Description
About the Book
The Srauta Sutras form a very important unit of the Sutra Literature which lays down in brief the quintessence of the Vedic texts i.e. the Samhitas and the Brahmans strengthening further the sacrificial tradition in India. As it is known worldwide, the sacrificial tradition in India is based mainly on the oldest book of the human beings namely the Rgveda (RV) as also on the Yajurveda (YV) and the Samaveda (SV) which have developed a variety of recensions with difference of utterance and practice.
Although there are a ‘mille’ recensions of the Samaveda mainly based on the singing of the verses in RV, only three are found in practice today: 1. Kauthuma 2. Ranayaniya and 3. Jaiminiya or Talavakara. The Latyayana Srauta sutra (LSS) which is critically edited here and translated into English dealing with the duties of the chanting priests viz. the Udgatars, Prastotar, Pratihartar and Subrahmanya in the Srauta ritual with special reference to the Soma sacrifice, belongs to the Kauthuma recension, largely depending on the SV samhita and Pancavimsa Brahmana (which is also known as Tandya MahaBrahmana) as also the Sadvimsa Brahmana.
It regards the Arseya or Masaka Kalpa as the authority. The Drahyayana Srauta Sutra shows a reasonable similarity with the LSS; but it definitely improves upon the former. In its comprehensive treatment of the Srauta ritual the LSS can be compared with the sutras of the Yajurveda namely the Baudhayana, Apastamba, Manava and Katyayana.
Along with the duties of the chanters (Udgatrs) in Ekaha (one day) Ahina (multiday) and Sattra (session) Soma sacrifices it has concerned itself with the role of the Brahman Priest in Soma and various other sacrifices. Beside improving upon the extant edition, it can be specifically mentioned that the present edition traces an additional sutra found recorded in the Varanasi MSS with reference to the Sarpa-yajna (serpent-sacrifice).