Editing Vyasa

{{short description|Sage in ancient India}}
{{about|||}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}} 
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} 
{{Infobox Hindu leader
| image              = File:Sculpture of Vyasa.jpeg
| caption            = A sculpture of Vyasa at [[Murudeshwar]]
| religion           = [[Hinduism]]
| weapon             = 
| parents            = {{unbulleted list|
*[[Parashara]] (father)
*[[Satyavati]] (mother)}}
| spouse             = Vatikā (only in few Puranas){{sfn|Dalal|2019}}
| relatives          = '''Maternal Half-Brothers'''
{{unbulleted list|
*[[Chitrāngada]]
*[[Vichitravirya]]}}
| children           = [[Shuka]] (son)
----
{{small|The following were fathered by Vyasa through the [[Niyoga]] practice, on behalf of his half-brother [[Vichitravirya]]}} {{bulleted list|
[[Dhritarashtra]] (son; from [[Ambika (Mahabharata)|Ambika]])|[[Pandu]] (son; from [[Ambalika]])|[[Vidura]] (son; from [[Characters in the Mahabharata#Ambika's maid|a Shudra maid]])}}
| honours            = ''[[Guru Purnima]]''
| known_for          = {{unbulleted list|
*[[Vedas]]
*''[[Mahabharata]]''
*[[Puranas]]
*[[Brahma Sutras]]}}
| disciples          = {{unbulleted list|
*[[Shuka]]
*[[Jaimini]]
*[[Vaishampayana]]
*Paila
*Sumantu}}
| title              = [[Maharishi]], [[Vyasadeva]], [[Vedavyasa]]
| honorific prefix   = Maharshi
| institute          = [[Vyasa Peetha]]
}}

{{Hinduism}}
'''Vyasa''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|j|ɑː|s|ə}}; {{langx|sa|व्यास|lit=compiler, arranger}}, {{IAST3|Vyāsa}}) or '''Veda Vyasa''' ({{langx|sa|वेदव्यास|lit=the one who classified the [[Vedas]]}}, {{IAST3|Vedavyāsa}}), also known as '''Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa''' ({{langx|sa|कृष्णद्वैपायन}}, {{IAST3|Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana}} ''Vedavyāsa''), is a{{Sfn|Sullivan|1999|p=1}} ''[[rishi]]'' (sage) with a prominent role in most Hindu traditions. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the epic [[Mahabharata|Mahābhārata]], where he also plays a prominent role as a character. He is also regarded by the Hindu traditions to be the compiler of the [[mantra]]s of the [[Vedas]] into four texts, as well as the author of the eighteen [[Puranas|Purāṇas]] and the [[Brahma Sutras]].

Vyasa is regarded by many Hindus as a [[Avatar|partial incarnation]] ({{Langx|sa|अंशावतार}}, {{IAST3|Aṃśāvatāra}}) of [[Vishnu]]. He is one of the immortals called the [[Chiranjivi]]s, held by adherents to still be alive in the current age known as the [[Kali Yuga]].

==Name==
"Vyasa" (Vyāsa) means "compiler" or "arranger<ref name=SD/><ref>{{cite book |title=India through the ages |url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada |last=Gopal |first=Madan |year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/158 158] |editor=K.S. Gautam |publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref> and also "separation" or "division."<ref name=SD>Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit, [https://www.learnsanskrit.cc/index.php?mode=3&direct=au&script=hk&tran_input=vyasa ''Vyasa'']</ref> Other meanings include "split," "differentiate," or "describe." It is also a title, given to "a holy sage or a pious learned man," and is applied to "persons distinguished for their writings."<ref>{{cite book |title=India through the ages |url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada |last=Gopal |first=Madan |year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/129 129] |editor=K.S. Gautam |publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref>

Vyasa is commonly known as "Veda Vyasa" ({{Langx|sa|वेदव्यास}}'', Vedavyāsa'') as he divided the single, eternal ''Veda'' into four separate books{{mdash}}[[Rigveda]], [[Samaveda]], [[Yajurveda]] and [[Atharvaveda]].<ref name="Vyasa" />{{sfn|Sullivan|1999|p=2}} In the Mahabharata, Vyasa is also called ''Krishna'', which refers to his dark complexion (''krishna''), and as ''Dvaipāyana'', as his birthplace was on an island (dvaipayana),<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KnCxH85Vra4C&dq=vyasa+born+yamuna&pg=PA205 Essays on the Mahābhārata], Arvind Sharma, Motilal Banarsidass Publisher, p. 205</ref> He is also referred to as Vaishampayan ({{Langx|sa|वैशम्पायन}}, ''Vaiṣampāyana'').

