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Yajurveda Commentators (यजुर्वेदीयाः भाष्यकाराः) (view source)

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→‎Kanva Samhita of the Shukla Yajurveda: Adding content
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भवस्वामिमतानुसारिणा मया तु उभयमप्यंगीकृत्य प्रयोगसारः क्रियते ।
 
भवस्वामिमतानुसारिणा मया तु उभयमप्यंगीकृत्य प्रयोगसारः क्रियते ।
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Bhaskara Bhatta also mentions Bhavasvami at the beginning of his bhashya reiterating that Bhavasvami was a commentator on the Taittiriya Samhita.
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Bhaskara Bhatta also mentions Bhavasvami at the beginning of his bhashya reiterating that Bhavasvami was a commentator on the Taittiriya Samhita. However, there are only mentions of his bhashyas on  Taittiriya Samhita and the Taittiriya Brahmana; the texts are not available.
    
=== गुहदेवः ॥ Guhadeva ===
 
=== गुहदेवः ॥ Guhadeva ===
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# In the Adhyatma context, it is atma
 
# In the Adhyatma context, it is atma
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In this way the other mantras have also been semantically explored and due to such specialities, it holds an important position in Vaidik Sahitya.<ref>Baldev Upadhyay (1955), [https://ia801607.us.archive.org/10/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.347181/2015.347181.Vaidik-Sahitya.pdf Vaidik Sahitya], Kashi</ref>
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In this way the other mantras have also been semantically explored and due to such specialities, it holds an important position in Vaidik Sahitya.<ref name=":0">Baldev Upadhyay (1955), [https://ia801607.us.archive.org/10/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.347181/2015.347181.Vaidik-Sahitya.pdf Vaidik Sahitya], Kashi</ref>
    
== शुक्लयजुर्वेदस्य भाष्यकाराः ॥ Commentators of the Shukla Yajurveda ==
 
== शुक्लयजुर्वेदस्य भाष्यकाराः ॥ Commentators of the Shukla Yajurveda ==
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==== महीधरः ॥ Mahidhara ====
 
==== महीधरः ॥ Mahidhara ====
 
The commentary of Mahidhara is known by the name 'Vedadipa'. There is a clear influence of Uvata seen on the commentary written by Mahidhara. However, by providing examples from the nirukta, shrautasutras, etc. Mahidhara's commentary makes the Yajna Prakriya (ritualistic procedure) easier to understand and attempts to further clarify the preceeding commentary given by Uvata. Mahidhara is also known to have written a Tantra text by the name 'Mantramahodadhi'.
 
