Sri Kapāli Sāstry in his luminous introduction to his commentary of Rig Veda has discussed extensively both the inner and outer yajňa and the relation between the two. Several of the quotes from the Brāhmaņa books are from his books and writings which are available in his Collected Works and also the compilation, “Unveiling the Light in the Veda.''

Unlike Rig Veda, the KYV TS has only a few commentaries and fewer translations; we have the commentary of Bhatta Bhaskara Mishra (BB) known as “jnānayajňa'' (who was prior to S) which is brief; we have already referred to the well-known commentary of Sāyaņa Āchārya (S), known as “vedārthaprakāsh''. The edition [V1] published by Vaidika Samshodhan Mandala (VSM) has the complete text of both the commentaries of S and BB running into 7 books each of about 500 pages. The first kāņda alone runs into 2 volumes.  The devanāgari text of TS in this book is based on the VSM edition omitting the ritualistic titles given to the anuvākās.

The Kannada translation of the first kāņda of Sāyaņa's commentary with excerpts from BB's work and some additional details regarding rituals has been done by Vidvān P.S. Rameshvaravadhāni.

The first printed version of TS was brought out by Dr. A. Weber in 1871. The entire KYV TS has been rendered into English by B. Keith published in 1914 [C6]. His work is clearly based on the commentary of S, but he gives his own interpretations in many places. His work gives the details of the maņdala-sūkta-verse number for every verse of Rig Veda Samhitā occurring in KYV TS. S does not do so since he regards the Yajur Veda as the primary Veda, Rig and Sāma Veda being auxiliaries. S and his lineage belonged to KYV.

The commentary of S deals extensively with the sacrificial procedures giving numerous quotes from Brāhmaņa books and shrautasūtrās like those of Bodhāyana and Apasthamba. He forces each verse to yield a meaning which has some relevance, however remote, for ritual. S does not give the grammar based derivation of the meaning he assigns to the words. BB gives the etymological exegesis of the words. Here and there we see some interesting comments. There are several ‘bhāşhyās' on the four Vedās between the times of Yāska and Sāyaņa, as pointed out by L. Sarup.

Since there is almost fifty percent overlap between KYV TS and SYV (VS) translations of the latter are also useful. S, Mahidhara and Uvvata have written commentaries in the medieval period. Mahidhara and Uvvata commentaries are also ritualistic. There is nothing new one can learn from these commentaries for our KYV study.

Griffith's English translation [C11] follows closely the ritualistic commentary of Mahidhara [V5] rendering every verse in a ritualistic way. He especially focuses on the animal sacrifice.

An important commentary in Samskŗt on SYV VS is due to the great scholar, social reformer and resuscitator of ancient culture, Swami Dayananda Sarasvati (SD) (1824-1883). He was the first person in the Indian renaissance of 19th century to declare that Veda Samhitās are books of wisdom, being the revelations of the Supreme Being regarding dharma, ethics and mortality.  Recall that Raja Ram Mohan Roy, his contemporary, declared that only Upanishads are the books of wisdom and Veda Samhitā are devoid of wisdom being merely ritualistic. He does not believe in extended outward rites yajňa involving the killing of the animal. 

Devi Chand has translated SYV VS into English closely following the commentary of SD. However he gives only a summary translation of each mantra involving 20 to 30 words without indicating the meanings assigned to every phrase or word.

Since SD did not believe in the existence of the cosmic powers like Agni, Indra etc., verses addressed to Indra for instance are translated as prayers to the Supreme Being or as injunctions to the ruler, military chief, learned persons, male and female teachers, male and female students, craftsmen as the case may be. Such a translation starting from a completely different point of view is an excellent counterpoint to the translation stressing the rituals.

For instance, consider some of the verses appearing in the seventh book of TS such as TS (7.5.19). Many of these verses also appear in VS (23.19).  Griffith declares that the verses 18-31 of this chapter are obscene, and Keith passes a similar remark for the corresponding verses in TS. Both these translations are based on the Samskŗt commentary of Mahidhara who is intensely addicted to rituals, especially with the rituals of the left-hand path of the tantrās. TB (3.9) discusses these mantrās in great detail from the point of view of symbolism. Obviously there is no obscenity here. DC's translation of these verses based on SD's work does not indicate any obscenity, unless the mention of the word garbha, womb is itself an obscenity. DC gives only a summary translation of these verses, like Griffith or Keith, without giving the word-meanings.

The popular author J. Campbell quotes this garbled translation of the TS verse and declares, “he (Deussen) recognised already -- as no Indian seems to have seen--that between the Vedic and Upanishad views the difference is so great that the latter could not possibly have developed out of the former.......''

The translation of the brāhmaņa parts of TS in this book depends heavily on the commentary of Sāyaņa and the English translation of Keith. For the translation of the mantrās of TS, the meanings of the words suggested by S or BB have been useful even when I did not use them.

All the mantra translations taken from Sri Aurobindo end with the notation (SA). Most of them are from his book, “Hymns to the Mystic Fire'', a small number of them from. All the translations of the Rig Vedic verses of aşhţaka 1, i.e., mantrās from of sūktās 1-121 are taken from Kashyap  which are based on the Samskŗt commentary of Sri Kapāli Sāstry.

Sri Aurobindo's words on the work of S is very pertinent. “All the vast labour of European erudition has not been able to replace its utility. At every step, we are obliged to differ from it, but at every step we are obliged to use it. It is a necessary springing-board, or a stair that we have to use for entrance, though we must leave it behind if we wish to pass forwards into the penetralia.'' [SA, SV, p. 23].

The spiritual/ psychological interpretation espoused here has received strong support from several eminent traditional scholars such as H.H. Sri Sri Rangapriya Sri pāda Sri Sriĥ, author of āshirvachana, Prof. S.K. Ramachandra Rao, the author of the foreword, Dr. V. Kuţumba Sāstry, Swāmi Gabhirānandaji,  Swāmi Siddheshwarji and others. Still I am not naive enough to think that all the orthodox pundits will immediately accept the new interpretation. Kuhn, a sociologist of Science, observes that even eminent scientists in the physical sciences do not accept a radically new finding or discovery even when it has massive evidence in its favour. The power of mental inertia is strong. It is only the beginning scientists and research students who embrace the new idea warmly. What is described here is a form of Yoga, the Vedic Yoga. My prayer is that students from the many schools of self-realisation, yoga and alternative medicine will appreciate the Yoga of the Krişhņa Yajur Veda given here.

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