Yajnavalkya (याज्ञवल्क्यः)

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Yajnavalkya (Sanskrit: याज्ञवल्क्यः) of Videha was a Maharshi (महर्षिः) and philosopher of Bharatavarsha (भरतवर्षम्). He was one of the first philosophers in recorded history, alongside maharshi Uddalaka. In the court of Janaka Maharaja of Mithila, he was renowned for his expertise in vaidika karmakanda and his unrivaled talent in theological debate.

परिचयः || Introduction

Yajnavalkya is recorded as one of the great Brahmajnanis who ever walked on the land of Bharatavarsha. Well-versed in a performing yajnas, an adhvaryu, he was a celebrated Guru, primarily known for his contribution to the origin of the Yajurveda shakas. He is one of the rare seers in whose life one can witness the transition from being a karmakandi to a brahmajnani. His excellent logic and reasoning of Brahmajnana is revealed in the various samvadas such as those with Janaka Maharaja, and brahmavadinis such as Gargi and Maitreyi. The people of Bharatavarsha owe to him the Shukla Yajurveda Parampara, which is widely followed in the northern states of Bharatavarsha. He is the expounder of "net neti" philosophy as explained brilliantly in the Brhdaranyaka Upanishad.

Contributions of Yajnavalkya

He expounded a doctrine of "neti neti" to describe the universal Self or Ātman. He later became a wandering ascetic.

He is also a major figure in the Upanishads.

He is traditionally credited with the authorship of the

• Shatapatha Brahmana (including the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad),
• Yajnavalkya Smṛti.

Origin of Yajurveda Shakas

Bhagavata Purana, Skanda 12, describes the origin of Yajurveda shakhas and the association of Yajnavalkya with it.

वैशम्पायनशिष्या वै चरकाध्वर्यवोऽभवन् यच्चेरुर्ब्रह्महत्यांहः क्षपणं स्वगुरोर्व्रतम् ६१

याज्ञवल्क्यश्च तच्छिष्य आहाहो भगवन्कियत् चरितेनाल्पसाराणां चरिष्येऽहं सुदुश्चरम् ६२

इत्युक्तो गुरुरप्याह कुपितो याह्यलं त्वया विप्रावमन्त्रा शिष्येण मदधीतं त्यजाश्विति ६३

देवरातसुतः सोऽपि छर्दित्वा यजुषां गणम् ततो गतोऽथ मुनयो ददृशुस्तान्यजुर्गणान् ६४

यजूंषि तित्तिरा भूत्वा तल्लोलुपतयाऽऽददुः तैत्तिरीया इति यजुः शाखा आसन्सुपेशलाः ६५

याज्ञवल्क्यस्ततो ब्रह्मंश्छन्दांस्यधि गवेषयन् गुरोरविद्यमानानि सूपतस्थेऽर्कमीश्वरम् ६६

एवं स्तुतः स भगवान्वाजिरूपधरो रविः यजूंष्ययातयामानि मुनयेऽदात्प्रसादितः ७३

यजुर्भिरकरोच्छाखा दश पञ्च शतैर्विभुः जगृहुर्वाजसन्यस्ताः काण्वमाध्यन्दिनादयः ७४ (Bhag. Pura. 12.6.69-74)

Maharshi Yajnavalkya was the disciple of Sage Vaisampayana. He had mastered various tenets of this branch. He undertook a heterodox, rebellious experiment of separating the ritual ordaining, injuctory part of the Veda, from their explanatory, literary and explicitly philosophical parts, i.e. the Samhita and Brahmana parts. This attempt by Yajnavalkya was considered as a sacrilege, as an attempt to "improve the layout designed by the Grand Arranger, Vyasa". When Yajnavalkya's secret efforts of further segregating the Vedic portions were discovered, Vaisampayana was furious.

He ordered Yajnavalkya to "return all he had received from him (Vaisampayana)". This can be compared with modern day practice of denying copyrights. The learnings could not be passed on by Yajnavalkya in letter or spirit further. In response to this order, Yajnavalkya "vomitted" - that is he emptied his "stomach" of all its Vedic content, earlier received from his Master.

Sukla Shaka of Yajurveda

Thereafter Yajnavalkya went away, severed all connections from his Master and fellow students. He began meditation and rigorous penance to recover what he had lost from God Himself directly. God was pleased with his unique prayer and is said to have revealed to him all that he had lost in a totally different form, order and sound notation pattern. The new form that was revealed to Yajnavalkya was through blessings of Sun, and was a radiating beam of knowledge and light and hence this branch came to be known as Sukla Yajurveda.

