Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.6.64-65
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Mantras Collected by Partridges
“Yājñavalkya, the son of Devarāta, then vomited the mantras of the Yajur Veda and went away from there. The assembled disciples, looking greedily upon these yajur hymns, assumed the form of partridges and picked them all up. These divisions of the Yajur Veda therefore became known as the most beautiful Taittirīya-saṁhitā, the hymns collected by partridges [tittirāḥ].”
What the purport teaches
- Yājñavalkya, the son of Devarāta, vomited the mantras of the Yajur Veda and departed.
- The purport explains that collecting what has been vomited is improper for a brāhmaṇa. The powerful disciples therefore assumed the form of partridges to collect the valuable mantras.
- These divisions became known as the most beautiful Taittirīya-saṁhitā, the hymns collected by partridges.
Try this today
Write down how the name Taittirīya-saṁhitā relates to the collection of these hymns.
Ask yourself
What does the disciples’ eagerness to collect these mantras show about their value?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.