Yajurveda Shakhas (यजुर्वेदस्य शाखाः)

The Yajurveda is divided into two divisions the White or Shukla Yajurveda and the Black or Krishna Yajurveda. The number of the shakhas of the Shukla Yajurveda is less than that of the Krishna. For the sake of convenience we take first the Shakhas of the Shukla Yajurveda.

Shakhas of Shukla Yajurveda

The Shukla Yajurveda is said to have 15 Shakhas. But unfortunately the texts about the names of these Shakhas vary.

Thus the Brahmanda-Purana mentions the following schools of this Veda :

याज्ञवल्क्यस्य शिष्यास्ते कण्वो बौधेय एव च ।। मध्यंदिनस्तु सापत्यो वैधेयश्चाद्धबौद्धकौ ।। ३५.२८ ।।

तापनीयश्च वत्साश्च तथा जाबालकेवलौ ।। आवटी च तथा पुंड्रो वैणोयः सपराशरः ।। ३५.२९ ।।

इत्येते वाजिनः प्रोक्ता दशपंच च सत्तमाः ।।

In the Vayu-Purana the names are as follows :

याज्ञवल्क्यस्य शिष्यास्ते कण्ववौधेयशालिनः । मध्यन्दिनश्च शापेयी विदग्धश्चाप्य उद्दलः । ताम्रायणश्च वात्स्यश्च तथा गालवशैशिरी । आटवी च तथा वर्णी वीरणी सपरायणः । इत्येते वाजिनः प्रोक्ता दश पञ्च च संस्मृताः ॥ ६१.२४-२६

The Visnu-Purana, after narrating the quarrel between Yajnavalkya and Vaisampayana, says :

शाखाभेदास्तु तेषां वै दश पञ्च च वाजिनाम् । काण्वाद्यास्तु महाभाग! याज्ञवल्क्या-प्रवर्तिताः ।। २९ ।।

In the Srimadbhagavata, the Story of origin of the schools of the White Yajurveda is told and it puts its Shakhas as follows :

यजुर्भिरकरोच्छाखा दश पञ्च शतैर्विभुः जगृहुर्वाजसन्यस्ताः काण्वमाध्यन्दिनादयः ७४

In the Charanavyuha of Shaunaka the following 15 Shakhas are mentioned :

जाबाला बौधायनाः काण्वा माध्यन्दिनेयाः शाफेयास्तापनीयाः कपोला पौण्डरवत्सा आवटिकाः परमावटिकाः पराशरा वैणेया वैधेया अद्धा बौधेयाश्चेति ।

In the Atharvan Caranavyuha, Sayana's Introduction to the Kanvabhasya, Pratijna-Parisista and Aryavidya-Sudhakara also these name are noted with some variations. These differences are due to the fact that the writers of these texts were not directly concerned with the tradition of these Shakhas and in some cases it is possible that due to scribal mistakes these discripencies occurred.

When such discrepancies occur in the texts it is not easy to settle the correct names of these Sakhas. Pt. Bhagavad-datta gives the following fifteen names of the Sakhas of the white Yajurveda as generally acceptable :

Jabala, Baudheya, Kanva, Madhyandina, Sapeyi, Tapaniya, Kapola, Paundra-Vatsa, Avatika, Paramavatika, Parasara, Vaineya, Vaidheya, Katyayana and Vaijavapa. 31

Now a brief description of these Shakhas is given here :

(1) The Jabala, Shakha : In the Chandogya-up. the story of a Jabala is narrated in detail. There he is regarded as the student of Haridrumata Gautama." In the Brhadaranyaka83 a Jabalayan, is said to be the pupil of Madhyandinayana. According to the Mahabharata a Jabala was one of the Brahmavadin-sons of Visvamitra.34 The Matsya-Purana mentions a Jabala.35 A Jabali Rshi is mentioned in the Vamana-Purana. This Rshi is regarded here as son of Rshi Rtadhvaja. 36 Panini's acquaintance with this Shakha may be inferred from his mention of this name.37 No Samhita or Brahmana of this Sakha is available. Only a Jabalopanisad is available, but it is uncertain whether it originally belonged to the Y. V. or Atharvaveda. A Jabala-.Darsanopanisad belongs to the Samaveda.88 In the epics Jabala is a gotra name.89

(2) The Baudheya Sakha : The other variations of this name are Baudhayana, Gaudheya, Gaudhayana and Audheya. Nothing of this Sakha has come down to us.39a No reference to this name is traced. In the Mahabharata a Bodhi Pingala appears as Adhvaryu-priest of King Janamejaya.10 But it is uncertain whether he is identical with the founder of this Sakha.

