The Srauta Sutras form a very important unit of the Sutra Literature which lays down in brief the quintessence of the Vedic texts i.e. the Samhitas and the Brahmanas strengthening futher the Sacrificial tradition in India. As it is know worldwide, the sacrifivial tradition in India is based mainly on the oldest book of the human beings namely the Rgveda (RV) as also on the Yajurveda (YV) and the Samaveda (SV) which have developed a variety of recensions with difference of utterance and pracitce.
Along with the duites of the chanters (Udgatrs) in Ekaha (one day) Ahina (multiday and Sattra (session)) Some sacrifices it has concerned itself with the role of the Brahman Priest in Soma and various other sacrifices. Beside improving upon the extant edition, it can be specifically meintioned that the present edition traces an additional sutra (viz.X-20-9A) found recorded in the Varanasi MSS with reference to the Sarpa-yajna (serpent-sacrifice).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR H.G. Ranade
Prof. H.G. Ranade, Ex-Editor and Coordinator of the ‘Sanskrit-English Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Historical Principles’ at the Deccan College, Pune, had the honour of completing his education with first class throughout at the Benaras Hindu University (1955-61) and did his Ph.D. on A Study of the Satapatha Brahmana as a Commentary on the Vajasaneya Samhita from the University of Bombay in 1970. Being in the profession of teaching and research, he has developed a special liking for Vedic ritual, the tradition of which is dwindling day by day. After completing his first English translations of the Katyayana- and Asvalayana- srautasutras (published in 1978, 1983-86), he prepared a critical edition of the Latyayana-srautasutra with its first English translation under the auspices of the IGNCA (published in 1998). He also regularly attended the performances of important Soma-sacrifices in India and later delivered lectures on Vedic rituals abroad discussing problems therein with noted scholars. Enriching thus his knowledge of the Vedic ritualistic terminology through participating in the Vedic sacrifices, he purposefully devoted himself to the compilation of this Illustrated Dictionary of Vedic Rituals, his magnum opus, which is going to be a landmark in the history of the Vedic scholarship. For his outstanding contributions towards facilitating the understanding of the Srautasutras, he was honoured as a ‘Vedanga-Vidvan’ by the Rashtriya Vedavidya Pratishthan. At present, he is engaged in preparing a critical edition of the Jaiminiya-brahmana with its English translation as a project of the IGNCA.
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