Yajnavalkya (याज्ञवल्क्यः)

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For the Dharmaśāstra text traditionally attributed to Yājñavalkya, see Yājñavalkya Smṛti.

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Yajnavalkya (Sanskrit: याज्ञवल्क्य, Yājñavalkya) of Videha (fl. c. 7th century BCE[1]) was a sage and philosopher of Vedic India. He was one of the first philosophers in recorded history, alongside Uddalaka Aruni.[2]In the court of King Janaka of Mithila, he was renowned for his expertise in Vedic ritual and his unrivaled talent in theological debate. He expounded a doctrine of neti neti to describe the universal Self or Ātman. He later became a wandering ascetic. His teachings are recorded in the Shatapatha Brahmana and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.[2]

He is traditionally credited with the authorship of the Shatapatha Brahmana (including the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad), besides the Yoga Yajnavalkya and the Yājñavalkya Smṛti.[3] He is also a major figure in the Upanishads.

Traditional Accounts

Yājñavalkya was the son of Devarāta and was the pupil of sage Vaisampayana.[4]

Sage Yagnyavalkya was also a disciple of Sage Vaisampayan. 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.[5] This attempt by Yagnyavalkya was considered as a sacrilege, as an attempt to "improve the layout designed by the Grand Arranger, Vyasa".[5] When Yagnyavalkya's secret efforts of further segregating the Vedic portions were discovered, Vaisampayan was furious. he ordered Yagnyavalkya to "return all he had received from him (Vaisampayana)". This can be compared with modern day practice of denying Copy Rights. The learnings could not be passed on by Yagnyavalkya in letter or spirit further.[5]

In response to this order, Yagnyavalkya "vomitted" - that is he emptied his "stomach" of all its Vedic content, earlier received from his Master.[5]

Thereafter Yagnyavalkya 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 Yagnyavalkya 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.[5]

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.[5]

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. Yājñavalkya 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.[4]

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.

Connection with Taittiriya Upanishad

Sage Vaisampayan did not want the wisdom taught to Yagnyavalkya 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 one of his leading pupil, Tittiri to consume this knowledge but without violating holy conduct. The intelligent pupil took the form of a bird of that very name - Tittiri (Partridge)- and absorbed the remnants vomitted by Yagnyavalkya.[5]The teacher (Vaisampayan) was pleased and blessed him with an unasked-for boon, that this absorbed Veda" shall be known by the disciple's name (Tittiri's branch or Taittiriya).[5]

Other Details

Yājñavalkya married two wives. One was [Maitreyi] and the other Katyaayanee.[6] 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 Yājñavalkya wished to divide his property between the two wives, Maitreyi asked whether she could become immortal through wealth. Yājñavalkya replied that there was no hope of immortality through wealth and that she would only become one among the many who were well-to-do on.[7] When she heard this, Maitreyi asked Yājñavalkya to teach her what he considered as the best. Then Yājñavalkya described to her the greatness of the Absolute Self, the nature of its existence, the way of attaining infinite knowledge and immortality, etc. This immortal conversation between Yājñavalkya and Maitreyi is recorded in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.[1]

A Commentary on Yagnyavalkya[8]

"Yagnyavalkya 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 Yagnyavalkya), 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."

Importance of Yagnyavalkya

Yagnyavalkya is honoured in several traditions. Saint Kulasekhara claims him as a great "Vaishnava Yogi". [9] His references to some of the Avataras of Vishnu (Varaha and Vamana for instance) in a new light in Shatapatha Brahman, wherein he declares Vishnu as God Supreme do attest to this certificate.[5]

Wisdom of Yājñavalkya is shown in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad where he gives his teachings to his wife Maitreyi and King Janaka.[7] 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.[7] He was then praised as the greatest Brahmajnyani by all the sages at the function organised by king Janaka.[10] In the end, Yājñavalkya took Vidvat Sanyasa (renunciation after the attainment of the knowledge of Brahman) and retired to the forest.

Exploitation of Yagnyavalkya's name by other traditions

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ H. C. Raychaudhuri (1972), Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.41–52
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ben-Ami Scharfstein (1998), A comparative history of world philosophy: from the Upanishads to Kant, Albany: State University of New York Press, pp.62-65. Note: Scharfstein estimates Yajnavalkya's date as approximately the 8th century BCE, possibly earlier or later.
  3. ↑ Hindu Dharma Parichaya, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Calcutta, publication, 2000 edition
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Vedas, Haraf publication, Calcutta, 2004 edition
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Insights Into the Taittiriya Upanishad, Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Published by Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Mysore
  6. ↑ The Brihad Aranyak Upanishad, Part 2, Chapter 4, Mahesh Library publication, Calcutta, 2008 edition
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Sacred Books of East, by Max Muller Volume 15 Oxford University Press publication, 1879 edition
  8. ↑ Insights Into the Taittiriya Upanishad, Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Published by Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Mysore,Page 15
  9. ↑ Mukundmala Verse 17 (mentioned in Insights Into the Taittiriya Upanishad, Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Published by Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Mysore)
  10. ↑ The Upanishads, Mahesh Library publication, 2009 edition, Calcutta

References

  • Joseph, George G. (2000). The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics, 2nd edition. Penguin Books, London. ISBN 0-691-00659-8.
  • Kak, Subhash C. (2000). 'Birth and Early Development of Indian Astronomy'. In Selin, Helaine (2000). Astronomy Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Astronomy (303-340). Boston: Kluwer. ISBN 0-7923-6363-9.
  • Teresi, Dick (2002). Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science - from the Babylonians to the Maya. Simon & Schuster, New York. ISBN 0-684-83718-8.

External links

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