Changes

=== Wives and Children ===

=== Wives and Children ===

<blockquote>तस्य भार्याद्वयं श्रेष्ठमासीत्सर्वगुणान्वितम् ॥ एका गुणवती तस्य मैत्रेयीति प्रकीर्तिता ॥ २ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>tasya bhāryādvayaṁ śreṣṭhamāsītsarvaguṇānvitam ॥ ekā guṇavatī tasya maitreyīti prakīrtitā ॥ 2 ॥</blockquote><blockquote>ज्येष्ठा चान्याथ कल्याणी ख्याता कात्यायनीति च ॥ यस्याः कात्यायनः पुत्रो वेदार्थानां प्रजल्पकः ॥ ३ ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.130.2-3)<ref>Skanda Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/स्कन्दपुराणम्/खण्डः_६_(नागरखण्डः)/अध्यायः_१३० Khanda 6 (Nagara Khanda) Adhyaya 130])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>jyeṣṭhā cānyātha kalyāṇī khyātā kātyāyanīti ca ॥ yasyāḥ kātyāyanaḥ putro vedārthānāṁ prajalpakaḥ ॥ 3 ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.130.2-3)</blockquote>He (Yajnavalkya) had two excellent wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani endowed with good qualities. One, endowed with good qualities, is known as Maitreyi. She was the senior (of the two). The other with good auspicious characteristics (Kalyani) was well known as Katyayani. Kaatyayana, the expounder of the meaning of the Vedas, was her son.<ref name=":1">Tagare, G. V. (1958) ''The Skanda Purana, Part 17.'' Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Pvt. Ltd. (Pages 530-548)</ref><blockquote>जनकाय नरेंद्राय व्याख्याय च ततः परम् ॥ कात्यायनं सुतं प्राप्य वेदसूत्रस्य कारकम् ॥ ७१ ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.129.71)<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>janakāya nareṁdrāya vyākhyāya ca tataḥ param ॥ kātyāyanaṁ sutaṁ prāpya vedasūtrasya kārakam ॥ 71 ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.129.71)</blockquote>He explained it (Upanishad, refers to Brhdaranyaka Upanishad) to Janaka Raja. He begot a son Kaatyayana (Son of Katyayani) who was instrumental in the composition of Veda sutras (Shrauta Sutras).

Brhdaranyaka Upanishad mentions that Yajnavalkya had two wives Maitreyi and Katyayani.<blockquote>अथ ह याज्ञवल्क्यस्य द्वे भार्ये बभूवतुर्मैत्रेयी च कात्यायनी च ।</blockquote><blockquote>तयोर्ह मैत्रेयी ब्रह्मवादिनी बभूव । स्त्रीप्रज्ञैव तर्हि कात्यायनी ।</blockquote><blockquote>अथ ह याज्ञवल्क्योऽन्यद्वृत्तमुपाकरिष्यन् ॥ ४,५.१ ॥ (Brhd. Upan. 4.5.1)</blockquote>According to Skanda Purana <blockquote>तस्य भार्याद्वयं श्रेष्ठमासीत्सर्वगुणान्वितम् ॥ एका गुणवती तस्य मैत्रेयीति प्रकीर्तिता ॥ २ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>tasya bhāryādvayaṁ śreṣṭhamāsītsarvaguṇānvitam ॥ ekā guṇavatī tasya maitreyīti prakīrtitā ॥ 2 ॥</blockquote><blockquote>ज्येष्ठा चान्याथ कल्याणी ख्याता कात्यायनीति च ॥ यस्याः कात्यायनः पुत्रो वेदार्थानां प्रजल्पकः ॥ ३ ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.130.2-3)<ref>Skanda Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/स्कन्दपुराणम्/खण्डः_६_(नागरखण्डः)/अध्यायः_१३० Khanda 6 (Nagara Khanda) Adhyaya 130])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>jyeṣṭhā cānyātha kalyāṇī khyātā kātyāyanīti ca ॥ yasyāḥ kātyāyanaḥ putro vedārthānāṁ prajalpakaḥ ॥ 3 ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.130.2-3)</blockquote>He (Yajnavalkya) had two excellent wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani endowed with good qualities. One, endowed with good qualities, is known as Maitreyi. She was the senior (of the two). The other with good auspicious characteristics (Kalyani) was well known as Katyayani. Kaatyayana, the expounder of the meaning of the Vedas, was her son.<ref name=":1">Tagare, G. V. (1958) ''The Skanda Purana, Part 17.'' Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Pvt. Ltd. (Pages 530-548)</ref><blockquote>जनकाय नरेंद्राय व्याख्याय च ततः परम् ॥ कात्यायनं सुतं प्राप्य वेदसूत्रस्य कारकम् ॥ ७१ ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.129.71)<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>janakāya nareṁdrāya vyākhyāya ca tataḥ param ॥ kātyāyanaṁ sutaṁ prāpya vedasūtrasya kārakam ॥ 71 ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.129.71)</blockquote>He explained it (Upanishad, refers to Brhdaranyaka Upanishad) to Janaka Raja. He begot a son Kaatyayana (Son of Katyayani) who was instrumental in the composition of Veda sutras (Shrauta Sutras).