(3) The Kanva Sakha : This Sakha has preserved both its Samhita and the Brahmana. It is one of the pronounced schools of the White Yajurveda. According to the Maharnva, the Kanva-Sakha is first among the schools of the White Yajurveda. In the Visnu and the Bhagavata Puranas also it is referred to as the first Sakha. It is very difficult to identify the founder of this Sakha among the various Kanvas of the Puranas. In some places he is said to be a son of Apratiratha and father of Medhatithi; Sakuntala was brought up in his Asrama.44 He is also said to be a sage and contemporary of Krishna with whom he went to Mithila. He was invited by king Yudhisthira to his Rajasuya. He left Dvaraka for Pindaraka.45 In other Puranas he is called an Angirasa and Mantrakrt. Here his studentship of Yajnavalkya is confirmed.46 At some places he is said to be the son of Ajamidha.4T According to the Puranas the members of the family of the Brahmanas originated from Kanva were called Kanvayanas.48 According to the Mahabharata Kanva was a brahmana of Kasyapa-gotra. His hermitage was on the bank of river Malini. 49 He brought up Sakuntala and married her to DuSyanta.50 From these references it may be concluded that Kanva was a famous personality of his age. Panini is also acquainted with Kanva.51

The Samhita and the Brahmana of the Kanvas are now available- The Kanva-Samhita contains 40 Adhyayas, 328 Anuvakas and 2086 verses.52 The Madhyandina-Samhita contains 1975 verses. Thus, the Kanva Samhita has 111 verses more than the Madhyandina-Samhita- The Brahmana of the Kanvas as well as of the Madhyandinas is called the 'Satapatha-Brahrnana. But there is some minor differences between the two Brahmanas. In the Kanva-Satapatha, there are 17 Kandas, 104 Adhyayas and 6806 Kandikas, The subject-matter of both the Brahmanas is same but the order is different.53 The Kalpasutra of Katyayana is prescribed for the followers of these Shakhas. According; to Mahadeva, the commentator of the Hiranaya-kesi-sutra, Katyayana sutra was prescribed for both the schools. The school of the Kanvas was especially related to Pancharatra Agama. In the Jayakhya Samhita (a text of the Pancharatrins) the five main followers of the Pancharatra are said to be the followers of the Kanva-sakha.5 From this statement a relation between the two is clear.

(4) The Madhyandina Shakha : The Samhita and the Brahmana of this Veda are now in wide currency. At the present, the followers of this Sakha are found in almost every part of Northern India. The name of this Sakha as usual is derived from the Rishi Madhyandina. No personal account of this Rshi is found in the Puranas. Only he is said as the pupil of Yajnavalkya. Panini has referred to this name.67 In the Samhita of the Madhyandinas, there are 40 Adhyayas, 303 Anuvakas and 1975 verses. The Brahmana of the Sakha is called the Madhyandina-Satapatha. It has 14 Kandas, 100 Adhyayas, 64 Prapathakas, 438 Brahmanas and 7624 Kandikas. The rules laid down by Katyayana Sutra are observed in the Sakha of the Madhyandinas. Pargiter has placed the founder of this Sakha in the time of Asvamedhadatta.158

(5) The Sapeyi Sakha : Other variations of this name are Sapeya, Sapiyas and Sapheyas. Panini was aware of this name.68 In the commentary on the Katyayana-Pratisakhya the name of Sabiya Sakha is twice referred to.60 It is probable that the Sabiya-Sakha of the commentator is the Sapiya-Sakha. Nothing of this Sakha is known. The Puranas are silent about this Rishi.

(6) The Tapaniya Sakha : This Sakha also, like many others, exists only in references. No literature of this Sakha is preserved. The other variations of this name are Tapayaniya, Tapayana and Sthapaniya.