In Vedic sacrifices, the priest who recited the hymns of the Rigveda was called the:

In a Vedic sacrifice, the "Hotri" (Hota) was the priest who recited the hymns of the Rigveda to invite the gods to the sacrifice.

The four main priests of a Vedic sacrifice:

• "Hotri": associated with the Rigveda; he recited hymns of praise (richas) to invoke the gods.
• "Udgatri": associated with the Samaveda; he sang the chants (samans) in melodious tunes, especially during the soma sacrifice.

"Adhvaryu": associated with the Yajurveda; he performed the actual ritual actions, such as measuring the ground, building the altar, preparing the offerings and pouring them into the fire, while muttering the sacrificial formulas (yajus).

"Brahman": associated (later) with the Atharvaveda; he supervised the whole sacrifice silently, and corrected any mistakes.

Each of these priests had assistants, so that large sacrifices could involve 16 or 17 priests.

About the word "Hotri":

• It is related to the root "hu", meaning "to offer" or "to call".
• In the Rigveda, Agni himself is often called the "divine Hotri", the priest of the gods.

Importance of sacrifices:

• Sacrifices (yajnas) were central to Vedic religion.
• Offerings of milk, ghee, grain, soma and sometimes animals were made into the fire for the gods.
• In the later Vedic period, sacrifices became very elaborate and expensive, and only kings and rich people could afford the large ones.
• The priests received fees called "dakshina", often in the form of cows, gold, cloth and land.

Criticism of sacrifices:

• The Upanishads stressed knowledge over rituals.
• Buddhism and Jainism rejected animal sacrifices and the authority of Vedic priests.

Why not the other options?

• ✗The Udgatri sang the Samaveda chants.
• ✗The Adhvaryu performed the ritual actions with Yajurvedic formulas.
• ✗The Brahman supervised the whole sacrifice.