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Yajurveda Shakhas (यजुर्वेदस्य शाखाः) (view source)
Revision as of 13:02, 30 December 2021
, 13:02, 30 December 2021→Shakhas of Krishna Yajurveda: Adding content with citation
The Katha or the Kathaka Sakha is one of the existing schools of the KYV, Patanjaii testifies the wide popularity of this Sakha. He says that the Kathaka literature was read in every villages.2 Panini is also aware of this Sakha. Patanjali says that the Katha literature is very vast.4 In the Ganapatha of Panini the name Katha occurs along with Kalapa and Kauthuma.5
The Katha or the Kathaka Sakha is one of the existing schools of the KYV, Patanjaii testifies the wide popularity of this Sakha. He says that the Kathaka literature was read in every villages.2 Panini is also aware of this Sakha. Patanjali says that the Katha literature is very vast.4 In the Ganapatha of Panini the name Katha occurs along with Kalapa and Kauthuma.5
It is presumed that this Sakha, was founded by sage Katha. In the Mahabharata an Adya Katha is mentioned among 16 Rtviks of King Uparicaravasu.6 Katha was present in the court of Yudhisthira.1 He was honoured and given gifts in the Rajasuya of Yudhisthira. 2 He came to see Pramad-vara who had died of snake bite.8 The Kathas and the Kalapas were famous in the time of Ramayana.4 Here they are mentioned as respected by noble men. In the Mahabhasya, Patanjali has mentioned the women of the Kathas.5 The Katha people were popular in ancient times. 7<ref>Ganga Sagar Rai (1965), [https://archive.org/details/puranavolvii015193mbp/page/n247/mode/2up?view=theater Sakhas of the Krsna Yajurveda in the Puranas], Purana (Vol 7, No. 2), Varanasi: All India Kashiraj Trust.</ref>
It is presumed that this Sakha, was founded by sage Katha. In the Mahabharata an Adya Katha is mentioned among 16 Rtviks of King Uparicaravasu.6 Katha was present in the court of Yudhisthira.1 He was honoured and given gifts in the Rajasuya of Yudhisthira. 2 He came to see Pramad-vara who had died of snake bite.8 The Kathas and the Kalapas were famous in the time of Ramayana.4 Here they are mentioned as respected by noble men. In the Mahabhasya, Patanjali has mentioned the women of the Kathas.5 The Katha people were popular in ancient times. 7
The Katha literature: The Kathaka Samhita is available. It has five Khandas. The Sthanakas are its subdivisions. The total number of the Sthanakas is 4o, of the anuvacanas 13, of the Anuvakas 843 and of the Mantras 3093. The Kathaka-Brahmana is not available in its entirety. Only fragments of it have been edited and published. The existence of a Kathaka Aranyaka is also argued. It is probable that the Kathas may also have had their parallel Aranyaka which contained kindred matter. The well-known Katha-Upanisad belongs to this Sakha. The Kathaka Grhya-sutra is available. This Grhya-sutra bears different names i.e. Kathaka-Grhya-sutra, Caraka-Grhya-sutra and Laugakshi Grhya-sutra. It seems quite possible that because these names belong to the Caraka-group of the Yajurvedic schools and they have no separate Grhya-sutras, so they called this Grhyasutra by various names. Laugaksi may be a follower of the Katha school and he composed a Grhyasutra for the Kathaka Sakha. It is said that the word Laugaksi is the Kashmirian form of Laukaksi which is mentioned in Kasika and Nyasa. Reference is made to Laukaksi in the Vayu Purana (106.36). The other works of Laugaksi are (1) the Srautasutra of the Kathas, (2) the Grhya Paddhati and (3) the Laugaksi Smrti. According to the Caranavyuha, the Katha Sakha had 4o or 44 Upagranthas. But at present we have no knowledge of these Upagranthas.
The Katha Sakha was prevalent in wide area. The Caranavyuha while referring to the 44 Upagranthas of Kathas, remarks that there is nothing which is not contained in the Katha literature.8 Thus, Katha Sakha has a unique place in the Vedic literature.
4. THE PRACYA KATHA SAKHA
No text of this Sakha is preserved. Most probably this Sakha was a subdivision of the Katha Sakha and it had minor differences with the Kathas. It seems that the followers of this Sakha were the residents of the eastern part of the Katha-region and were therefore called Pracya Kathas.
5. THE KAPISTHALA KATHA SAKHA
Like Pracya Kathas, the Kapisthala Kathas were related to the Kathas. Panini has mentioned Kapisthala and Kapisthala. Like many other Sakhas, the Kapisthala-Katha Sakha derived its name from the Rsi who founded it. Panini has referred to Kapisthala gotra.4 It is probable that this Kapisthala gotra was named after the founder of this Sakha. The currency of this Sakha may be confirmed by the evidence of Durgacarya,5 the commentator of Nirukta, who himself belonged to this Sakha. The Kambistholoi of Megasthenese are identified with Kapisthalas.
The original home of the Kapisthalas is traced by the word Kapisthala itself. According to Dr. Raghuvira it points to Kapisthala, the modern Kaithala, a town near Thanesar. It is situated in the sacred region of Kuruksetra and according to local tradition it was founded by Yudhisthira.1 The antiquity of the place is ascertained on the evidence of Varahamihira who has mentioned it.2 The Kasika, too, is aware of this name.
Only the Samhita of this Sakha is available and even that is not in its complete form. Even the available chapters are not complete. They have numerous gaps here and there. A manuscript of the Grhya-sutra of this Sakha is said to be preserved in Sarasvati Bhavana library of Sanskrit University, Varanasi.
6. THE CARAYANIYA
This Sakha was founded by Carayana. Reference has been made to Kambalacarayaniyas in the Mahabhasya.3 A Carayaniya Siksa is referred to by Kielhorn.4 A Carayaniya Mantradhyaya was published from Lahore by Pt. Bhagavaddatta. According to this Mantradhyaya the Carayaniya Samhita had some differences from the Kathaka Samhita. The Samhita was divided into Anuvakas and Sthanakas.
7. THE VARAYANIYA SAKHA
This Sakha is mentioned in the Caranavyuha. No literature
of this school is preserved.
8. THE VARTANTAVIYA SAKHA
It seems that this Sakha was founded by Varatantu. Panini
has mentioned Varatantu1 along with Tittiri, Ukha, and Khandika, all the founders of the Sakhas of the Krsna Yajurveda. Kalidasa has mentioned a Varatantu as the teacher of Kautsa. Patanjali has also referred to Varatantu.2 His name occurs in the Sraddha-prakarana of Viramitra.8
No literature of this Sakha is available.
9. THE SVETASVATARA SAKHA
The variants of this name are Svetasvetatarah, Svetasvetantarah and Sveta-asvatarah. No information is available about Svetasvatara. Only the Upanisad of this Sakha is available. The Svetasvatara Brahmana is referred to by Visvarupa in his commentary.<ref>Ganga Sagar Rai (1965), [https://archive.org/details/puranavolvii015193mbp/page/n247/mode/2up?view=theater Sakhas of the Krsna Yajurveda in the Puranas], Purana (Vol 7, No. 2), Varanasi: All India Kashiraj Trust.</ref>
== References ==
== References ==