वेदशाखा-स्पर्धा

Particularly, brAhmaNa-s (procedural texts) contradict and even deride each other. Examples:

  • yAjNAvalkya in shatapatha-brAhmaNa, referring to other shAkhAs’ practices, says: “तदु तथा न कुर्य्यात्”.
  • yAjJNavalkya derides charaka-s in many places. Eg: “अथ पृषदाज्यं। तदु ह चरकाध्वर्यवः पृषदाज्यमेवाग्रेऽभिघारयन्ति। “प्राणः पृषदाज्यमि"ति वदन्तस्, तदु ह याज्ञवल्क्यं चरकाध्वर्युरनुव्याजहा"रैवं कुर्वन्तं प्राणं वा अयमन्तरगाद"ध्वर्युः “प्राण एनं हास्यती"ति - ३.८.२.[२४] स ह स्म बाहू अन्ववेक्ष्याह । “इमौ पलितौ बाहू, क्व स्विद्ब्राह्मणस्य वचो बभूवे"ति। न तदाद्रियेत। उत्तमो वा एष प्रयाजो भवति। इदं वै हविर्यज्ञ उत्तमे प्रयाजे ध्रुवामेवाग्रेऽभिघारयति।” “Also, in puruSamedha where different persons are symbolically dedicated y to different devatas, while a brAhmaNa is dedicated to brAhma, shUdra to tapas, etc; a caraka is dedicated to duSkRta!!”
  • some AV shAkhAs are quite antagonistic to other AV shAkhAs - jajala and other shAkhAs criticized by shaunaka/ paippAlada
  • “The AV practitioners are associated with the role of the Brahman but in reality have their own parallel śrauta tradition.” - (MT)
  • pa~ncaviMsha brAhmaNa cursing kaushitakas to go into oblivion

Harmonization

By the sUtra perdiod, these rivalries were harmonized by mechanisms such as “नहि निन्दा न्यायः”.