Consider the following statements regarding the Vedic sacrificial rituals and priestly offices: 1. The Hotri priest was responsible for the recitation of hymns from the Sama Veda during the soma sacrifices. 2. The Adhvaryu priest performed the manual duties of measurement and construction of the sacrificial altar along with the actual utterance of sacrificial formulas from the Yajur Veda. 3. The Udgatri priest chanted the melodious hymns specifically drawn from the Sama Veda. Which of the statements given above are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Hotri priest recited hymns specifically from the Rig Veda rather than the Sama Veda making the first statement incorrect. The Adhvaryu priest supervised the physical execution of sacrifices and chanted Yajur Veda formulas while the Udgatri specialized in singing Sama Veda melodies. These specialized priestly functions evolved fully during the later Vedic period when sacrificial rituals became extremely complex and elaborate. The Brahmanas texts provide detailed explanations of these sacrificial duties.