Vyasa

From The Book of THoTH (Leaves of Wisdom)

Vyasa (Sanskrit: व्यास, vyāsa in IAST transliteration) or Veda Vyasa (वेद व्यास, veda vyāsa) is an important and much revered figure in the Hindu tradition and its literature. He is considered to be an ideal Brahmarishi- omniscient, truthful, purest of the pure and possessor of knowledge of the essence of Brahman.

Part of a series on Hindu philosophy
Schools
Samkhya · Nyaya
Vaisheshika · Yoga
Purva Mimamsa · Vedanta
Schools of Vedanta
Advaita · Vishishtadvaita
Dvaita
Important figures
Kapila · Gotama
Kanada · Patañjali
Jaimini · Vyasa
Adi Shankara · Ramanuja
Madhva

Contents 1 The legend of Vyasa 2 'Veda' Vyasa 3 Author of Mahabharata 4 Author of Puranas 5 Vyasa in Buddhism 6 In the Arthashastra 7 Author of Brahma Sutra 8 Author of Yoga Bhashya 9 References 10 External links

The legend of Vyasa

Vyasa appears for the first time as the author and an important character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The epic, whilst having its roots in historical events centuries before the common era, is an extraordinarily long compendium of legend, myth, philosophy and semi-historical material about ancient India. It is impossible to point out when the 'Historical' Vyasa lived or disentangle a factual story from the legendary material contained in the epic. According to the Mahabharata, he was the son of Satyavati, a ferryman's daughter, and the wandering sage Parashara. He was born on an island in the River Yamuna. The place is near a town Kalpi in Jaluan district in Uttar Pradesh. He was dark in colour and hence was named Krishna and as he was born on an island (Sanskrit Dweepa), he was also called Dwaipayana. Krishna-Dwaipayana is the proper name he is generally known as. The child grew up to be an adult as soon as he was born and adopted the life of an ascetic and soon became one of the greatest Rishi (Sages).

In the Puranas, especially the Vishnu-Purana and Bhagavata-Purana, he is considered an incarnation -- Avatara -- of Vishnu.

Vyasa is considered to be one of the seven immortals in Hindu mythology.

'Veda' Vyasa

It is traditionally held by Hindus that the sage classified the primordial single Veda into four. Hence he was called Veda Vyasa, or "Splitter of the Vedas," the splitting being a feat that allowed mortals to understand the divine knowledge of the Veda. The word vyasa means split, differentiate, or describe. This title is the most popular way of referring to him.

It has been debated whether Vyasa was a single person or a class of scholars who did the splitting. The Vishnu-Purana has an interesting theory about Vyasa. The Hindu view of the universe is that of a cyclic phenomenon that comes into existence and dissolves repeatedly. Each cycle is presided over by a number of Manus, one for each Manvantara, that has four ages, Yugas of declining virtues. The Dvapara is the third Yuga. The Purana (Book 3, Ch 3) says:

In every third world age (Dvapara), Vishnu, in the person of Vyasa, in order to promote the good of mankind, divides the Veda, which is properly but one, into many portions. Observing the limited perseverance, energy, and application of mortals, he makes the Veda four-fold, to adapt it to their capacities; and the bodily form which he assumes, in order to effect that classification, is known by the name of Veda-vyasa. Of the different Vyasas in the present Manvantara and the branches which they have taught, you shall have an account. Twenty-eight times have the Vedas been arranged by the great Rishis in the Vaivasvata Manvantara... and consequently eight and twenty Vyasas have passed away; by whom, in the respective periods, the Veda has been divided into four. The first... distribution was made by Svayambhu (Brahma) himself; in the second, the arranger of the Veda (Vyasa) was Prajapati... (and so on up to twenty-eight).

Author of Mahabharata

Vyasa is traditionally known as author of this epic. But he also features as an important character in it. His mother later married the king of Hastinapura, and had two sons. Both sons died without an issue and taking recourse to an ancient practice called Niyoga where a chosen man can father sons with the widow of a person who dies issueless, she requests Vyasa to produce sons on behalf of her dead son Vichitravirya. Vyasa fathers the princes Dhritarashtra and Pandu, by Ambika and Ambalika, the wives of dead king. The sequence of events also leads to a third son, Vidura, by a serving maid to the queens. While these are 'legally' not his sons, another son Shuka, born of a celestial nymph, is considered his true spiritual heir. He thus was the grandfather of both the warring parties of the Mahabharata, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He makes occasional appearances in the story as a spiritual guide to the young princes. In the first book the Mahabharata, and is said that he asked Ganesha to aid him in writing it down. It is said that Ganesha imposed a condition that Vyasa narrate the story without pause, and Vyasa made a counter-condition that Lord Ganesh understand the verse before he transcribed it. This is supposed to explain the complicated Sanskrit used in some sections of the Mahabharata, recited by Vyasa when he wanted a break.

