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 widely mentioned in the Upanishads and Puranas. He is the expounder of "net neti" philosophy as explained brilliantly by him in the Brhdaranyaka Upanishad. Yajnavalkya Smrti is of great repute in the ancient Smrti literature and a guiding text for many duties and dharmas followed in Bharat.

Family and Lineage

Yajnavalkya was the son of Devarata (देवरातसुतः) as per Bhagavata Purana. Skanda Purana describes the anecdotes associated with Yajnavalkya's family life.

तस्य भार्याद्वयं श्रेष्ठमासीत्सर्वगुणान्वितम् ॥ एका गुणवती तस्य मैत्रेयीति प्रकीर्तिता ॥ २ ॥

ज्येष्ठा चान्याथ कल्याणी ख्याता कात्यायनीति च ॥ यस्याः कात्यायनः पुत्रो वेदार्थानां प्रजल्पकः ॥ ३ ॥ (Skan. Pura. 6.130.2-3)

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. Katyayana, the expounder of the meaning of the Vedas, was her son.

Contributions of Yajnavalkya

Yajnavalkya expounded the famous doctrine of "neti neti" to describe the universal Self or Atman on the philosophical front.

He is traditionally credited with the authorship of the

• Vajasaneya Samhita
• Shatapatha Brahmana (including the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad)
• Yajnavalkya Smrti on the subject of law.

Formation of Yajurveda Shakas (यजुर्वेदशाख-अवतरणम्)

Skanda Purana describes the anecdote of Yajnavalkya's role

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)

Summary : Vaisampayana had many disciples called Charakadhvaryus (चरकाध्वर्यवः)., who performed the vrata for the expiation of the Brahmahatya papam. At that time Yajnavalkya boastfully remarked to Vaisampayana saying that he can do more severe austerities than the other weak disciples. Hearing this from Yajnavalkya, Vaisampayana, the preceptor became angry and said, "Enough of speaking ill about vipras (brahmanas), give up at once whatever you have learnt from me."

Thereupon, the son of Devarata (Yajnavalkya), vomited out the Yajus mantras and left the place, while the other seers saw the collection of the Yajurveda texts. Assuming the form of Tittira birds they collected the so discharged Yajus mantras, thus giving rise to the Taittriya shaka of Yajurveda (तैत्तिरीया इति यजुः शाखा). Yajnavalkya in further search of the vedas took to Surya as his guru and praised him in many words. The glorious Suryadeva pleased by his stuti, assuming the form of a horse imparted to Yajnavalkya those Yajus mantras hiterto not revealed to anyone. The Yajus mantras were then classified into fifteen shakas known as Vajasanis and they were learnt by Kanva, Madhyandina and other rshis.

Vaisampayana's order to "return all he had received from him (Vaisampayana)" 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.

Vajasaneya Shaka of Yajurveda (Shukla)

The disciples of Vaisampayana refuse to acknowledge the Shukla Yajurveda as he had defied his Guru, however, both Krishna and Shukla Yajurveda shaka samhitas are very similar in content, though Shukla Yajurveda is said to me much more organized in the mantra and brahmana parts.

The portion of the Yajurveda given by Yajnavalkya goes by the name of Śukla Yajurveda on account of it being revealed by Surya. It is also known as the Vajasaneya Yajurveda, because it was delivered by the Surya 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. Kanva, Madhyandina and others learnt these mantras and Shukla Yajurveda branched into popular recensions named after them.

It is important to note that Taittriya shaka is thus much older than the Shukla shaka of Yajurveda.

Taittiriya Shaka of Yajurveda (Krishna)

The Yajus mantras, given out by Yajnavalkya, which were ingested and preserved by the students of Vaisampayana who took the form of a bird called Tittiri came to be known as Taittriya shaka. It is also called Krishna Yajurveda shaka.

Conversation of Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi

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