The commentary of Mahidhara is known by the name 'Vedadipa'. There is a clear influence of Uvata seen on the commentary written by Mahidhara. However, by providing examples from the nirukta, shrautasutras, etc. Mahidhara's commentary makes the Yajna Prakriya (ritualistic procedure) easier to understand and attempts to further clarify the preceeding commentary given by Uvata. Mahidhara is also known to have written a Tantra text by the name 'Mantramahodadhi'.
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=== काण्वसंहितायाः भाष्यकाराः ॥ Commentators of the Kanva Samhita ===
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Due to the existence of Uvata's bhashya, Sayanacharya did not write a bhashya on the Madhyandina Samhita. He instead wrote his bhashya on the Kanva Samhita. However, there have been commentators preceeding and succeeding Sayanacharya who have written commentaries on the Kanva Samhita of the Shukla Yajurveda. Of them, Halayudha is before Sayanacharya while Anantacharya and Anandabodha are later commentators.
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==== हलायुधः ॥ Halayudha ====
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The commentary written by Halayudha is known as 'Brahmanasarvasva'. He provides a few biographical details about himself in the beginning of his work which reads as follows:
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बाल्ये ख्यापितराजपण्डितपदं श्वेतार्चिबिम्बोज्ज्वलच्छत्रोत्सिक्तमहामहस्तमुपदं दत्त्वा नवे यौवने ।
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यस्मै यौवनशेषयोग्यमखिलक्ष्मापालनारायणः श्रीमान् लक्षमणसेनदेवनृपतिर्धर्माधिकारं ददौ ॥
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Meaning: He became the Raja Pandita (Royal priest) in the royal court of the famous Bengal ruler Lakshmana Sen in his childhood itself. He was given the right and honour to weild a Shveta Chatra (white umbrella) in his youth. Later in life, he was appointed as the honourable Dharmadhikari in the royal court of Raja Lakshmana Sen.
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Some of the other works of Halayudha include,
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# Mimamsa Sarvasva
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# Vaishnava Sarvasva
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# Shaiva Sarvasva
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# Pandita Sarvasva
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This shows that Halayudha was well-versed not only in Vedas and Mimamsa but also in Vaishnava and Shaiva Agamas.
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==== अनन्ताचार्यः ॥ Anantacharya ====
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Anantacharya was a Madhva Vaishnava from Kashi and wrote his commentary on the later half of the Kanva Samhita (Adhyayas 21 to 40). A clear influence of Mahidhara is seen in his bhashya. At places, he also explains the meaning of the mantras from the Vaishnava point of view. The sampradaya oriented bhashya brings forth his scholasty and knowledge of the Puranas. Anantacharya has also written a commentary on the Shukla Yajuh Pratishakhya.
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==== आनन्दबोधः भट्टोपाध्यायः ॥ Anandabodha Bhattopadhyay ====
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Towards the end of his commentary on the Kanva Samhita, it is mentioned that Anandabodha was a chaturvedi and son of Jataveda Bhattopadhyay from Vasudevapuri. The commentary enumerates the devata, rshi, chanda, yajna as well as usage of the mantras at appropriate places. Its language is easily comprehendable. It also provides grammatical etymologies and examples from the brahmanas, etc. that provides the text with the essential authenticity.<ref name=":0" />
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== यजुर्वेदीयब्राह्मणानां भाष्यकाराः ॥ Commentators on the Yajurveda Brahmanas ==
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=== शतपथब्राह्मणस्य भाष्यकाराः ॥ Commentators of the Shatapatha Brahmana ===
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The Shatapatha Brahmana belongs to the Shukla Yajurveda and is found in both the Madhyandina and Kanva recensions.
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==== नीलकण्ठः ॥ Nilakantha ====
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It is said that the commentator of the Mahabharata, Nilakantha, had written a commentary on the Kanva Shatapatha Brahmana. Though the bhashya text is currently unavailable, the bhashyakara makes a note of it in the commentary of the Vanaparva (Adhyaya 162, shloka 11).
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==== उवटः ॥ Uvata ====
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It is said that Uvata wrote a commentry on the Madhyandina Shatapatha Brahmana.
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==== हरिस्वामी ॥ Harisvami ====
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It is said that much before Uvata, Harisvami had written a commentary on the Madhyandina Shatapatha Brahmana. However, the complete text is not available today. He was the son of Nagasvami of the Parashara Gotra and the Dharmadhyaksha of Raja Vikrama of Avanti. Harisvami's commentary is considered to be ancient and authentic.
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=== तैत्तिरीयब्राह्मणस्य भाष्यकाराः ॥ Commentators of the Taittiriya Brahmana ===
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==== भवस्वामी ॥ Bhavasvami ====
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As mentioned before, Keshavasvami in his Baudhayana Prayogasara mentions Bhavasvami. However, there are only mentions of his bhashyas on  Taittiriya Samhita and the Taittiriya Brahmana; the texts are not available.
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==== भट्टभास्करः ॥ Bhatta Bhaskara ====
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Following a commentary on the Taittiriya Samhita, Bhatta Bhaskara also wrote a commentary on the Taittiriya Brahmana.
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==== सायणाचार्यः ॥ Sayanacharya ====
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Sayanacharya has also written a bhashya on the Taittiriya Brahmana that is widely accepted.<ref name=":0" />
