Why we are called Shukla
pnshukla
I am glad that yoy have started a Google Group of Mamkhor Shuklas. I
would certainly like to join it, but it seems that the last date has
expired. Please let me know as to how I can join it now.
One comment I would like to offer is about why we are called Shuklas.
The story goes like this:
Veda Vyasa had given the charge of preserving the Yajurveda to one of
his disciples, Vaishampayana. He used to teach the Yajurveda to his
disciples. His nephew (Bhanja) Yagyavalkya was one of his disciples.
Once Yagyavalkya made some derogatory remarks about his classmates.
Sage Vaishampayana did not like it and cursed Yagyavalkya to the
effect that he would forget whatever he was taught.
Yagyavalkya felt very insulted and, therefore, performed a tapa to
get the favor of the Sun god. Lord Sun was pleased with his tapasya
and came to ask him about his wish. Ygyavalkya told him that he would
like to get back the knowledge of the Yajurveda that he had lost but
in a different format than what was taught to him by Sage
Vaishampayana. The Sun.god taught him the Yajurveda with different
mantras but with the same contents. This new version of the Yajurveda
was called the Shukla Yajurveda. The original version was then called
the Krishna Yajurveda. The Shukla Yajurveda became popular in North
India whereas the Krishna Yajurveda is more popular in the South.
Three different families of Brahmans (with different gotras) were
chosen by Yagyavalkya to preserve the Shukla Yajurveda. They were all
later called Shuklas. Mamkhor Shuklas are of Garg gotra because they
are the descendents of Rishi Garg. Mamkhor remained the center of
studies of the Shukla Yajurveda for many years. That is why it is
associated with the Garg gotri Shuklas.
With best wishes,
Shyam Narayan