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We have mentioned
earlier that Yajur Veda
Samhitā has two major
recensions, the
Krişhņa Yajur Veda (KYV) and
the Shukla Yajur
Veda (SYV). KYV is the older one. Traditionally the
SYV is called Shukla (pure or unmixed)
because it is not mixed up with the
brāhmaņa passages as in the KYV.
SYV in its
mādhyandina
vājasaneyi (VS) version has about
2000 mantrās divided into 40 chapters
or adhyāyās, the last
adhyāya being the famous
Īshāvāsya Upanishad. Note that about
1000 mantrās (about one half)
is in KYV TS also.
There is one major
noticeable difference in the texts. In SYV, each chapter does not
have a separate title.
However in KYV (TS),
it is not the case. Recall that KYV has 7
Kāņdās, each divided into several
prapāţhakās which are further divided into
anuvāka. There are 651
anuvākās, some of which are
brāhmaņa passages. In KYV (TS), each
anuvāka is assigned with a title based
on its ritualistic interpretation or its use in the rite. The
title may have very little to do with the meaning of the text of
the anuvāka. We will discuss this
matter later. Our contention is that KYV is called
Krişhņa
or mixed because of its complete identification with rituals,
especially with animal sacrifices.
Two ancient
Purāņa books,
Vişhņu Purāņa and
Srimad Bhāgavatam,
relate the legend of the origination of the
Shukla Yajur Veda; the relevant
verses are quoted in [V2]. The text of SYV
was revealed
to the seer Yājňavalkya (Y). We give
here a paraphrase of the legend. Y was a student of the famous
teacher of Yajur Veda by name Vaishampāyana (V) who was attached to
rituals and to animal sacrifices. There was a disagreement between
the teacher V and the student Y; consequently Y was asked to
return the knowledge obtained and leave the place. Y did so. Later
he carried out intense spiritual practices and prayed to the
spiritual Sun to reveal the Yajur Veda
which was ayātāyāmam,
i.e., not polluted and not insipid. He was revealed the
Shukla Yajur
Veda which was ayātāyāmam.
When Y left V, he
literally spat out or quickly recited in a hurry the Vedic
knowledge he had learnt from V; “the disciples of V took the form
of tittiri birds and
picked up the relevant verses.'' Clearly the sentence in quotes is
symbolic. Recall the deeper meaning of
tittiri as our inner being which aspires to knowledge
and overcomes the psychological foes. Thus the sentence states
that the inner beings of the disciples recorded in their minds the
verses relevant for them. The collection of the verses obtained by
the disciples is the Taittirīya
Samhitā of the
Krişhņa Yajur Veda.
The main objection
of Y against the knowledge received from V was that this knowledge
completely identified the sacred yajus
mantra text with the outward rituals. A mantra has several
interpretations, one of which is the outward rite. But insistence
that yajus meant only
outer yajna was not acceptable to Y.
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