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Re: Doubts on Yajur Veda.

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • September 7, 2000 


In addition to Sri Chandrasekharan's excellent synopsis of 
the mythology behind the two yajur vedas, we can also 
surmise the reasoning behind the names 'Sukla' or white
and 'kRshNa' or dark.  The 'Sukla' yajur veda samhita, 
also known as the vAjasaneyaka samhita, is composed purely of 
verses. In other words, it is purely metrical.  

The kRshNa yajur veda or taittirIya samhita, on the other hand,
has prose and poetry intermixed. For this reason, it is also
significantly longer.  

Since the vAjasaneyaka samhita is purely metrical, it is 
inferred that this is why it is called 'white', and the
'mixed' taittirIya is considered 'black'.  Another reason
adduced is that the vAjasaneyaka samhita was received
by the rishi yAjnavalkya through the grace of the sun
god, so it is 'bright' or 'Sukla'.

>From the story Chandrasekharan mentioned, we also learn
that the Sukla yajur veda was compiled after the kRshNa
yajur veda.

Mani




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