The priests who used the hymns of the Yajur Veda during fire sacrifices were
called ‘Yajus’ or ‘Adhwaryu’.Family—He had two wives. The elder was named Katayani, and the second was
called Maitreyi. From the elder wife, he had a son named Katyanana. [Skandpuran,
Nagar Khand, 130; Brihad Aranya Upanishad, 4/5/1.] According to ‘Yogi
Yagyawalkya’, a hand book on Yoga, his third wife was Gargi, though she is depicted
as a rival interviewer who tested the sage’s erudition and scholarship in Brihad
Aranyaka Upanishad. [Yogi Yagyawalkya, edited by Upendranath, Vasumati—
Calcutta, 1-5.]Sanyas—Though Yagyavalkya was externally a householder sage and seer, he was
internally a self-realised and an enlightened man, a sincere ascetic and a renunciate
monk who knew the futility of worldly pursuits. He was not preaching what he did
not believe in. So he finally took to the eclectic path of Sanyas as clearly mentioned
in Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad, 4/5/15.Works—Yagyawalkya wrote great texts on Yoga, metaphysics and law pertaining to
daily life, much like Manu’s Smiriti Law. (i) Yagyawalkya Sanhita contains religious
laws; (ii) Yog Sanhita was composed in the hermitage of sage Upmanyu [Kurma
Puran, 25.]; and (iii) Yogi Yagyawalkya on Yoga philosophy.
Yagyawalkya was a great and acclaimed Yogi (an ascetic) as well as a
metaphysical philosopher and preacher par-excellence who was well-versed in the
knowledge of Brahm and the Atma.]‚ÊŒ⁄U ø⁄UŸ ‚⁄UÙ¡ ¬πÊ⁄U – •Áà ¬ÈŸËà •Ê‚Ÿ ’ÒΔUÊ⁄UH 5H
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sādara carana sarōja pakhārē. ati punīta āsana baiṭhārē. 5.
kari pūjā muni sujasu bakhānī. bōlē ati punīta mṛdu bānī. 6.
Sage Bharadwaj reverentially washed the feet of sage Yagyawalkya and seated him
respectfully on a very clean seating-mat. (5)
Then after duly worshipping the great sage, praising his glories and reputation
as a wise, learned and enlightened sage, he (Bharadwaj) said most politely and in a
reverentially tone^1 —(6)
[Note—^1 When the person who wants to learn anything and is sincere about it, he is
very polite and humble while approaching the teacher for knowledge or removal of
doubts. The teacher whom he approaches for an answer is a wise man, and so he
senses the seekers earnestness. A good teacher cannot refuse, but feels that it is his
moral duty to enlighten the other person and impart the knowledge he seeks. Refer:
Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line no. 4 that precedes Doha no. 48.
The same thing has happened when Uma, the divine consort of Lord Shiva,
approached the Lord to remove certain doubts she had in her mind regarding the
divinity of Lord Ram—refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, from Chaupai line no. 2
that precedes Doha no. 107—to Chaupai line no. 6 that precedes Doha no. 111.
Refer also to Ram Charit Manas, Uttar Kand, Chaupai line nos. 4-5 that precede
Doha no. 64 where we learn that it was on the most polite and humble request of
Garud, the celestial eagle which is the mount of Lord Vishnu, that the crow-saint
Kaagbhusund narrated the story of Lord Ram for his benefit.
Earlier, Garud had bowed his head before Lord Shiva and had very politely asked
him to remove his doubts about the divine reality of Lord Ram, but the Lord sent him
to Kaagbhusund because a bird would better understand the language of another