==Divider of the Veda==
Hindus traditionally hold that Vyasa subcategorized the primordial single [[Veda]] to produce four parts as a canonical collection. Hence he was called Veda-Vyasa, or "Splitter of the Vedas", the splitting being a feat that allowed people to understand the divine knowledge of the Veda.

The ''Vishnu Puraṇa'' elaborates on the role of Vyasa in the Hindu chronology.<ref>'' Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Puranas'', Volume 1 (2001), page 1408</ref> The Hindu view of the universe is that of a cyclic phenomenon that comes into existence and dissolves repeatedly. Each ''[[Kalpa (aeon)|kalpa]]'' cycle is presided over by a number of [[Manu (Hinduism)|Manu]]s, one for each ''[[manvantara]]'', and each ''manvantara'' has a number of ''[[Yuga Cycle|yuga cycles]]'', each with four ''[[yuga]]'' ages of declining virtues. The ''[[Dvapara Yuga]]'' is the third ''yuga''. The ''Vishṇu Puraṇa'' (Book 3, Ch 3) says:
{{blockquote|In every third world age (Dvāpara), Vishnu, in the person of Vyāsa, 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 fourfold, 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 Vedavyāsa. Of the different Vyāsas 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 Vyāsa's have passed away; by whom, in the respective periods, the Veda has been divided into four. The first... distribution was made by Svayambhū (Brahmā) himself; in the second, the arranger of the Veda (Vyasa) was Prajāpati [...] (and so on up to twenty-eight).<ref>{{cite web|title=Vishnu Purana|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin//vp/vp077.htm|access-date=2014-03-15}}</ref>}}

According to the [[Vishnu Purana|Vishṇu Purāṇa]], [[Aswatthama|Aśwatthāmā]], the son of [[Drona|Droṇa]], will become the next sage (Vyāsa) and will divide the Veda in 29th [[Yuga Cycle|Mahā Yuga]] of 7th [[Manvantara]].<ref>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp077.htm Vishnu Purana -Drauni or Asvathama as Next Vyasa] Retrieved 2015-03-22</ref>

== Attributed texts ==

===The Mahabharata===
{{Main article|Mahabharata}}

[[File:Angkor Wat 006.JPG|thumb|Vyasa narrating the ''Mahabharata'' to [[Ganesha]], his scribe - [[Angkor Wat]]]]
[[File:The sage Vyasa and the king Janamejaya..jpg|thumb|Painting depicting Vyasa and the king Janamejaya. ]]
Vyāsa is regarded as the author of the Mahabharata, a major epic of Hindu literature.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lochtefeld |first=James G. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Illustrated_Encyclopedia_of_Hinduism/GnmPzgEACAAJ?hl=en |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z |date=2002 |publisher=Rosen |isbn=978-0-8239-3180-4 |pages=770 |language=en}}</ref> The first section of the Mahābhārata states that [[Ganesha|Gaṇesha]] wrote the text to Vyasa's dictation,{{efn|It is believed that Vyasa asks Ganesha to assist him in writing the text. Ganesha imposes a precondition that he would do so only if Vyasa would narrate the story without a pause. Vyasa set a counter-condition that Ganesha understands the verses first before transcribing them. Thus Vyasa narrated the entire ''Mahābhārata''.}} but this is regarded by scholars as a later interpolation to the epic and this part of the story is also excluded in the "Critical Edition" of the Mahābhārata.<ref>''Mahābhārata'', Vol. 1, Part 2. Critical edition, p. 884.</ref>

