KAATYAAYANA

Kaatyaayana does not happen to be a seer in vedic texts, but he is the composer of a famous ritual or Shrout text on White Yajurveda. Puraanic texts indicate that word Kaatyaayana is connected with Kata, son of seer Vishwaamitra and seer of of Rigveda 3.17 and 3.19. In puraanic texts, there are contexts of seer Kaatyaayana, the most important of which seems to be that he gives sermons on second character of Durgaa Saptashati, the famous composition of verses which is recited by every Hindu devotee. In this second character, there is description of how a goddess was born out of brightness of gods and only she could kill the demon Mahishaasura. Kaatyaayana has been quoted as having added his own brightness to the brightness of gods and then the goddess was born. In order to understand the nature of Kaatyaayana, it is necessary to understand the nature of Mahishaasura or buffalo demon. Buffalo is the carrier of god Yama, the god of mortality while bull is the carrier of Lord Shiva. Shiva puraana clarifies the difference between the two. Mahisha or buffalo is bound with time cycle, while bull is free from it. The nature of Kaatyaayana seems to be how to avoid the fruits of action while living in this world. In mythology, he has been depicted as taking lessons from god Skanda Kartikeya on grammer. Skanda himself seems to be connected with different levels of human consciousness. In killing of Mahishaasura, brightness of gods and brightness of humans both are required.