व्यास

यन्त्रोपारोपितकोशांशः

कल्पद्रुमः

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

व्यासः, पुं, (वि + अस् + घञ् ।) विस्तारः । इत्यमरः ॥ (यथा, महाभारते । १ । १ । ५१ । “विस्तीर्य्यैतत् महज्ज्ञानमृषिः संक्षिप्य चाब्रवीत् । इष्टं हि विदुषां लोके समासव्यासधारणम् ॥” “समासः संक्षेपः व्यासो विस्तारः ।” इति तट्टीका ॥) मानभेदः । इति शब्दरत्नावली ॥ पाठकब्राह्मणः । यथा, नैयतकालिकतल्पतरौ भविष्यपुराणम् ॥ “विस्पष्टमद्रुतं शान्तं स्पष्टाक्षरपदं तथा । कलस्वरसमायुक्तं रसभावसमन्वितम् ॥ बुध्यमानः सदर्थं वै ग्रन्थार्थं कृत्स्नशो नृप । ब्राह्मणादिषु सर्व्वेषु ग्रन्थार्थञ्चार्पयेन्नृप । य एवं वाचयेद्ब्रह्मन् स विप्रो व्यास उच्यते ॥” इति तिथ्यादितत्त्वम् ॥ गोलस्य मध्यरेखा । यथा, -- “व्यासे भनन्दाग्निहते विभक्ते खवाणसूर्य्यैः परिधिस्तु सूक्ष्मः । द्वाविंशतिघ्ने विहृतेऽथ शैलैः स्थूलोऽथवा स्याद्ब्यवहारयोगः ॥” उदाहरणम् । “विष्कम्भमानं किल यत्र सप्त तत्र प्रमाणं परिधेः प्रचक्ष्व । द्बाविंशतिर्यत् परिधिप्रमाणं तद्व्याससंख्या च सखे विचिन्त्य ॥” इति लीलावती ॥ * ॥ (व्यास्यति वेदानिति । वि + आ + अस् + अच् ।) मुनिविशेषः । तस्य पर्य्यायो वेदव्यास- शब्दे द्रष्टव्यः ॥ (अस्य निरुक्तिर्यथा महा- भारते । १ । १०५ । १४ । “यो व्यस्य वेदांश्चतुरस्तपसा भगवानृषिः । लोके व्यासत्वमापेदे कार्ष्णात् कृष्णत्वमेव च ॥”) स च सत्यवत्यां कन्याकाले पराशराज्जातः । श्रीकृष्णस्य पञ्चकलोद्भवः । यथा, -- “व्यासः पुराणसूत्रञ्च पप्रच्छ वाल्मिकं यदा । मौनीभूतः स सस्मार त्वामेव जगदम्बिकाम् ॥ तदा चकार सिद्धान्तं त्वद्बरेण मुनीश्वरः । संप्राप निर्म्मलं ज्ञानं भ्रमान्धध्वंसदीपकम् ॥ पुराणसूत्रं श्रुत्वा स व्यासः पञ्चकलोद्भवः । त्वां सिषेवे प्रदध्यौ च शतवर्षञ्च पुष्करे ॥ तदा त्वत्तो वरं प्राप्य स कवीन्द्रो बभूव ह । पञ्चदशे त्र्यायणः । अष्टादशे ऋतञ्चयः । एक- विंशे वाजश्रवाः । द्बाविंशे शुष्मापणः । त्रयो- विंशे तृणविन्दुः । चतुर्व्विंशे वाल्मीकिः । पञ्च- विंशे विष्णुः । अन्यत् विष्णपुराणवत् ॥ (एतद्- विवरणञ्च देवीभागवते १ स्कन्धे ३ अध्याये च द्रष्टव्यम् ॥)

अमरकोशः

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

व्यास पुं।

व्यासः

समानार्थक:व्यास,द्वैपायन,पाराशर्य,सत्यवतीसुत

2।7।36।4।1

उपस्पर्शस्त्वाचमनमथ मौनमभाषणम्. प्राचेतसश्चादिकविः स्यान्मैत्रावरुणिश्च सः। वाल्मीकिश्चाथ गाधेयो विश्वामित्रश्च कौशिकः। व्यासो द्वैपायनः पाराशर्यः सत्यवतीसुतः। आनुपूर्वी स्त्रियां वावृत्परिपाटी अनुक्रमः॥