The five Paṇḍava brothers of the junior line of the Kuru royal house being the ultimate victors, thus India's cultural heroes, Vyāsa's relationship with the winners in this kinship war of cousin against cousin is as chronicler who sired the father of the victors. These five protagonists are the surrogate sons of [[Pandu|Pānḍu]], sired by various gods on behalf of this Kuru king whom Vyāsa himself fathered 'under Niyoga practice' in place of an elder brother who died heirless, at the behest of his mother [[Satyavati]]. Vyāsa also sired the father of the vanquished, he was certainly the surgeon who put the hundred brothers of antagonist cousins into incubation, and as they are only said to be sired by a boon he conferred on their mother, there's some possibility that he is also their biological sire himself.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barti |first1=Kalra |display-authors=etal |title=The Mahabharata and reproductive endocrinology |doi=10.4103/2230-8210.180004 |doi-access=free |journal=Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism |year=2016 |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=404–407|pmid=27186562 |pmc=4855973 }}</ref> Hence Vyāsa's authorship of the ''Mahābhārata'' is by way of biography of his own family including its adoptees. This was the struggle between his own ex officio grandsons.<ref name="Bhattacharya">{{cite journal |last=Bhattacharya |first=Pradip |date=May–June 2004 |title=Of Kunti and Satyawati: Sexually Assertive Women of the Mahabharata |url=http://www.manushi-india.org/pdfs_issues/PDF%20142/04%20panchakanya%20pg%2021-25.pdf |journal=[[Manushi]] |issue=142 |pages=21–25}}</ref> And it is in the wake of producing this purportedly historical, [[smriti]] ''Mahābhārata'' as well as 'compiling' the essential [[sruti]] scripture of the Vedas that 'Vyāsa' was added as epithet then eclipsed his two birth names, ''Krishṇa'' and ''Dvaipāyana'', while his smiriti creation became a canon whose territorial name, drawing on either one or two legendary ruler's personal names, included in the saga's text, still underlies modern Sanskrit-to-Hindi official form, Bhārata Gaṇarājya, in the [[names for India]] through its current constitution.<ref name=Clementin-Ojha>{{cite journal |last=Clémentin-Ojha |first=Catherine |title='India, that is Bharat…': One Country, Two Names |journal=South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal |volume=10 |year=2014 |url=https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/3717}}</ref><ref>–{{citation|title=The Essential Desk Reference |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjcOAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA76|year=2002|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-512873-4|page=76}} "Official name: Republic of India.";<br />–{{citation|author=John Da Graça|title=Heads of State and Government|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M0YfDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA421 |year=2017|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-349-65771-1|page=421}} "Official name: Republic of India; Bharat Ganarajya (Hindi)";<br />–{{citation|author=Graham Rhind |title=Global Sourcebook of Address Data Management: A Guide to Address Formats and Data in 194 Countries |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iGdQDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA302|year=2017|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |isbn=978-1-351-93326-1|page=302}} "Official name: Republic of India; Bharat.";<br />–{{citation|last=Bradnock|first=Robert W.|title=The Routledge Atlas of South Asian Affairs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zzjbCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA108|year=2015|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=978-1-317-40511-5|page=108}} "Official name: English: Republic of India; Hindi:Bharat Ganarajya";<br />–{{citation|title=Penguin Compact Atlas of the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pLw-ReHIgvQC&pg=PA140|year=2012|publisher=[[Penguin Group|Penguin]] |isbn=978-0-7566-9859-1|page=140}} "Official name: Republic of India";<br />–{{citation|title=Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Co_VIPIJerIC&pg=PA515|year=1997|isbn=978-0-87779-546-9 |edition=3rd |publisher=[[Merriam-Webster]]|pages=515–516}} "Officially, Republic of India";<br />–{{citation|title=Complete Atlas of the World, 3rd Edition: The Definitive View of the Earth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5moCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA54-IA10|year=2016|publisher=[[DK Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-4654-5528-4|page=54}} "Official name: Republic of India";<br />–{{citation|title=Worldwide Government Directory with Intergovernmental Organizations 2013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CQWhAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA726|date=10 May 2013|publisher=[[CQ Press]]|isbn=978-1-4522-9937-2|page=726}} "India (Republic of India; Bharat Ganarajya)"</ref>

Vyāsa's ''Jaya'' (literally, "victory"), the core of the ''Mahābhārata'', is a dialogue between Dhritarāshtra (the [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru]] king and the father of the Kauravas, who opposed the [[Pāndavas|Pāṇḍavas]] in the [[Kurukshetra War]]) and [[Sanjaya]], his adviser and charioteer. Sanjaya narrates the particulars of the Kurukshetra War, fought in eighteen days, chronologically. Dhritarashtra at times asks questions and expresses doubts, sometimes lamenting, fearing the destruction the war would bring on his family, friends and kin.

