic Sanskrit, at the end of the 2nd millennium BCE—younger than the Rigveda and roughly contemporary with the Atharvaveda, Rigvedic Khilani, and Sāmaveda. Scholarly consensus dates most Yajurveda and Atharvaveda hymns to the early Indian Iron Age, after about 1200 and before 800 BCE.
Regarding recensions, the Shukla Yajurveda once had around 16 known branches (shaakhaas), while the Krishna Yajurveda may have had as many as 86. Only two Shukla recensions survive—Madhyandina and Kanva—which are nearly identical except for minor differences. Others, like Jabala, Baudhya, and Katyayana, are know
- type
- Vedic text
- language
- Vedic Sanskrit
- composition_period
- estimated 1200–800 BCE
- branches
- Shukla (white) and Krishna (black) Yajurveda
- surviving_recensions
- 2 of Shukla, 4 of Krishna
- key_associated_texts
- Satapatha Brahmana, several major Upanishads (including Brihadaranyaka, Isha, Taittiriya, Katha, and Maitri)
Lore & Background
The Yajurveda is broadly grouped into two – the 'black' or 'dark' (Krishna) Yajurveda and the 'white' or 'bright' (Shukla) Yajurveda. The term 'black' implies 'the un-arranged, unclear, motley collection' of verses, in contrast to the 'white' which implies the 'well arranged, clear' Yajurveda. The black Yajurveda has survived in four recensions, while two recensions of white Yajurveda have survived into modern times. The earliest and most ancient layer of Yajurveda samhita includes about 1,875 verses, that are distinct yet borrow and build upon the foundation of verses in Rigveda. The middle layer includes the Satapatha Brahmana, one of the largest Brahmana texts in the Vedic collection. The youngest layer includes the largest collection of primary Upanishads, influential to various schools of Hindu philosophy, such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the Isha Upanishad, the Taittiriya Upanishad, the Katha Upanishad, the Shvetashvatara Upanishad and the Maitri Upanishad.
Reader's Guide
The Yajurveda holds significance as a foundational scripture of Hinduism, providing the ritual-offering formulas essential for Vedic worship, particularly those performed before the yajña fire. Its division into the Shukla (white) and Krishna (black) branches reflects differing organizational principles: the white Yajurveda is well-arranged and clear, while the black Yajurveda mixes prose and verses in a motley collection. The text's legacy extends through its embedded Upanishads, which have deeply influenced Hindu philosophy, including schools of Vedanta. The Satapatha Brahmana, part of the Yajurveda, is a large and often-cited text, though scholars caution against misinterpretation due to its complex content. Two of the oldest surviving manuscript copies of the Shukla Yajurveda sections, discovered in Nepal and Western Tibet, date to the 12th-century CE, attesting to the text's enduring transmission. The Yajurveda remains a key source for understanding ancient Vedic rituals and the development of Hindu thought.
Did You Know?
- The Yajurveda is one of the four Vedas, alongside the Rigveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda.
- The black Yajurveda has four surviving recensions, while the white Yajurveda has two.
- Two of the oldest surviving manuscript copies of the Shukla Yajurveda were discovered in Nepal and Western Tibet, dated to the 12th-century CE.
- The Yajurveda contains six primary Upanishads, including the Brihadaranyaka and Isha Upanishads.
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