पदार्थ-विभागः : , द्रव्यम्, आत्मा, ऋषिः

व्यास पुं।

विस्तारः

समानार्थक:परिणाह,विशालता,विस्तार,विग्रह,व्यास

3।2।22।1।3

विस्तारो विग्रहो व्यासः स च शब्दस्य विस्तरः। संवाहनं मर्दनं स्याद्विनाशः स्याददर्शनम्.।

पदार्थ-विभागः : , गुणः, परिमाणः

वाचस्पत्यम्

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

व्यास¦ पु॰ व्यस्यति वेदान् वि + अस--घञ्।

१ पराशरसुते मु-निभेदे व्यासश्च नारायणस्य पञ्चकलावतारभेदः यथोक्तं[Page4989-a+ 38] ब्रह्मवै॰ पु॰

४ अ॰
“व्यासः पुराणसूत्रञ्च पप्रच्छ बाल्मिकंयदा। मौनीभूतः स सस्मार त्वामेव जगदम्बिकाम्। तदा चकार सिद्धान्तं त्वद्वरेण मुनीश्वरः। संप्राप निर्मलंज्ञानं भ्रमान्धध्वंसदीपकम्। पुराणसूत्रं श्रुत्वा सव्यासः पञ्चकलोद्भवः। त्वां सिषेवे प्रदध्यौ च शतवर्षञ्चपुष्करे। तदा त्वत्तोवरं प्राप्य स कवीन्द्रो वभूव ह। तदी वेदविभागञ्च पुराणञ्च चकार ह”। स च कन्याकालेसत्यवत्यां पराशराज्जातः कालीनशब्दे

१९

९३ पृ॰ दृश्यम्वेदव्यासशब्दोक्तेषु मुनिभेदेषु च

२ समासादिसमा-नार्थके विग्रहवाक्ये

४ विस्वारे अमरः वृत्तक्षेत्रस्य म-ध्यस्थरेखायाम्
“व्यासे भनन्दाग्निहते” लीला॰ क्षेत्र-शब्दे

२४

०१ पृ॰ दृश्यम्।
“यएवं वाचयेद्विप्रा सब्रह्मन्! व्यास उच्यते” इत्युक्ते

५ पुराणपाठके विप्रे च

६ मानभेदे शब्दर॰।

शब्दसागरः

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

व्यास¦ m. (-सः)
1. A celebrated saint and author, the supposed original compiler of the Ve4das and Pura4n4as; also the founder of the Ve4da4nta philosophy.
2. Diffusion, extension.
3. Detail, distinc- tion, severalty.
4. A measure.
5. The diameter of a circle.
6. A fault in pronunciation.
7. Arrangement, compilation.
8. The [Page700-a+ 60] analysis of a compound word.
9. A public reader of the Pura4n4as. E. वि and आङ् before अस् to pervade, aff. घञ् |

Apte

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

व्यासः [vyāsḥ], 1 Distribution, separation into parts.

Dissolution or analysis of a compound.

Severalty, distinction.

Diffusion, extension; तस्यैव व्यासमिच्छामि ज्ञातुं ते भगवन् यथा Bhāg.6.4.2.

Width, breadth.

The diameter of a circle.

A fault in pronunciation.

Arrangement, compliation.

An arranger, a compiler; द्वैपायनो$स्मि व्यासानां कवीनां काव्य आत्मवान् Bhāg. 11.16.28.

N. of a celebrated sage. [He was the son of the sage Parāśara by Satyavatī (born before her marriage with Śantanu q. v.); but he retired to the wilderness as soon as he was born, and there led the life of a hermit, practising the most rigid austerities until he was called by his mother Satyavatī to beget sons on the widows of her son Vichitravīrya. He was thus the father of Pāṇḍu and Dhṛitarāṣṭra and also of Vidura; q. q. v. v. He was at first called 'Kṛiṣṇadvaipāyana' from his dark complexion and from his having been brought forth by Satyavatī on a Dvīpa or island; but he afterwards came to be called Vyāsa or 'the arranger,' as he was supposed to have arranged the Vedas in their present form; विव्यास वेदान् यस्मात् स तस्माद् व्यास इति स्मृतः cf. also जातः स यमुनद्वीपे द्वैपायन इति स्मृतः । व्यस्य वेदान् समस्ताश्च व्यासतामगमद्विभुः ॥ Bm.1.214. He is believed to be the author of the great epic, the Mahābhārata, which he is said to have composed with Gaṇapati for his scribe. The eighteen Purāṇas, as also the Brahma-sūtras and several other works are also ascribed to him. He is one of the seven chirajeevins or deathless persons; cf. चिरजीविन्.]