Author of Puranas

In addition to the epic, he is also credited with the writing of the eighteen major, if not all, Puranas.His son Shuka is the narrator of the major Purana Bhagavata-Purana.

Vyasa in Buddhism

Vyasa appears as Kanha-dipayana (the Pali version of his name) in two Jataka tales: the Kanha-dipayana Jataka and Ghata Jataka.Whilst the former in which he appers as the Bodisattva has no relation to his tales from the Hindu works, his role in the latter one has parallels in an important event in the Mahabhrata.

In the 16th book of the epic, Mausala Parva, the end of the Vrishnis, clansmen of Vyasa's namesake and Vishnu incarnate Krishna is narrated. The epic says: One day, the Vrishni heroes .. saw Vishvamitra, Kanwaand Narada arrived at Dwaraka. Afflicted by the rod of chastisement wielded by the deities, those heroes, causing Samba to be disguised like a woman, approached those ascetics and said, ‘This one is the wife of Vabhru of immeasurable energy who is desirous of having a son. Ye Rishis, do you know for certain what this one will bring forth?Those ascetics, attempted to be thus deceived, said: ‘This heir of Vasudeva, by name Samba, will bring forth a fierce iron bolt for the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.

The important Bhagavata-Purana (Chapter 11) narrates: The sages Visvâmitra, Asita, Kanva, Durvâsâ, Bhrigu, Angirâ, Kas'yapa, Vâmadeva, Atri, Vasishthha, along with Nârada and others, [once] stayed in the house of the lord of the Yadus [Krishna]...The young boys of the Yadu dynasty playing [there] approached them with Sâmba the son of Jâmbavati dressed up in woman's clothes. Taking hold of their feet they, feigning humility, impudently asked: 'This black-eyed pregnant woman wishing for a son, o learned ones, too embarrassed to ask it herself, is asking you whether you, with your vision never clouded, can tell if she'll give birth to a son or not?' The sages thus tricked said angered to the boys, o King: 'For you, o fools, she'll give birth to a mace which will destroy the dynasty!

The Ghata Jataka has a different spin on it: The Vrishnis, wishing to test Kanha-dipayana's powers of clairvoyance, played a practical joke on him. They tied a pillow to the belly of a young lad, and dressing him up as a woman, took him to the ascetic and asked when the baby would be born. The ascetic replied that on the seventh day the person before him would give birth to a knot of acacia wood which would destroy the race of Vásudeva. The youths thereupon fell on him and killed him, but his prophecy came true .

Notably, he is not the Bodhisattva in the Ghata Jataka.

In the Arthashastra

The only non-religious book in which Vyasa has an interesting entry is the Arthashastra of Chanakya. In chapter 6, it says: Whosoever is of reverse character, whoever has not his organs of sense under his control, will soon perish, though possessed of the whole earth bounded by the four quarters. For example: Bhoja, known also by the name, Dándakya, making a lascivious attempt on a Bráhman maiden, perished along with his kingdom and relations; so also Karála, the Vaideha... Vátápi in his attempt under the influence of overjoy to attack Agastya, as well as the corporation of the Vrishnis in their attempt against Dvaipáyana.'

This reference matches the Jataka version and has lead some scholars to speculate that in the older versions Vyasa died in this attack, though the Arthashastra is actually speaking about the destruction of the attackers.

Author of Brahma Sutra

The Brahma-Sutra is attributed to Badarayana — which makes him the proponent of the crest-jewel school of Hindu philosophy, i.e., Vedanta. As the island on which Vyasa was born is said to have been covered by Badara (Indian jujube) trees, he is known as Badarayana. Though traditionally, Vyasa is considered the Badarayana who wrote the Sutras, many historians think these were two different personalities.

Author of Yoga Bhashya

This text is a commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Vyasa is credited with this work also, though this is improbable, if Vyasa's immortality is not considered, as it is a late text

References

• The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa,translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli,published between 1883 and 1896
• The Arthashastra, translated by Shamasastry, 1915
• The Vishnu-Purana, translated by H. H. Wilson, 1840
• The Bhagavata-Purana, translated by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, 1988 copyright Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
• The Jataka or Stories of the Buddha's Former Births, edited by E. B. Cowell, 1895

External links

• Srîmad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana), The Story of the Fortunate One (complete)
• The Mahabharata Ganguli translation, full text at sacred-texts.com
• The Vishnu Purana Full text of the H.H. Wilson translation at sacred-texts.com

The Mahabharata by Vyasa
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