The Bhagavad Gita is contained in the Bhishma Parva, which comprises chapters 23-40 of book 6 of the ''Mahābhārata''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mahabharata |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Mahabharata/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=World History Encyclopedia |language=en}}</ref> The ''Gita'', dated to the second half of the first millennium BCE, in its own right is one of the most influential philosophico-religious dialogues, producing numerous commentaries and a global audience. Like the "Jaya", it is also a dialogue, in which Paṇḍava Prince Arjuna's hesitation to attack his cousins is counseled from 'the perspective of the gods' by his charioteer, revealed to be an avatar of Vishnu.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bhagavadgita {{!}} Definition, Contents, & Significance {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bhagavadgita |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> In 1981, Larson stated that "a complete listing of Gita translations and a related secondary bibliography would be nearly endless".<ref name=larson81>{{Citation |doi=10.2307/1398797 |author=Gerald James Larson |year=1981 |title=The Song Celestial: Two centuries of the Bhagavad Gita in English |journal=Philosophy East and West |publisher= University of Hawai'i Press |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=513–40 |jstor=1398797}}</ref> The Bhagavad Gita has been highly praised, not only by prominent Indians including [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]],<ref>''Modern Indian Interpreters of the Bhagavad Gita'', by Robert Neil Minor, 1986, p. 161</ref> but also by [[Aldous Huxley]], [[Henry David Thoreau]], [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]],{{sfn|Hijiya|2000}} [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]], [[Carl Jung]], [[Hermann Hesse]],<ref name="bansi">{{harvnb|Pandit|2005|page=27}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Hume|1959|page=29}}</ref> and [[Bülent Ecevit]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1021114/asp/opinion/story_1363040.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021123210030/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1021114/asp/opinion/story_1363040.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 November 2002|title=The Telegraph – Calcutta: Opinion|work=The Telegraph|location=Kolkota}}</ref>

=== Puranas ===
[[File:Narada meetsVyasa.jpg|thumb|[[Narada]] meets Vyasa]]
{{main article|Puranas}}
Vyasa is also credited with the writing of the eighteen major [[Purāṇa]]s,{{sfn|Sullivan|1999|p=2}} which are works of Indian literature that cover an encyclopedic range of topics covering various scriptures.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Asian philosophy |date=2001 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-17281-3 |editor-last=Leaman |editor-first=Oliver |location=London; New York}}</ref>

=== Brahma Sutras ===
{{Main article|Brahma Sutras}}
The [[Brahma Sutras]], one of the foundational texts of [[Vedanta]], is written by [[Badarayana|Bādarāyaṇa]] also called Veda Vyasa,<ref name=sradhakrish22>{{cite book |last=Radhakrishna |first=Sarvepalli |author-link=Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |title=Brahma Sutra, The Philosophy of Spiritual Life |url=https://archive.org/stream/Sarvepalli.Radhakrishnan-Brahma.Sutra-The.Philosophy.of.Spiritual.Life/Radhakrishnan-Brahma.Sutra-The.Philosophy.of.Spiritual.Life#page/n21/mode/2up |year=1960 |page=22 with footnote 3 and 4}}</ref> "one who arranges".<ref name=sradhakrish22/><ref>The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Edwin F. Bryant 2009 page xl</ref>