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== सायणाचार्यस्य यजुर्वेदीयाः भाष्यकृतयः ॥ Sayanacharya's Commentaries on Yajuvedic Texts ==
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The Yajurvedic sahitya is inclusive of the various Samhitas, brahmanas, aranyakas as well as the upanishads belonging to the different shakhas of the Yajurveda. Sayanacharya is known to have written commentaries on the texts belonging to the Karmakanda section of the Vedas ie. there is no known commentary of Sayanacharya on any of the Upanishads. The extent of his work includes commentaries on 5 Samhitas and as many as 13 Brahmana and Aranyaka texts. Out of these, the texts belonging to shakhas of the Yajurveda on which Sayanacharya has written a commentary, in their order of creation are enumerated below in brief. The order in which the the bhashya granthas were written is known from the study of a few verses prefaced by Sayanacharya at the beginning of his commentaries.<ref name=":0" />
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=== Taittiriya Samhita of the Krshna Yajurveda ===
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It is known from the description provided at the beginning of Sayanacharya's commentary on the Taittiriya Samhita that Maharaja Bukka asked his Guru and Minister Madhavacharya to write a commentary on the Vedas who in turn suggested that this responsibility be vested to his younger brother Sayana thereby, initiating the authorship of commentaries on various Vedic texts by Sayanacharya.
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तत्कटाक्षेण तद्रूपं दधद् बुक्कमहीपतिः । आदिशन्माधवाचार्यं वेदार्थस्य प्रकाशने ।
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स प्राह नृपतिं "राजन्, सायणार्यो ममानुजः । सर्वे वेत्त्येष वेदानां व्याख्यातृत्त्वे नियुज्यताम्"॥
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इत्युक्तो माधवार्येण वीरो बुक्कमहीपतिः । अन्वशात् सायणाचार्ये वेदार्थस्य प्रकाशने ॥
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And the first text on which Sayanacharya wrote his commentary was the Taittiriya Samhita of the Krshna Yajurveda. He himself was a Taittiriya Shakhadhyayi. Therefore, his choice of text seems but natural. Another reason for beginning the commentary literature with the Yajurveda is that, in the performance of Yajnas, of the four rtvijs involved, the adhvaryu is given prime importance for, he guides the yajamana in the procedures of the yajna. And Yajurveda is the text designated for the guidance of the adhvaryu. Since the adhvaryu fulfils his role with the help of the Yajurvedic mantras, in lieu of its utility, it is seen as an appropriate decision to begin authorship of the commentary literature with the Yajurveda. This Sayanacharya has mentioned in the beginning of his Rgveda bhashya.<ref name=":0" />
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आध्वर्यवस्य यज्ञेषु प्राधान्याद् व्याकृतः पुरा । 
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=== Taittiriya Brahmana and Aranyaka of the Krshna Yajurveda ===
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After having written a commentary upon the Taittiriya Samhita, Sayanacharya followed it up with a commentary on the Brahmana and Aranyaka of the same Taittiriya shakha thereby, completing the commentary on one shakha of the Krshna Yajurveda. The following verses from the Taittiriya Brahmana and Taittiriya Aranyaka respectively throw light on the order in which the commentaries on the texts of the Taittiriya shakha were written.<ref name=":0" />
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व्याख्याता सुखबोधाय तैत्तिरीयकसंहिता । तद् ब्राह्मणं व्याकरिष्ये सुखेनार्थविबुद्धने ॥
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व्याख्याता सुखबोधार्थे तैत्तिरीयकसंहिता । तद् ब्राह्मणं च व्याख्यातं शिष्टमारण्यकं ततः ॥
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=== Kanva Samhita of the Shukla Yajurveda ===
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The Yajurveda has two branches ie. Krshna Yajurveda and Shukla Yajurveda. Of the various sub-branches of the Krshna Yajurveda, Sayanacharya commented upon the texts of his own shakha, the Taittiriya shakha. Similarly, the Shukla Yajurveda consists of two sub-branches, the Madhyandina and Kanva shakhas. Much before Sayanacharya, during the reign of Raja Bhoja, Acharya Uvvata had already written a commentary on the Madhyadina Samhita. Therefore, Sayanacharya chose to write a bhashya on the Kanva Samhita of the Shukla Yajurveda. However, his commentary is available only on the initial 20 adhyayas of the Samhita. It seems that Sayanacharya did not comment upon the Uttarardha (later half) of the Kanva Samhita. And this is reiterated by another bhashyakara Shri. Anantacharya in his commentary on the later half of the Kanva Samhita as follows.<ref name=":0" />
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व्याख्याता काण्वशाखीयसंहिता पूर्वविंशतिः । माधवाचार्यवर्येण स्पष्टीकृत्य न चोत्तरा ॥
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=== Shatapatha Brahmana of the Shukla Yajurveda ===
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There is only one brahmana text associated with the Shukla Yajurveda that is available which is the extensive Shatapatha Brahmana consisting of 100 adhyayas. It is last of the texts commented upon by Sayanacharya later during the reign of Harihara II under whom he was a minister. This is mentioned by Sayanacharya himself in the preface of his commentary on the Shatapatha Brahmana as follows:
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तत्कटाक्षेण तद्रूपं दधतो बुक्कभूपतेः । कृतावतरणः क्षीरसागरादिव चन्द्रमाः ॥३॥
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विजितारातिव्रातो वीरः श्रीहरिहरः क्षमाधीशः । धर्मब्रह्माध्वन्यः समादिशत् सायणाचार्यम् ॥४॥
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Though Sayanacharya is said to have written a commentary on the entire Shatapatha Brahmana, the entire commentary is unavailable today. However, the commentaries by Sayanacharya and Harisvami compliment each other to make available the commentary on the complete text of the shatapatha brahmana.<ref name=":0" /> 
    
== References ==
 
== References ==
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