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 :

In the Vayu-Purana the names are as follows :

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

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

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

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