A Brāhmaṇa who recites or expounds the Purāṇas in public. -Comp. -पीठम् the seat of the an expounder of the Purāṇas-पूजा N. of the observance of honouring one's preceptor, performed on the 15th of the bright half of Āṣāḍha. -समास (dual) details and the aggregate; आयव्ययौ च व्याससमासाभ्यामाचक्षीत Kau. A.2.9.

Monier-Williams

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

व्यास/ व्य्-आस m. severing , separation , division Sarvad.

व्यास/ व्य्-आस m. a kind of drawl (as a fault in pronunciation) , A1Pra1t.

व्यास/ व्य्-आस m. extension , diffusion , prolixity , detailed account( instr. ; abl. and 709340 -तस्ind. in detail , at length , fully) MBh. Sus3r. BhP.

व्यास/ व्य्-आस m. width , breadth , the diameter of a circle S3ulbas. VarBr2S.

व्यास/ व्य्-आस m. " distributing , disjoining " , N. of the पद-पाठor " disjoined text " Apra1t.

व्यास/ व्य्-आस m. " arranger , compiler " , N. of a celebrated mythical sage and author (often called वेद-व्यासand regarded as the original compiler and arranger of the वेदs , वेदा-न्त- सूत्रs etc. ; he was the son of the sage पराशरand सत्यवती, and half-brother of विचित्र-वीर्यand भीष्म; he was also called वादरायणor बादरायण, and कृष्णfrom his dark complexion , and द्वैपायनbecause he was brought forth by सत्यवतीon a द्वीपor island in the Jumna ; when grown up he retired to the wilderness to lead the life of a hermit , but at his mother's request returned to become the husband of विचित्र-वीर्य's two childless widows , by whom he was the father of the blind धृत-राष्ट्रand of पाण्डु; he was also the father of विदुर[See. ] by a slave girl , and of शुक, the supposed narrator of the भागवत- पुराण, he was also the supposed compiler of the महा-भारत, the पुराणs , and other portions of Hindu sacred literature ; but the name व्यासseems to have been given to any great typical compiler or author) MBh. Hariv. Pur. See. IW. 371 n. 2 ; 373 etc.

व्यास/ व्य्-आस m. a Brahman who recites or expounds the पुराणs etc. in public (= पाठक-ब्राह्मण) MW.

व्यास/ व्य्-आस n. a bow weighing 100 पलs L.

व्यास/ व्य्-आस etc. See. p. 1035 , col. 2.

Purana index

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

(I)--an अम्शावतार of विष्णु; also known as Dvai- पायन and कृष्ण; son of पराशर and वासवी (सत्यवती) in द्वापर yuga. Father of शुक; appointed by his mother, he begot three sons on his brother's wife being childless- धृतराष्ट्र, पाण्डु and Vidura. फलकम्:F1:  भा. I. 2. 4; 4. १४-15; IX. २२. २२-25; XII. 6. ३६; III. 5. १९-20; M. १५. 8; १८०. ६४; Br. III. १०. ७९-80; १३. ७७.फलकम्:/F Rearranged the Vedas into four parts, and taught each of them to four respective pupils--Paila, वैशम्पायन, Jaimini and Sumantu. Re- arranged इतिहास-Pura1n2as also; composed the भारत for स्त्रीशूद्र-dvijabandhus; composed also the भागवत and taught it to his son शुक, having heard it from नारद. फलकम्:F2:  भा. XII. 6. ४९-53; I. 4. १६-25; 7. 1-8; II. 9. ४४; III. 5. १० and १२; XII. 4. ४२; १३. १९; Br. I. 1. २५; II. ३१. २८; ३३. ३२-3; ३४. ११-12; III. १७. २९५.फलकम्:/F  When he felt a mental dissatisfaction, नारद met him and was praised. Asked as to the reason for his uneasiness, नारद emphasised devotion to Hari as the means of release and proceeded to narrate the story of his previous birth. When the sage left व्यास retired to his hermitage शम्या- प्रास on the सरस्वती and meditated on the Lord who appeared before him with माया depending on him. Learnt [page३-350+ ३७] devotion as the means of ending सम्सार। फलकम्:F3:  भा. I. 4. ३०-33; chh. 5 and 6 (whole); 7. 1-4;फलकम्:/F One of युधिष्- ठिर's party on a visit to भीष्म; was a Purohita at कृष्ण's sacrifice at कुरुक्षेत्र; told the history of Citraketu to शुक who bowed to him. फलकम्:F4:  Ib. I. 8. ४६; 9. 2; X. ९०. ४६[2]; VI. १४. 9; VII. 1. 5.फलकम्:/F Heard श्रुतिगीता from नारायण. Faith in क्रियायोग; a siddha. फलकम्:F5:  Ib. X. ८७. ४७-8; XI. २७. 2; VI. १५. १२.फलकम्:/F Taught लोमहर्षण about the future of the world and its history. फलकम्:F6:  M. ५०. ७२.फलकम्:/F An incarnation of the Lord in every द्वापर; फलकम्:F7:  Ib. ५३. 9.फलकम्:/F took a vow of silence and fasting for १२ years after which he wandered for food but could not get any in Benares; when he was about to curse the city, शिव and उमा took the guise of householders and offered him rich food. So he blessed it. फलकम्:F8:  Ib. १८५. १७-38.फलकम्:/F A तीर्थ in his honour. फलकम्:F9:  Ib. १९१. ४१; २०३. १४.फलकम्:/F

