OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 429 



On the White Yajurve'da. 



The Vajasan^yi, or white Yajiish, is the shortest 

 of the VSdas ; so far as respects the first and prin- 

 cipal part, which comprehends the Mantras. 

 The Sanhitd, or collection of j)rayers and invoca- 

 tions belonging to this Veda, is comprised in forty- 

 lectures ( Adliyaya), unequally subdivided into 

 numerous short sections (candied) ; each of which, 

 in general, constitutes a prayer or Mantra. It is 

 also divided, like the Rlgteda, into Ajiuvdcas, or 

 chapters. The number o^ Anuvdcas, as they are 

 stated at the close of the index to this Veda, ap- 

 pears to be two hundred and eighty-six : the num,- 

 ber of sections, or verses, nearly two thousand (or 

 exactly 1987). But this includes many repetitions 

 of the sam.e text in divers places. The lectures 

 are very unequal, containing from thirteen to a 

 hundred and seventeen sections (candied*'). 



Though called the Yajarveda, it consists of 

 passages, some of which are denominated Rich, 

 while only the rest are strictly Yajiish. The first 

 are, like the prayers of the Rigveda, in metre: 

 the others are either in measured prose, containing 

 from one to a hundred and six syllables ; or such 

 of them as exceed that lengtii, are considered to 

 be prose reducible to no measure. 



The Yajuwida relates chiefly to oblations and 



* I have several copies of Ma'd'hyandina's white Yajnsh, 

 one ot vliich is accotnpauied by a commeutary, eutitled Vtdadipa; 

 the auilior of which, Mahi'b'hara, consulted the commentaries 

 of UvAT A and Mad'hava, as he himself iuforms us in bis pre- 

 face. 



