Which Veda primarily contains ritual formulas and detailed procedures for performing sacrifices?

Correct — B. The Yajurveda is the Veda of ritual formulas. It consists largely of prose mantras, said by a priest while the ritual actions of the sacrifice were performed.

That is what the stem asks for: formulas and procedure for sacrifices. The other three hold hymns, melodies and charms, so the answer is option (b).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Sāmaveda — The Sāmaveda is the Veda of melodies: verses, mostly taken from the Rigveda, set to music for the singer priests. It supplies chant, not the procedure of the sacrifice.
• (c)
  Atharvaveda — The Atharvaveda collects charms, spells and hymns for everyday concerns such as healing and protection. It is the Veda of daily life, not the sacrificial manual.
• (d)
  Rigveda — The Rigveda is the oldest Veda: 1,028 hymns in ten books, praising the gods. It is poetry of praise, not a book of sacrificial formulas and procedures.

Each of the four Vedas has its own kind of content. The Rigveda is a collection of hymns, the Sāmaveda sets verses to melody for chanting, and the Yajurveda gives the formulas spoken during the sacrificial rite itself.

The Atharvaveda stands apart, with charms and spells for everyday life. The Rigveda is the oldest of the four.

Key facts

• Rigveda: the oldest Veda, 1,028 hymns arranged in ten books (mandalas).
• Sāmaveda: verses set to melody, the repertoire of the udgātṛ or singer priests.
• Yajurveda: largely prose formulas recited during sacrificial rituals.
• Atharvaveda: charms, spells and hymns for everyday concerns.

Common traps

• Choosing the Rigveda because it is the oldest and best known, when the stem asks for sacrificial formulas, not hymns.
• Mixing up the Sāmaveda's chants with ritual formulas because both were sung or said at the sacrifice.

No directly related past PYQ was found.