(II)--a sage of the eighth manvantara. भा. VIII. १३. १५; Vi. III. 2. १७.

Purana Encyclopedia

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

VYĀSA : The sage Vyāsa who is the author of the Mahā- Bhārata.

1) Genealogy. Descended from Viṣṇu in the following order: Brahmā-Vasiṣṭha-Śakti-Parāśara-Vyāsa.

2) Birth. Vyāsa was born to hermit Parāśara by a fisher- woman named Kālī. His name when he was a child was Kṛṣṇa. As his birth took place in an island (Dvīpa) he got the name Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana. After dividing the Vedas he got the name Vedavyāsa. He is the composer of Mahābhārata, one of the greatest books in world- literature. The births of great men, generally will be wonderful. Behind the birth of Vyāsa also there is a wonderful story.

As has already been mentioned, Kālī, a fisherwoman was the mother of Vyāsa. There is a story about this Kālī also. When king Vasu of Cedi went to the forest for hunting, he saw the coition of animals and he had seminal discharge. The king sent that semen to his queen. But on the way it fell in the river Kālindī and was eaten by a fish. This fish was a celestial maid named Adrikā transformed to fish by a curse. The fish conceived and got into the net of a fisherman, who lived on the banks of Kālindī. When this fish was cut open a male and a female infant were seen inside. The male child was given to the king himself. The fisherman brought up the girl naming her Kālī. As the girl had the gandha (smell) of matsya (fish), she got the name ‘Matsya-gandhā’, also. This fisherman was also a ferry- man. Kālī used to help her father in ferrying people across the river Kālindī. She grew up and became a young woman.

Once the hermit Parasara came by that way to go to the other side of the river. At that time, the fisherman who has been taking people across the river, was sitting on the bank of the river and having his meals. As soon as Parāśara came, the innocent fisherman--the foster- father of Matsyagandhā--called her, who was standing close by and asked her to take the hermit across the river. The hermit got into the boat. Matsyagandhā began to row the boat. The beauty of the damsel sitting in front of him and the little waves of the river, com- bined together had the effect of arousing passion in the hermit. He became sexually excited and sat close to her. Discerning his intention she moved away from him and prayed to him humbly not to violate her chastity. She repeated her prayer. The hermit Parāśara created an artificial fog around the boat. The smell of fish was gone from her and the fragrance of Musk took its place. The hermit created an artificial island in the middle of the river. They got down on the island and acted a love drama. She became pregnant. Parāśara said to her. “Beautiful girl! Even after your confinement you shall remain a virgin. A son, who will be a portion of Viṣṇu, a man of purity, famous throughout the three worlds, highly learned, the teacher-priest of the whole world, shall be born to you. He will divide the Vedas and will be exalted by the people of the world.”

After this the great hermit took his bath in Yamunā and went away. The pregnancy of Kālī was completed in- stantly and she gave birth to a very handsome boy in that island of Yamunā. As soon as he was born, he grew up and became a hermit radiant with devotion and as- suming a vow of purity and abstinence he said to his mother. “Mother! You can go anywhere, as you please. You need have no worry on my account. I am about to go for penance. When anything unpleasant happens to you, just think of me. The moment you wish to see me, I will be there by you. I wish you a happy life. I am going.” Saying thus the brave boy walked away. (Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 2; Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapters 60 to 63).