The disciples of Vaisampayan refused to acknowledge the Sukla Yajurveda, and even to this day the followers of Krishna Yajus branch look down upon the two branches of Sukla Yajurveda, the Kanva and Madhyandina as heterodox.

This portion of the Yajurveda goes by the name of Śukla Yajurveda or White-Yajurveda on account of it being revealed by Sun. It is also known as the Vajasaneya Yajurveda, because it was delivered by the Sun who was in the form of a horse. The rhythm of recital of these Vedas is therefore similar to the rhythm of the horse's canter and distinguishes itself from the other forms of Veda recitals. In Sanskrit, the term "Vaji" means horse. Yajnavalkya divided this Vajasaneya Yajurveda again into fifteen branches, each branch comprising hundreds of Yajus Mantras. Sages like Kanva, Madhyandina and others learnt those and Śukla Yajurveda branched into popular recensions named after them.

It is important to note that within the hierarchy of Brāhmaṇas, certain sects believe in the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda while others practice from the Śukla Yajurveda.

Taittiriya Shaka of Yajurveda (Krishna)

Sage Vaisampayan did not want the wisdom taught to Yajnavalkya to be wasted. He wanted it to be "absorbed", "re-imbibed" by someone with matchless ability. Now Sastras prohibit consumption of the vomit. The sage asked rest of his students to consume this knowledge but without violating holy conduct. They all took the form of a bird of Tittiri (Partridge) and absorbed the remnants vomitted by Yajnavalkya. Thus, the name Taittiriya is assigned to this shaka of Yajurveda. It is also called Krishna Yajurveda shaka.

Conversation of Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi

Yajnavalkya had two wives. One was [Maitreyi] and the other Katyaayanee. Of the two, Maitreyi was a Brahmavadini (one who is interested in the knowledge of Brahman).The descendant sects of Brahmans are the progeny of the first wife Katyaayanee. When Yajnavalkya wished to divide his property between the two wives, 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 immortal conversation between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi is recorded in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

Conversation of Yajnavalkya and Gargi

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.

Importance of Yajnavalkya

Yajnavalkya is honoured in several traditions. Saint Kulasekhara claims him as a great "Vaishnava Yogi". His references to some of the Avataras of Vishnu (Varaha and Vamana for instance) in a new light in Shatapatha Brahmana, wherein he declares Vishnu as God Supreme do attest to this certificate.

A Commentary on Yajnavalkya

"Yajnavalkya was more interested in philosophy, the Jnanakanda of the Vedas and not so much in the Karmakanda. That is why he wanted to separate the two. He had an inclination towards asceticism (world renouncement). Till then Rishis were mostly householders, and they combined "action" with "thought". (Karma and Jnana). - the so called "forward path" (Pravratti Marga) with the "return path", (Nivrtti Marga).  Perhaps Vaisampayan, his Guru, understood that if rituals were shunted out (as desired by Yajnavalkya), an unwarranted greater importance would be associated with "knowledge" part leading to a greater importance being bestowed on escapism, asceticism and world-renouncing tendency". "Our traditional wisdom was that Living for God and and spiritual attainment of the highest order was compatible with householdership or Grahastya."

सम्वादः || Discussion

Some Non-Vedic schools and Anti Vedic schools have sought to exploit the name of Yajnavalkya. Yoga Yajnavalkya presents a Buddhist view of life. This work is definitely of a later origin as it deals in Advaitic terminology and concepts, reducing life to an illusion. This shows that anti Vedic thought currents are quick to grab names of great personalities and pass them on to posterity in a distorted form.

References

1. H. C. Raychaudhuri (1972), Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.41–521 2
2. The Brihad Aranyak Upanishad, Part 2, Chapter 4, Mahesh Library publication, Calcutta, 2008 edition
3. Hindu Dharma Parichaya, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Calcutta, publication, 2000 edition
4. The Upanishads, Mahesh Library publication, 2009 edition, Calcutta
5. Mukundmala Verse 17 (mentioned in Insights Into the Taittiriya Upanishad, Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Published by Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Mysore)
6. Insights Into the Taittiriya Upanishad, Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Published by Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Mysore,Page 15
7. Sage Yagnyavalkya on Hindupedia, the online Hindu Encyclopedia.
8. Sukla Yajur Veda from http://www.shuklayajurveda.org
9. Yogeeswara Yagnyavalkya from http://www.shuklayajurveda.org
10. Selected Chants of Sukla Yajur Veda from https://vedavichara.com