==Role in the Mahabharata==

===Birth===
[[File:Vyasa conversation with worm.jpg|thumb|Vyasa depicted in the [[Razmnama]] (c.1598)]]
According to the Mahabharata, Vyasa's mother, [[Satyavati]], was raised as the daughter of a fisherman, belonging to a clan that used to ferry people across the river [[Yamuna]]. She used to help her father in this task. It was during one such ferrying that she encountered the sage [[Parasara]]. As he boarded her boat, he was captivated by her beauty. Overcome with desire, he approached her, but she, recognizing his intent, humbly pleaded to preserve her chastity. However, Parasara used his divine powers to create an artificial fog around the boat and transformed her natural scent into the fragrance of musk. He also conjured an island in the middle of the river, where he consummated his union with her. After this, he assured her that she would remain a virgin despite giving birth. He prophesied that the son born to her would be an extraordinary being—a partial incarnation of [[Vishnu]], a man of immense wisdom, and a revered teacher who would divide the [[Vedas]] and be honored across the three worlds.<ref name="Vyasa" />  

Following this, Parasara performed his ablutions in the Yamuna and departed. Satyavati’s pregnancy was completed instantly, and she gave birth to a radiant and handsome boy on the island. As soon as he was born, the child matured into an ascetic form, exuding spiritual radiance. He reassured his mother that she need not worry about him and that he was leaving to undertake penance. He further promised that whenever she faced difficulties, she only needed to think of him, and he would appear by her side. Having said this, he departed, embarking on the path of a hermit.<ref name="Vyasa" /> He was named Krishna Dvaipayana, referring to his dark complexion.<ref>{{cite book|last=Monier-Williams|first=Sir Monier|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IewdAAAAMAAJ&q=375|title=Indian Wisdom, Or, Examples of the Religious, Philosophical, and Ethical Doctrines of the Hindūs: With a Brief History of the Chief Departments of Sanskṛit Literature, and Some Account of the Past and Present Condition of India, Moral and Intellectual|date=1875|publisher=Wm. H. Allen & Company|language=en}}</ref> 

Satyavati kept this incident a secret, not telling even King [[Shantanu]] whom she was married to later.<ref name="Vyasa">{{cite book |author=Mani |first=Vettam |url=https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft |title=Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1975|isbn=0-8426-0822-2|location=Delhi |pages=[https://archive.org/stream/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft#page/885/mode/2up 885 (Vyāsa)] |author-link=Vettam Mani}}</ref><ref name="Dalal">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&q=Parashara+vyasa |title= Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |isbn=9788184752779 |last1=Dalal |first1=Roshen |date=18 April 2014|publisher= Penguin UK }}</ref>

===Continuing the Kuru Dynasty===
Shantanu and Satyavati had two sons, named [[Chitrāngada]] and [[Vichitravirya]]. Both of them died early without leaving an heir, but Vichitravirya had two wives – [[Ambika (Mahabharata)|Ambika]] and [[Ambalika]]. A widowed Satyavati initially asked her stepson, [[Bhishma]], to marry both the queens, but he refused, citing his vow of celibacy. Satyavati revealed her secret past and requested him to bring her firstborn to impregnate the widows under a tradition called [[Niyoga]].<ref name="Niyoga1" >{{cite book|last=Bhawalkar|first=Vanamala|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8v5OAQAAIAAJ&q=Satyavati+vyasa|title=Eminent women in the Mahābhārata|date=2002|publisher=Sharada|isbn=9788185616803|language=en}}</ref> 

Sage Vyasa was unkempt because of months of meditation in the forest. Hence upon seeing him, Ambika who was rather scared shut her eyes, resulting in their child, [[Dhritarashtra|Dhritarāshtra]], being born blind. The other queen, Ambalika, turned pale upon meeting Vyasa, which resulted in their child, [[Pandu]], being born pale. Alarmed, Satyavati requested that Vyasa meet Ambika again and grant her another son. Ambika instead sent [[Characters in the Mahabharata#Ambika's maid|her maid]] to meet Vyasa. The duty-bound maid was calm and composed; she had a healthy child who was later named [[Vidura]].<ref name="Vyasa" />

When the children of Vichitravirya grew up, [[Bhishma]] got them married to different women. [[Dhritarashtra|Dhritarāshtra]] was married to [[Gandhari (Mahabharata)|Gāndhāri]], princess of Gandhara. [[Pandu]] married [[Kunti]] and [[Madri]]. Pāṇḍu left the kingdom, leaving Dhritarashtra as the acting king. Gāndhāri, during her adolescence, received a boon to have a hundred children but her pregnancy was taking a long period of time. After two years of pregnancy, Gandhari aborted her developing fetus, giving birth to a hard mass that looked like an iron ball. Vyasa came to the kingdom and using his knowledge, he asked to divide the mass into one hundred and one pieces and put them into pots for incubation. After a year, 101 babies were born. Meanwhile, Pāṇḍu's wives, Kunti and Mādri, had three and two sons respectively.<ref name="Vyasa" />

