Yajnavalkya
Topic: The Vedic Age · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 7 "India's Cultural Roots"
Meaning
Yājñavalkya was a famous sage of the Upanishadic period. He appears in the Bṛihadāraṇyaka Upaniṣhad. He is best known for the debates at the court of King Janaka of Videha, where he answered the hardest questions of other scholars about the self (ātman) and brahman (the one divine essence behind all things). He shows the Upanishadic way of teaching through open questions and dialogue.
Example
At Janaka's court, the rishika Gārgī questioned Yājñavalkya closely about the nature of the world and of brahman. The Bṛihadāraṇyaka Upaniṣhad records this debate. It shows that a woman could take full part in philosophical argument with the most respected scholar of the day.
Don't confuse with
- Uddālaka Āruṇi: He is another Upanishadic sage. He is known for teaching his son Śhvetaketu "You are That" in the Chhāndogya Upaniṣhad, not for the debates at Janaka's court.
- Yājñavalkya Smṛiti: This is a much later law book named after the sage. It is a separate text, not part of the Upanishadic debates.