Yajnavalkya

Yajnavalkya (Sanskrit: याज्ञवल्क्य , Bengali: যাজ্ঞবল্ক্য ) was a Brahmin Vedic Rishi who lived in ancient India in pre-Buddhistic times. He is believed to have lived around 7th century BC.

As per Radha Kumud Mookerji, Yajnavalkya "was a representative man of his age, one of the most typical embodiment of all that was best and highest in Vedic culture and civilization".

Yajnavalkya is the first reputed author of the Shukla Yajur Veda, and was an authority figure as far as rituals in the Shatpatha Brahmana and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad are concerned.

Yajnavalkya belonged to eastern part of India because books which talk about him refer to eastern Indian regions like Kuru-Panchala, Kosala-Videha, Shvikna and Srinjaya.

Yajnavalkya was a student of Uddalaka Aruni (Sanskrit: उद्दालक आरुनि , Bengali: উদ্দালক আরুনি ) a Brahmin scholar from Kuru-Panchala region. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, vi , 3,7)

Yajnavalkya was a contemporary of Shvetaketu Aruneya (Sanskrit: श्वेतकेतु आरुणेय , Bengali: শ্বেতকেতু আরুণেয় ).

In his younger days, Yajnavalkya roamed through eastern India as a wandering scholar along with Shvetakeuta Aruneya and Somashusma Satyajyanin (Sanskrit: सोमशुस्म सात्ययज्ञिन , Bengali: শ্বেতকেতু আরুণেয় ).

In the court of King Janaka (Sanskrit: जनक विदेह , Bengali: জনক বিদেহ ) of Mithila, Yajnavalkya was famed for his learning and scholarship in Vedas and Vedic theology.

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That's it. Thank you for reading about Yajnavalkya. You may also like the following.

Interesting Facts about Rig Veda
Interesting Facts about Atharva Veda
Purpose of Hindu Philosophy 
Books on Vedas 
Prapanchasara Tantram

Further Reading
Men and Thought in Ancient India, Radha Kumud Mookerji

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