Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s6.133

v1.c3.s6.133

Competition among the bards appears to have been known. This is one of the sides of the riddle poetry (Brahmodya) that forms a distinctive feature³⁰ of the Vedic ritual of the Aśvamedha, or horse sacrifice. In the Upaniṣad period such competitions were quite frequent. The most famous was that of Yājñavalkya, which was held at the court of Janaka of Videha, as detailed in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad,³¹ and which was a source of annoyance to Ajātaśatru of Kāśī.³² According to an analogous practice, a Brāhmaṇa, like Uddālaka Aruṇi, would go about disputing with all he came across, and compete with them for a prize of money.³³