Yajnavalkya Jayanti

Yajnavalkya Jayanti ( Sanskrit: याज्ञवल्क्य जयंती ) is a Hindu festival to celebrate the birth anniversary of the Vedic sage Brahmarshi Yajnavalkya. It is celebrated on three to four different dates in different parts of the Indian Subcontinent according to the believes of the scholars in different communities.

Yajnavalkya Jayanti याज्ञवल्क्य जयंती
Idols of the Vedic sage Yajnavalkya and Lord Suryanarayana at Yajnavalkya Ashram in Mithila region
Nickname	Yajnavalkya Janmoshtav

Dates of Yajnavalkya Jayanti

In northern India, scholars believe that Yajnavalkya was born on the Phalgun Shukla Panchami. Some scholars believe Phalgun Krishna Panchmi as his birth date. Similarly in some parts of the subcontinent, scholars believe Kartika Shukla Dwadashi as his birth day. In Gujarat Yajnavalkya's birthday is considered to be on the seventh day in the month of Kartika.

Background

According to Puranas , the Vedic Sage Yajnavalkya is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Brahma. So he is also called Brahmarshi. In Puranas there is a story related to the incarnation of Lord Brahma as the Brahmarshi Yajnavalkya. According to the story, when Lord Brahma gave place to Gayatri instead of his wife Savitri in a Yajna, then Savitri cursed him in anger due to which he was later born as Yajnavalkya in the house of a sage Charan. According to the Skanda Purana, Lord Brahma incarnated himself as Yajnavalkya in response to a curse from Lord Shiva. According to Shrimad Bhagwat Purana, he was the son of Devarata. Being blessed with a son his father was also known as Devarata. He was born to Brahmaratha and Sunanda in the Kingdom of Mithila. His father Brahmaratha, also known as 'Vajasani' and 'Devarata', was an expert in the Vedas and his mother Devi Sunanda was the daughter of sage Sakala. His father was called as Vajasani because he used to donate food every day. Presently there is a place called as Yajnavalkya Ashram at Jagban village of Madhubani district in the Mithila region believed to be the location of residence place related to the sage Yajnavalkya. It is believed about him that in the seventh year he received education from his maternal uncle Vaishmpayana and memorized all the verses of the Vedas. Once when Vaishmpayana became angry with Yajnavalkya for a dispute, then Yajnavalkya was ordered to vomited out the Shrutis. Consequently young Yajnavalkya vomitted all the Shrutis learnt from his teacher Vaishmpayana. Then other sages and students present there took the beautiful Mantras in the form of partridges ( Tittiri ). This branch of Yajurveda came to be known as the Taittiriya Samhita. It is the part of Krishna Yajurveda. It is believed that he obtained his forgotten knowledge of Yajurveda by the grace of Lord Surya. After that he wrote Shatapatha Brahmana, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Ishopanishad, Pratyekshasutra, Yajnavalkaya Smriti, Yoga Yajnavalkya etc , which are treasures of Hindu religion and culture. So Yajnavalkya is also considered as the father of the ancient Indian Philosophy. According to Matsya Purana, Yajnavalkya is referred the Gotrakar of the Vasishtha clan having name Yagyadutta. Similarly Yajnavalkya has been referred to as Kaushika in many texts including the Mahabharata.

Observances

His birth anniversary is celebrated every year with great reverence and devotion. On this occasion, prayers, worship and meetings are organized all over India and the texts written by Rishi Shrestha are recited. Also, people try to implement his teachings in their lives and guide themselves. The philosophy of Yajnavalkya is considered to be the philosophy of the soul. Yajnavalkya Jayanti is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Brahmin communities in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. It is also celebrated in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

Every year on the Phalgun Shukla Panchami, one day cultural program is organised at the campus of the Yajnavalkya Ashram in the Mithila region locally known as Yajnavalkya Mahotsava.