=== Sabha Sabhya ===

=== Sabha Sabhya ===

== Contributions of Yajnavalkya ==

== Contributions of Yajnavalkya ==

Yajnavalkya expounded the famous doctrine of "neti neti" to describe the universal Self or [[Atman (आत्मन्)|Atman]] on the philosophical front.  

Yajnavalkya expounded the famous doctrine of "neti neti" to describe the Brahman or Universal Self.  

He is traditionally credited with the works such as  

He is traditionally credited with the works such as  

* Vajasaneya Samhita (Shukla Yajurveda Samhita)  

* Vajasaneya Samhita (Shukla Yajurveda Samhita)  

Skanda Purana asserts his proficiency in vedic studies, stating that he worked on the Upanishad incorporating all the meanings of the Vedas.<blockquote>कृत्वोपनिषदं चारु वेदार्थैः सकलैर्युतम् ॥ ६.१२९.७० ॥ kr̥tvopaniṣadaṁ cāru vedārthaiḥ sakalairyutam ॥ 6.129.70 ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.129.70)</blockquote>[[Formation of Yajurveda Shakas (यजुर्वेदशाख-अवतरणम्)|Formation of two Yajurveda Shakas (यजुर्वेदशाख-अवतरणम्)]] is primarily attributed to Yajnavalkya. They are the Shukla and Krishna Yajurveda shakas. Yajurveda which was originally given to Vaisampayana by Vyasa Maharshi has been rearranged by Yajnavalkya and thus came into existence two shakas of Yajurveda.  

Skanda Purana asserts his proficiency in vedic studies, stating that he worked on the Upanishad incorporating all the meanings of the Vedas.<blockquote>कृत्वोपनिषदं चारु वेदार्थैः सकलैर्युतम् ॥ ६.१२९.७० ॥ kr̥tvopaniṣadaṁ cāru vedārthaiḥ sakalairyutam ॥ 6.129.70 ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.129.70)</blockquote>[[Formation of Yajurveda Shakas (यजुर्वेदशाख-अवतरणम्)|Formation of two Yajurveda Shakas (यजुर्वेदशाख-अवतरणम्)]] is primarily attributed to Yajnavalkya. They are the Shukla and Krishna Yajurveda shakas. Yajurveda which was originally given to Vaisampayana by Vyasa Maharshi has been rearranged by Yajnavalkya and thus came into existence two shakas of Yajurveda.  

==Conversation of Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi==

== Atma Jnana Bodhaka ==

Brhadaranyaka Upanishad one of the greatest assets of our Bharatiya heritage abounds with tattvajnana and atmajnana siddhantas on which Yajnavalkya throws light on the unity of thought. Many samvadas in this Upanishad that Yajnavalkya had with other Brahmavadis such as Shakalya, Uddalaka, Ushasta, Kahola, Janaka and Brahmavadinis such as Gargi and Maitreyi touch upon the different aspects of Brahman referring to many crucial passages and concepts from other Upanishads also.