3) Spiritual life.

i) Introduction. Two sides, the spiritual as well as the material, are seen in the life of Vyāsa. It was after the marriage of Śantanu, a king of the Lunar dynasty, with his mother Kālī, otherwise known as Satyavatī, that Vyāsa came into contact with Hastināpura. Participating in all the vicissitudes of the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas was the worldly side of the life of Vyāsa. But the major part of his life was spent in living as a hermit in his hermitage in the forest with a large group of disciples; teaching them the Vedas. A small description of that spiritual life is given below:

ii) In the forest. We do not see Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana, who had grown up to a youth at the time of his birth, for many years after his departure, bidding adieu to his mother. He might have been living with hermits in the forests, learning Vedas from them. After this he appears on the banks of river Sarasvatī as a teacher and Priest. As he was doing penance there, he saw two sparrows, legs and beaks red, without even down feathers, crying for food, and the parent birds, with the utmost care and tenderness feeding them. They flew about here and there and gathered food and came back quickly. Because of joy at the sight of their parents, the little ones opened their ruby-red mouths with cries and throbbing. They kissed the young ones and fed them. The young spar- rows hid under the wings of their father and mother and enjoyed the surroundings by thrusting out their heads and looking on all sides.

iii) Birth of son. Seeing this, the paternity instinct in him was aroused. He understood that love of children was merely for the sake of love, that this love was pure and simple. Moreover there is the maxim that a man without a son has no right to aspire for heaven. Sad and silent, thinking of these things he walked on unwill- ingly and reached the vicinity of the Himālayas. Still, he was doubtful. He began to consider about the deity, before whom he had to do penance for the fulfilment of his wish. He could not decide. As he was sitting in thought, Nārada came there. From the talk of Vyāsa, Nārada knew that childlessness was the cause of his sorrow. Nārada advised him that for the attainment of Puruṣārthas (objects of life) penance was to be done before Devī. Accepting that advice, Vyāsa went to a place near Mahāmeru to do penance.

When Vyāsa began penance, the celestial maids also commenced their work of hindering the penance. It was Ghṛtācī who confronted Vyāsa. She took the form of a parrot of five colours and flew in front of Vyāsa. The hermit was excited at the beauty of Ghṛtācī and sat forgetting himself. As he sat there thinking of the infat- uating beauty of the parrot, seminal discharge occurred to him. He became a slave to this infatuation, when he was engaged in making fire by attrition. In this amorous state of mind he was quite unaware of the seminal discharge or its falling on the pieces of wood used for attrition. He continued attrition. Then a very bright, divine person appeared from the pieces of wood. At the birth of a person, without attachment to a womb, all the worlds were delighted. The hide of black ante- lope, water pot, hermit's rod etc. fell from the sky. Birth rituals and ceremonies, according to the custom, were conducted by Vyāsa. As he was born from the semen discharged at the sight of the Śuka (parrot) the infant was named Śuka. As soon as he was born Śuka began to grow by divine power and shortly became a boy of shining radiance. After investiture with the Brahma-string, the boy was sent for education to the hermitage of Bṛhaspati, the teacher of the devas. Śuka completed his education with Bṛhaspati and having performed Samāvarta and offering of gift to the teacher, he returned home to his father.

iv) Disciples. Śuka commenced advanced study under his father Vyāsa. Besides Śuka, Vyāsa had disciples such as Vaiśampāyana, Sūta, Paila, Jaimini and others also, living with him. The hermitage of Vyāsa soon grew up to be a great educational institution, with plenty of dis- ciples.

v) Separation of son. In the meanwhile Śuka married and lived the life of a householder in the hermitage of his father, for a time. Then forsaking his family and his father, Śuka went to the peak of Kailāsa and began to do penance meditating on Śiva. At last he became a divine person who had obtained complete attainments, and breaking the top of the peak open, he rose up into the sky and shone there as a second Sun. The devas who saw Śuka rising up by breaking the peak of Kailāsa and staying up in the sky, praised him.

