ABSTRACT
As we approach the Brahmana period, the religious landscape of India undergoes a transformation. M. S. Bhat observes that the Brahmanas represents one of the early attempts, in the direction of a 'dogmatic commentary' on the Samhitas to which they belong. Their main purpose was 'to enjoin the procedure of the sacrificial ritual by indicating the connection between the Rik, the yajus etc. and the ritual'. The Aitareya Brahmana, perhaps the oldest of the Brahmanas attached to the RV deals with a variety of issues with main focus on rituals connected with Soma sacrifices. There are several references to Sarasvati in the Kausitaki Brahmana which identify her with Speech. The Pancavimsa Brahmana of twenty-five chapters describes the rituals connected with different categories of the sattra lasting varying numbers of days, presumably with the objective of reaching the path leading to the gods.
