The reader is invited to read the translation of the tenth book of the Shatapatha Brahmins, the most important monument of ancient Indian religious thought of the end of the Vedic period (c. 6th century BC). In the development of Vedic literature, Book X, called “secret,” marks a turning point, beyond which the future contours of the Upanishads in their complete genre definition begin to appear. The preface is devoted to the general problem of understanding a foreign cultural text, as the author sees it. The introductory article concerns the main content features of the tenth book, which distinguished it from all the other thirteen books of the Shatapatha Brahmanas. The notes discuss textual issues and provide information necessary to clarify the logic of text development.