This untimely separation of his son had undermined the firmness of the mind of Vyāsa. Filled with grief, he left his hermitage and wandered here and there calling out his son by name. He could not find his son. At last he reached the peak of Kailāsa where his son had been doing penance. Standing there he called aloud his son by name cryingly. Paramaśiva appeared before the lamenting father and consoled him. Thus getting a little bit of peace of mind, Vyāsa returned to his hermitage and lived there. The sorrowing Vyāsa, was made still more sorrowful by the departure of his beloved disciples, Asita, Devala, Vaiśampāyana, Sumantu, Jaimini and others who had been living in the hermitage and who had departed, having finished their education. All the surroundings of the hermitage seemed to him filled with pain. At last he thought about his mother. (Devī Bhāgavata Skandha 1).

4) His terrestrial life.

i) Preface. Within this period many changes had taken place in Hastināpura and the bank of Yamunā. Śantanu the king of the Lunar dynasty had married Gaṅgādevī, who had disappeared after giving the king a son named Devavrata (Bhīṣma). Bhīṣma grew up. Once Śantanu was hunting in the forest when he was attracted by the sweet smell of musk. Tracing the origin of that smell, the king reached the fisherman's hut on the banks of the Yamunā. That smell proceeded from Kastūrigandhā (Satyavatī) the mother of Vyāsa. The king fell in love with her. He returned to the palace, sad and silent. Learning the cause of his father's sadness, Devavrata went to the fisherman's hut and took Śatyavatī to the palace to be given to his father. Deva- vrata had taken a vow that the kingdom would be given to the son born to Satyavatī and that he would remain unmarried, throughout his life. Because he had taken so terrible a vow, Devavrata came to be called Bhīṣma from that day onwards.

Two sons named Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya, were born to Śantanu. Citrāṅgada died when he was young. Vicitravīrya married Ambikā and Ambālikā, daughters of the King of Kāśī. Vicitravīrya also died before any children were born to him. It seemed as if the family was about to become extinct. At this juncture Satyavatī thought about her son Vyāsa.

ii) Vyāsa in Hastināpurī. The mother thought about him, and instantly he reached Hastināpurī. Because of her compulsion, two sons were born, one each to Ambi- kā and Ambālikā from Vyāsa. The son of Ambikā was Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the son of Ambālikā was Pāṇḍu. Vid- ura was the son born to Vyāsa by their maid.

iii) Vyāsa and the Kaurava-Pāṇḍavas. From this time onwards we see Vyāsa as the spiritual teacher of the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. Behind all the movements of these two families we could see the hand of Vyāsa. Thus though he came to Hastināpurī and gave advice to the members of the family frequently, his main abode was his hermitage. Vyāsa's contact with Hastināpura could be seen up to the Mahāprasthāna (the great departure) of the Pāṇḍavas. In all the administrative affairs up to this period, Vyāsa also had a part. The situations in which Vyāsa had taken part in the life- voyage of the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas are given below.

(i) Vyāsa gave the boon that hundred sons would be born to Gāndhārī. (M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 114, Stanza 8).

(ii) Vyāsa cut the mass of flesh given birth to by Gāndhārī into a hundred pieces and kept them in hundred pots. (M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 114, Stanza 17).

(iii) Vyāsa consoled Gāndhārī by telling her that over and above hundred sons a daughter also would be born to her. (M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 115, Stanza 16).

(iv) Vyāsa consoled the Pāṇḍavas who had been living in the forest with their mother Kuntī, after the death of Pāṇḍu their father. (M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 155, Verse 5).

(v) On another occasion Vyāsa came to the Pāṇḍavas and told them the stories of the previous births of Pāñcālī. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 168).

(vi) Vyāsa rendered all possible help to the Pāṇḍavas to marry Pāñcālī. (M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 195).

(vii) Very often Vyāsa was a member of the council of Dharmaputra. (M.B. Sabhā Parva, Chapter 4, Stanza 11).

(viii) It was Vyāsa who sent Arjuna to the north, Bhīmasena to the east, Sahadeva to the south and Nakula to the west for regional conquest. (M.B. Sabhā Parva, Dākṣiṇātyapāṭha, Chapter 26).

(ix) Vyāsa engaged himself in making various arrange- ments in the Rājasūya (sacrifice of royal consecration) of Yudhiṣṭhira. (M.B. Sabhā Parva, Chapter 33, Stanza 34).

(x) At the end of the Rājasūya, Vyāsa predicted the future of Yudhiṣṭhira. (Sabhā Parva, Chapter 46, Stanza 1).

(xi) When the Rājasūya ended, Vyāsa anointed Yudhiṣṭhira. (Sabhā Parva, Chapter 53, Stanza 10).

