Yajurveda
/ˌjɑː.dʒʊərˈveɪ.də/noun
One of the four Vedas, containing prose formulas and instructions used in Vedic sacrificial rituals.
Did you know?The Yajurveda exists in ‘White’ and ‘Black’ recensions, reflecting different arrangements of its mantras and ritual explanations rather than opposing magical traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*yaǵ-
“To perform a religious act or sacrifice; the root associated with Sanskrit yajati, ‘he sacrifices.’”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
yajus
“A sacrificial formula or ritual utterance recited during a Vedic offering.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
veda
“Knowledge, sacred knowledge; from the root vid, ‘to know.’”
c. 1200–800 BCE
Vedic Sanskrit
Yajurveda
“The Veda or sacred knowledge of sacrificial formulas and their ritual performance.”
19th Century
English
Yajurveda
“An English scholarly rendering of the name of the Vedic collection.”