Eternal truths of Hinduism, either in philosophy, or religion or dharma have come down to us through the Maharishis in the past. Vedas are the records of Maharishis, who comprehended the truths through their divine power, otherwise called tapas and yoga. Among such eminent Vedic sages, Yogeeswara Yagnavalkya occupies an exalted position as he played a very important role in the renaissance of India’s ancient Vedic culture. Yagnavalkya was a renowned sage, a Chaturvedi Brahmishta, foremost seer of the Vedic era and doughty exponent of the Shukla Yajur Veda, pre-eminent purveyor of Advaita, a personification of tejas and the best of sages. He had adorned and graced our land during the Vedic period of Ramavatara and Krishnavatara. Yagnavalkya’s life and teachings constitute the corner stone of the basic philosophy and tenets of Sanatana Dharma. He was a beacon light of what an ideally liberated soul or jivan mukta could achieve in this world, for the common good of the humanity. He was the foremost of the apostles of the Advaita philosophy who had contributed to the spiritual and Vedic renaissance. The entire gamut of Hinduism rests on the solid foundation of Advaita, propounded by Yogeeswara Yagnavalkya in crystal clear terms in the Maha Vakya of the Shukla Yajur Veda – AHAM BRAHMASMI – “I am Braman”
The quintessence of the teachings of Yogeeswara Yagnavalkya is found in the immortal Satapatha Brahmana, an authoritative treatise on various types of sacrifices and related rituals, the self-elevating Brihadarnayaka Upanishad, a veritable reservoir of Brahma Jnaan and the foremost of the ten Upanishads, the transcendental Isavasya Upanishad which is a superb treatise of superlative wisdom. The expansive and outstanding part of the classical Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is the Yagnavalkya Kanda. The Isavasya Upanishad is another equally important masterpiece, presenting in brief the compass of eighteen theological doctrines. The Satapatha Brahmana, the Brihadaranyaka and Isavasya Upanishads belong to Shukla Yajur Veda, which was revealed by the Lord Surya, the Sun God himself to Yogeeswara Yagnavalkya, for the propagation to mankind. Seekers of knowledge are bound to benefit a great deal by a study of the Satapatha Brahmana and the two soul stirring Upanishads.
Yogeeswara Yagnavalkya besides being an erudite scholar had distinguished himself in many other fields of human activity. In fact, he has been acclaimed as one of the lawgivers of ancient India, because his teachings and writings abound in the exposition of law. Yagnavalkya Smriti, an embodiment of legal tenets, is a fundamental source of the Hindu Law. A major part of the present provisions of the Hindu Law has been based and derived from Yagnavalkya Smriti, dealing with the intricate scheme of human conduct and affairs of life. In this magnum opus, Yagnavalkya has dealt with various matters, statecraft and regulations relating to the administration of a state by the ruler, pubic relationship and duty toward citizens and the society, laws governing the family and the reprimand and punishment to be meted out to the wrong doers by the authority, tempered with utmost fairness and moral justice, impartiality, equality and equity. Yagnavalkya has laid down exhaustive laws
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