The Yajur Veda is also a liturgical collection and was made to meet the demands of a ceremonial religion. The Yajur Veda practically served as a guidebook for the priests who execute sacrificial acts muttering simultaneously the prose prayers and the sacrificial formulae yajus. It is similar to ancient Egypt’s “Book of the Dead”. There are no less than six complete recessions of Yajur Veda - Madyandina, Kanva, Taittiriya, Kathaka, Maitrayani and Kapishthala.
The Yajur Veda is thought to contain hymns for ceremonial purposes. But a closer look reveals that hymns in Yajur Veda also deal with the art of living a successful and wholesome life. It was used by the adhvaryu, priests who recited appropriate formulas from the Yajur-Veda while actually performing the sacrificial actions. There are six complete recessions of Yajur Veda - Madyandina, Kanva, Taittiriya, Kathaka, Maitrayani and Kapishthala.
There are two primary schools of Yajur-Veda are shukla and krishna -
• Shukla Yajur-Veda (vaajasaaniiya) consists of 40 chapters in metrical form. Sukla Yajur-Veda follows the Aditya sampradaya, and is more popular in the North India. Out of the 17 sakas in this school, only 2 are available now.
• Krishna Yajur-Veda (taittiriiya) has some portions which are in metrical form and some portion in prose forms and some portions contains a mixure of both.
• Krishna Yajur-Veda follows the Brahma sampradaya, and is more popular in the South India. It was supposed to be having 82 branches or sakas out of which only 4 are available now.
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