Vatsa-Sruti

This is a source objected to as fictitious by Appayyadiksita, and following him, by Mesquita also. In fact:

1. In the Visnu Purana,²³ the recensions of various Vedas are discussed, and a guru-sisya parampara is described from Paila, one of the direct disciples of Vyasa. There (verse 3.4.22), each of the following five disciples of Devamitra Sakalya are mentioned as having received a Samhita each of the RV from their Guru: Mudgala, Galava, Vatsa, Saliya, Sisira. These all correspond to Vedic recensions only: a Sisira sakha is known, as are the RV Kramapatha of Babhravya Galava, and the Mudgala Upanisad. This is strong collateral evidence for the onetime existence of the Vatsa sakha also (remnants may still remain).

2. The Mahabhasya of Patanjali²⁴at 4.2.104 reads Gargakam $\vert$ Vatsakam $\vert$ Maudakam $\vert$ Paippaladakam ... Kalapakam, etc.--the other names on the list are of Vedic recensions: Mauda and Paippalada of AV, Kalapaka the same as Maitrayani, Garga of SV--so must `Vatsa' also be.

3. All the versions of the ancient text Caranavyuha clearly state²⁵ that Vatsa (also called Paundravatsa) was a school of the Vajasaneyi Yajur Veda.

4. Hemadri (13th cent.) has quoted the Vatsa Grhya.²⁶ Once more, the existence of a Grhya is strong evidence for the recension.

5. The Vedavrksa²⁷ mentions a YV sakha named Paundravatsa.