srauta

Srauta refers to a tradition within Hinduism that concerns the performance of elaborate Vedic sacrifices according to the Shrauta-sutras, the ritual manuals of the Kalpa Vedanga. The term is used to denote rites that are performed with prescribed materials, altars, and mantras, typically requiring a trained priestly cadre and specific social and ceremonial contexts.

The Shrauta-sutras form a major branch of Kalpa literature and describe the procedures for a wide range of Vedic sacrifices, from large public or royal rites to more specialized ceremonies. The surviving schools associated with srauta practice include Baudhayana, Apastamba, Katyayana, and Vasishtha, each presenting its own prescripts for ritual sequence, offerings, altar construction, and liturgical recitation. These texts are often studied alongside the Grhyasutras, which detail domestic or household rites, illustrating a broad spectrum of ceremonial life in Vedic culture.

Content and scope of srauta rites typically cover initial preparations, the construction and consecration of the fire altar, the arrangement of participants, the allocation of days and recitations, and the offering of oblations to deities such as Agni, Devas, and the Soma sacrifice in accommodated forms. The procedures are characterized by precise timings, measurements, and phonetic accuracy of mantras, reflecting a highly codified ritual technology.

In modern scholarship, srauta is valued as a key source for understanding Vedic ritual theory, liturgical language, and social organization. While few communities continue to perform full-scale srauta sacrifices today, the tradition remains a foundational reference for studies of ancient Indian religion and philology. See also Srauta yajna, Shrauta Sutra, Kalpa Vedanga, Grhyasutra.