yajurvedi dominance

Source: TW

Brāhmaṇa texts

Among the 4 Vedīs, Yajurvedīs dominated Śrautam, with the most complex of rites such as the Agnicayana being a primarily Ādhvaryava (Yajurvedīya) preoccupation. Yajurvedīs were likely the first to “see” or conceive the prosaic, “Brāhmaṇa” textual category, incorporating it in the Sam̐hitās of Kṛṣnayajurveda (KYV) Śākhās. I see this interspersing of Mantras & Brāhmaṇas in Sam̐hitās as an “experimental stage”, pointing to the KYV as likely point of origin, before a more rigid demarcation between Sam̐hitā (collection of Mantras) & Brāhmaṇa (which consciously expounds upon those mantras).

The Brāhmaṇa texts embody a uniquely practical way of ritualising theology. Connections were drawn between the Here (animals, trees/plants, substances, units of time, classes of people, etc) & Beyond (Devas, Pitṛs, Rākṣasas, etc). Such connections helped see the Gods here & now through the media of the visible, mundane & mortal.

In terms of philosophical development, the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa is perhaps the most prolific in linking rituals with Ādhyātmika matters - Punarjanma, Jñāna, Mukti, etc..

karma and Jñāna

There is a fluid link between the Yajurveda’s “Karma” & “Jñāna” parts. The ending portion of KYV’s Taittirīya Sam̐hitā, equating different parts of the Aśvamedha’s sacrificial horse with various constituents of the physical world, is the opening of SYV Bṛhadāraṇyaka. The last Adhyāya of the SYV’s Mādhyandina & Kāṅva Sam̐hitās is the Īśopaniṣat. The Kaṭhopaniṣat continues the Naciketāgni taught in the Brāhmaṇas of the KYV.

Temples

It is becoming an increasingly accepted theory that the Śrauta yajña was the ultimate root of the temple. And the Yajurveda has a special place here. Interestingly, when commenting upon the opening of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka, Śaṅkara compares the fixing of various deities on different parts of the horse (by way of symbolic correspondence) to the installation of Viṣṇu, etc. in Pratimas. Interestingly, we see an overwhelming Yajurvedī representation among all core Āgamika priestly groups.

  • Siddhānta Āgama - KYV - Taittirīya - Baudhāyana Sūtra
  • Vaikhānasa Āgama - KYV - Taittirīya- Vaikhānasa Sūtra
  • Pāñcarātra Āgama - SYV - Mādhyandina/Kāṇva

kalpasUtra genre

To add one more point, the Kṛṣṇayajurvedīs are also most likely the originators of the “Kalpasūtra” genre. See the sheer number of Sūtra schools under the KYV:

  1. Baudhāyana
  2. Āpastamba
  3. Hiraṇyakeśī
  4. Mānava
  5. Bhāradvāja
  6. Vādhūla
  7. Vaikhānasa

All of the above 7 have both Śrauta & Gṛhya Sūtras, with there being additional Gṛhyasūtras (without corresponding śrautasūtras) such as Agniveśya & Kāṭhaka. There are Baudhāyana, Āpastamba, Hiraṇyakeśī and Vaikhānasa Dharmasūtras. The Sulbasūtras going into the geometry of altars are found for the Baudhāyana, Āpastamba, Hiraṇyakeśī, Mānava, Maitrāyaṇīya and Vaikhānasa (as part of its Śrautasūtra) schools.

Apart from this specious expansion of the Kalpasūtra genre for the KYV, a more important reason as to why I regard the KYV as the origin of the Kalpasūtra genre is because the Baudhāyana Śrauta Sūtra is technically not a Sūtra-text, consisting of short, terse sūtras. The Baudhāyana “Śrauta Sūtra” is actually a pravacana and Bodhāyana is properly called a Pravacanakara. What does this have to do with the temporal order of the Kalpasūtras? The Pravacana style is practically the same as the Brāhmaṇa genre. They are hardly distinguishable. Both are long-winding texts with lengthy explanations. The only difference is the lack of any philosophical detours in Bodhāyana’a pravacana that you see in the Brāhmaṇas. Bodhāyana’s Pravacana is much more exclusively focused on the ritual. It is most likely the starting point of the Kalpasūtra genre.

If Kalpasūtras (created for a very practical purpose of doing Vedic rites with ease) preceded the more philosophical Sūtras (Yoga, etc), it would be accurate to say that the great sage of the KYV school, Śrī Bodhāyana, was the seed from which the Sūtra genre sprouted.

Role among the vedas

The Ṛgveda is interesting with its historical Sūktas & deeply contemplative Sūktas (1.164, Nāsadīya, etc). The Atharvaveda is like an expanded RV Maṇḍala 10 (with lofty & not-so-lofty mantras) & “exotic”. The Sāmaveda is the font of our musical genius. What about the YV? The Yajurveda is the ultimate director, just like the Adhvaryu, and played a dominant role in leading the Dharma’s evolution.

Such is the Yajurvedī Prabhāva in the Dharma. //End Plus, we have Śatarudriyam, which has no equal & will have no equal. 😀