When Yajnavalkya wished to leave his family for attaining jnana, he desired to divide his property between his two wives. Of the two, Maitreyi was a Brahmavadini (one who is interested in the knowledge of Brahman). Maitreyi asked whether she could become immortal through wealth. Yajnavalkya replied that there was no hope of immortality through wealth and that she would only become one among the wealthy. When she heard this, Maitreyi asked Yajnavalkya to teach her what he considered as the best. Then Yajnavalkya described to her the greatness of the Absolute Self, the nature of its existence, the way of attaining infinite knowledge and immortality through acquiring Brahmajnana. This brilliant [[Yajnavalkya Maitreyi samvada (याज्ञवल्क्यमैत्रेय्योः संवादः)|conversation between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi]] is recorded in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

===Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi Samvada===

== Conversation of Yajnavalkya and Gargi ==

When Yajnavalkya wished to leave his family for attaining jnana, he desired to divide his property between his two wives. Of the two, Maitreyi was a Brahmavadini (one who is interested in the knowledge of Brahman).

Wisdom of Yajnavalkya  is shown in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad where he gives his teachings to his wife Maitreyi and King Janaka. He also participates in a competition arranged by King Janaka about the selecting great Brhama Jnani (knower of Brahman). His intellectual dialogues with Gargi (a learned scholar of the times) form a beautiful chapter filled with lot of philosophical and mystical question-answers in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. He was then praised as the greatest Brahmajnyani by all the sages at the function organised by king Janaka. In the end, Yajnavalkya  took Vidvat Sanyasa (renunciation after the attainment of the knowledge of Brahman) and retired to the forest.

 

Maitreyi asked whether she could become immortal through wealth. Yajnavalkya replied that there was no hope of immortality through wealth and that she would only become one among the wealthy.  <blockquote>सा होवाच मैत्रेयी यन्नु म इयं भगोः सर्वा पृथिवी वित्तेन पूर्णा स्यात्कथं तेनामृता स्यामिति ।</blockquote><blockquote>नेति होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः । यथैवोपकरणवतां जीवितं तथैव ते जीवितं स्यात् ।</blockquote><blockquote>अमृतत्वस्य तु नाशास्ति वित्तेनेति ॥ २,४.२ ॥ (Brhd. Upan. 2.4.2)<ref name=":12">Brhadaranyaka Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D_2p Adhyaya 2])</ref></blockquote>When she heard this, Maitreyi asked Yajnavalkya to teach her what he considered as that which gives Amrtattva.

 

Then Yajnavalkya described to her the greatness of the Absolute Self, the nature of its existence, the way of attaining infinite knowledge and immortality through acquiring Brahmajnana. This brilliant [[Yajnavalkya Maitreyi samvada (याज्ञवल्क्यमैत्रेय्योः संवादः)|conversation between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi]] is recorded twice in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad both in <blockquote>आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः श्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यो मैत्रेयि, आत्मनो वा अरे दर्शनेन श्रवणेन मत्या विज्ञानेनेदं सर्वं विदितम् || ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavyo maitreyi, ātmano vā are darśanena śravaṇena matyā vijñānenedaṃ sarvaṃ viditam || (Brhd. Upan. 2.4.5)</blockquote>

 

He also participates in a competition arranged by King Janaka about the selecting great Brhama Jnani (knower of Brahman). His intellectual dialogues with Gargi (a learned scholar of the times) form a beautiful chapter filled with lot of philosophical and mystical question-answers in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. He was then praised as the greatest Brahmajnyani by all the sages at the function organised by king Janaka. In the end, Yajnavalkya  took Vidvat Sanyasa (renunciation after the attainment of the knowledge of Brahman) and retired to the forest.

== Importance of Yajnavalkya ==

== Importance of Yajnavalkya ==