(xii) Vyāsa advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra to prevent Duryodhana from doing injustice. (M.B. Vana Parva, Chapters 7 and 8).

(xiii) When the Pāṇḍavas were living in the Dvaita- vana (forest) Vyāsa visited them and taught Yudhi- ṣṭhira the art of Pratismṛti. (M.B. Vana Parva, Chapter 36, Stanza 24).

(xiv) He sent Sañjaya to Dhṛtarāṣṭra to tell him about the greatness of Arjuna and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (M.B. Udyoga Parva, Chapter 69, Stanza 11).

(xv) He gave Sañjaya the power of having the eye of a seer penetrating beyond time and space (Divya dṛṣṭi). (M.B. Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 2, Stanza 10).

(xvi) Vyāsa consoled Yudhiṣṭhira who was stricken with grief in the course of the battle of Bhārata. (M.B. Droṇa Parva, Chapter 71, Stanza 23).

(xvii) When Yudhiṣṭhira cried over the death of Ghaṭotkaca in the battle of Bhārata, Vyāsa came to Yudhiṣṭhira and consoled him. (M.B. Droṇa Parva, Chapter 183, Stanza 58).

(xviii) He talked to Aśvatthāmā about the greatness of Śiva and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (M.B. Droṇa Parva, Chapter 201, Stanza 56).

(xix) When Sātyaki was about to kill Sañjaya, Vyāsa turned him back from the attempt and rescued Sañjaya. (M.B. Śalya Parva, Chapter 29, Stanza 39).

(xx) Vyāsa argued and established that the act of cursing Aśvatthāmā on the part of Śrī Kṛṣṇa was correct. (M.B. Sauptika Parva, Chapter 16, Stanza 17).

(xxi) Vyāsa prevented Gāndhārī from her intention to curse the Pāṇḍavas. (M.B. Strī Parva, Chapter 14, Stanza 7).

(xxii) When the battle of Bhārata was over, Vyāsa advised Yudhiṣṭhira about matters regarding the administration of the country.

(xxiii) Yudhiṣṭhira felt grieved at the death of relatives and friends in the battle of Bhārata and he decided to commit suicide. But Vyāsa dissuaded him from that attempt. (M.B. Śānti Parva, Chapter 27, Stanza 28).

(xxiv) Vyāsa walked to the place where Bhīṣma lay on the bed of arrows and visited him. (M.B. Śānti Parva, Chapter 45, Stanza 5).

(xxv) Vyāsa advised Yudhiṣṭhira to perform Aśva- medha (horse sacrifice). (M.B. Aśvamedha Parva, Chapter 3, Stanza 8).

(xxvi) Vyāsa advised the Pāṇḍavas to go to King Marutta for wealth when the battle of Bhārata was over. (Aśvamedhika Parva, Chapter 3, Stanza 20).

(xxvii) Vyāsa consoled Uttarā, who was lamenting over the death of her husband. (Aśvamedha Parva, Chapter 62, Stanza 11).

(xxviii) He consoled Arjuna who was crying over the death of his son. (Aśvamedha Parva, Chapter 62, Stanza 14).

(xxix) Vyāsa advised Yudhiṣṭhira on the various arrangements which were to be made for the conducting of horse-sacrifice. (Aśvamedhika Parva, Chapters 62 to 72).

(xxx) Vyāsa went to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who had gone to the forest after the Bhārata-battle and pacified him. (M.B. Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapter 28).

(xxxi) Vyāsa brought the spirits of those who died in the Bhārata-battle, to the surface of the river Ganges, by the power of his penance and Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the others saw them. (See under Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Para 7).

(xxxii) At the instruction of Vyāsa, all the Kṣatriya widows immersed themselves in the river Ganges and everyone of them entered the world of her husband. (M.B. Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapter 33, Stanza 18).

(xxxiii) When the Yadu-clan was completely destroyed, Arjuna went to the hermitage of Vyāsa and talked with him. (Mausala Parva, Chapter 8).

(xxxiv) Vyāsa had been an adviser of King Janame- jaya. (See under Janamejaya).

5) Saving a worm. Once a wicked man took rebirth as a worm. This worm was crawling in haste for life in front of a cart coming at great speed. He saved the worm and gave it Brahminhood, and in the next birth it became a Brahmin who lived in peace and comfort. (M.B. Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 117).

