Shloka 48
अध्याय १६ — शङ्कर-उमा-वरदानम् तथा तण्डि-स्तुतिः (Śaṅkara–Umā Boon-Granting and Taṇḍi’s Hymn)
यजुर्भियत्र्तरिधा वेद्यं जुद्धत्यध्वर्यवो5ध्वरे । सामभिर्य॑ च गायन्ति सामगा: शुद्धबुद्धयः
yajurbhir yatra tridhā vedyam śuddhyaty adhvaryavo 'dhvare | sāmabhir ya ca gāyanti sāmagāḥ śuddha-buddhayaḥ ||
Vāyu said: “In that sacred rite, the altar is purified in threefold ways through the Yajus-formulas, as the Adhvaryu priests perform the sacrifice. And there the Sāma-chanters, whose minds are purified, sing the hymns of the Sāma.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links outer ritual purity with inner purity: the sacrifice is properly established when the altar is ritually purified through Yajus-formulas and when Sāma-hymns are sung by chanters whose minds are themselves purified. Correct performance (karma) and purified intention/understanding (buddhi) together uphold dharma.
Vāyudeva describes the functioning of a Vedic sacrifice: Adhvaryu priests employ Yajurveda formulas to purify and prepare the altar in a threefold manner, while Sāmaveda chanters sing the Sāman melodies. The description emphasizes the coordinated roles of different Vedic specialists and the sanctity of the rite.