Baudhayana Srauta Sutra is a treatise on the rituals to be performed in three consecrated Vedic fires according to Krishna Yajurveda. The rituals mentioned in Vedas are generally performed in three kinds of Vedic fires, namely, garhapatya (circular altar), ahavaniya (square altar). The fires are specially created from the nuptial fire and consecrated. Since these rituals are described in shruti, these are called shrauta (vedic). Each Veda has got shakhas (recensions) and sages have described the performance of yajnas employing the Vedic mantras of that recension. These procedures are called schools (charanas). Baudhayana Srauta Sutra employs the mantras of Taittiriya Samhita of Krishna Yajurveda.
Baudhayana Srauta Sutra elaborates on the role of the priests
in the yajnas. According to this sutra, there are two sets of seven yajnas each
to be performed in Vedic fires – they are called haviryajnas and somayagas. The
generally held seven haviryajnas and somayagas. The generally held seven
haviryajnas are Agnyadheyam (consecration), Agnihotram (morning and twilight
yajnas), Darsha Purnamadeshti (the two fortnightly yajnas), Agrayanam (harvest
yajnas), Nirudhapasubandha (animal yajnas) and Chaturmasyam (seasonal yajnas).
The seven soma rituals are Agnistoma, Atyagnistoma, Ukthyam
Sodasin, Vajapeya, Atriratra, and Aptoryama. According to Baudhayana, the
paradigm yajnas are agnistoma for soma yajnas, dvadasha for soma yajnas done
for 12 days or more and avamayana for one year or more.
The priests who employ Yajur Vedic mantras are known as
adhvaryu priests and the procedures to be adopted by them are listed in
Baudhayana Shrautastra. This work also describes the construction of the agni cayana
(fire altar) for yajnas like Aswamedham, Rajasuya etc.
This work has 19 prashnas (sections) referred to as the main
text. Two more books also are available as part of the work. They are Karmanta
Sutras (twenty chapters) and Dvaidha Sutras (four prashnas). Dvaidha sutras and
Karmanta sutras supplement the main text besides giving general rules for the
performance of ritual.
Sayana, the commentator of Vedas, belonged to Baudhayana
School. Baudhayana Srauta Sutra is followed mostly in Kerala by Namboothiri
Brahmins.