6) The literary life of Vyāsa. Towards the close of his life Vyāsa again entered the caves of Himālayas. Vyāsa who had steered through a very wide and rough sea of life, was in a position to understand clearly the various sides of human life. In the mind of that sage, who sat in deep contemplation in the eternally silent caves of the Himālayas, the events of his past life began to line up one after the other. From that inward insti- gation the Purāṇetihāsas (the Myths and legends) took form. It might have been during this period that Vyāsa divided the Vedas and composed Purāṇas and Upa- purāṇas.

One does not go wrong in saying that it was the com- posing of the Mahābhārata that brought Vyāsa very close to the later generations. The stories of the Kaura- vas and the Pāṇḍavas, flowed through his mind as a river flows down crushing down the banks on either side. A scribe was necessary to take them down in the form of verses. Vyāsa informed Brahmā of this need. Brahmā replied “Gaṇapati is the only person capable of taking down every thing that you sing.” Accordingly Vyāsa thought of Gaṇapati, who came to the side of Vyāsa, and he informed Gaṇapati of his need. Gaṇapati said that he was willing to do the work on condition that Vyāsa would go on singing unceasingly, so that he might not have to stop the iron pen. Vyāsa said that while he would be singing the poems without stopping, Gaṇapati should not take down this and that without grasping the meaning. Both agreed to this condition and the composing of the Mahābhārata commenced. Within two years and a half the great poetic work was finished. The great disciples of Vyāsa, such as Vaiśam- pāyana, Jaimini and such others sang them and learned them by heart and published them in the world. (M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 1).

7) Many Vyāsas. It is stated in the Purāṇas that in every Manu's age, a Vyāsa will be born. It is mention- ed in Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Aṁśa 3, Chapter 3, as to who were the persons who took birth as Vyāsa in a parti- cular Manu's age and which were the Vedas and branches of Vedas they had divided. It is given below: During the age of Manu Vaivasvata, in each of the past Dvāparayugas, the Veda had been divided by great hermits, twentyeight times. Twentyeight Veda- Vyāsas have passed, each of whom had divided the Veda into four parts in each Dvāpara Yuga. It was Brahmā himself who had divided the Veda into four in the first Dvāparayuga. Prajāpati was the Vedavyāsa in the second Dvāparayuga. In the third, Vyāsa was the teacher-priest Śukra; in the fourth Bṛhaspati; in the fifth the Sun; and in the sixth the all powerful Dharma- rāja. It was Indra in the seventh, Vasiṣṭha in the eighth, Sārasvata in the ninth, and Tridhāmā in the tenth. It was Triśikha in the eleventh, Bharadvāja in the twelfth, Antarīkṣa in the thirteenth, Varṇī in the fourteenth, Trayyāruṇa in the fifteenth, Dhanañjaya in the sixteenth, Kratuñjaya in the seventeenth and Jaya in the eighteenth. Next Bharadvāja comes as Vedavyāsa and Gautama after Bharadvāja. It was hermit Haryā- tmā who was the next Vyāsa, and then comes Vājaśra- vas. The Next Vyāsa was Tṛṇabindu born in the clan of Somaśuṣma. He was followed by Ṛkṣa. otherwise called Vālmīki born in the family of Bhṛgu. Śakti is the Next Vyāsa. After that Parāśara, then Jātūkarṇa and then Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana. They are the twentyeight Vedavyāsas. Each one of these had divided the Veda which had been one at the beginning of each Dvāpara- yuga, into four Vedas. It is Aśvatthāmā, the son of Droṇa, who is going to be the Vedavyāśa of the coming Dvāparayuga.

8) Other details.

(i) Most of the scholars are of opinion that the period of Vyāsa was between 1800 and 1500 B.C.

(ii) Apāntaratamas was the rebirth of Vyāsa. (See under Apāntaratamas).

(iii) In Mahābhārata, the word Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇadvaipā- yana, Dvaipāyana, Satyavatīsuta, Satyavatyātmaja, Pārāśarya, Parāśarātmaja, Bādarāyaṇa, Vedavyāsa etc. are used as synonyms of Vyāsa.

(iv) The word Vyāsa means he who describes elabora- tely.

“He became Vyāsa because he had described all the Vedas”. (M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 63, Stanza 88). Vyas = describe (Differentiate the branches and divide).


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*8th word in left half of page 885 (+offset) in original book.

Vedic Rituals Hindi

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

व्यास पु.
चौड़ाई, बौ.शु.सू. 1.88।