After the death of Pandu, he consoled Kunti and the young Pandavas, providing them with counsel in their time of bereavement. Vyāsa, feeling sorrow for his mother's fate, asked her to leave the kingdom and come with him to live a peaceful life. Satyavati, along with her two daughters-in-law, went to the forest.<ref name="Vyasa" />

===Influence on the political affairs of the Kuru Kingdom ===
Vyasa stands as a pivotal figure in the Mahabharata, serving as the spiritual and moral guide for both the [[Kauravas]] and the [[Pandavas]]. While his primary residence remained his hermitage, his influence extended deeply into the affairs of [[Hastinapura]] (capital of [[Kuru Kingdom]]). He was actively engaged in shaping events, offering counsel and intervention at crucial moments.<ref name="Vyasa" /> 

His influence extended to the broader political and social developments of the time. He played a decisive role in facilitating [[Draupadi|Draupadi’s]] marriage to the five Pandavas, thereby shaping an alliance that had significant implications in the unfolding events. His wisdom was frequently sought in matters of governance, and he was a regular presence in [[Yudhishthira|Yudhishthira’s]] court. Under his guidance, the Pandavas undertook regional conquests, expanding their influence. Vyasa also played a central role in the [[Rajasuya]] sacrifice performed by Yudhishthira, overseeing its arrangements and predicting the future course of events. Upon the conclusion of the ceremony, he performed the anointment of Yudhishthira.<ref name="Vyasa" />  

As hostilities between the Kauravas and the Pandavas escalated, Vyasa made multiple attempts to prevent conflict. He advised [[Dhritarashtra]] to restrain [[Duryodhana]] from unjust actions, warning of the potential consequences. During the Pandavas’ exile, he visited them in the forest and imparted teachings to Yudhishthira on various philosophical and strategic matters. Prior to the Kurukshetra war, he granted [[Sanjaya]] divine vision, enabling him to narrate the battle’s progress to Dhritarashtra. During the war, he provided guidance and consolation to Yudhishthira and [[Arjuna]], both of whom were deeply affected by the destruction around them.<ref name="Vyasa" />  

Following the war, Vyasa continued to be actively involved in the political and moral reconstruction of the kingdom. He intervened to prevent [[Gandhari (Mahabharata)|Gandhari]] from cursing the Pandavas in her grief and provided counsel to Yudhishthira on governance and statecraft. When Yudhishthira, overwhelmed by remorse, considered renouncing his throne, Vyasa dissuaded him, urging him to fulfill his responsibilities. He played a crucial role in post-war reconciliation, using his spiritual power to bring forth the spirits of those who had perished, allowing Dhritarashtra and others to witness them. He also guided the widows of fallen warriors, instructing them on traditional rites.<ref name="Vyasa" />

==Other accounts==
[[File:The sage Vyasa with disciples observes his son Sukya approaching them like a ball of fire.jpg|thumb|Vyasa with his disciples in the Razmnama (c.1598)]]
Vyāsa had a son named [[Shuka]], who was his spiritual successor and heir.{{efn|Later, Vyasa became the surrogate father of Kuru princes {{mdash}} Pandu and Dhritrashtra.}} As per ''[[Skanda Purana]]'', Vyasa married Vatikā, alias Pinjalā, who was the daughter of a sage named Jābāli. It is described that Vyasa's union with her produced his heir, who repeated everything that he heard, thus receiving the name Shuka (lit. Parrot).{{sfn|Dalal|2019}}{{sfn|Pattanaik|2000}}<ref>Skanda Purāṇa, Nāgara Khanda, ch. 147</ref> Other texts including the [[Devi Bhagavata Purana]] also narrate the birth of Shuka but with drastic differences. Vyasa was desiring an heir, when an ''[[apsara]]'' (celestial damsel) named Ghritachi flew in front of him in the form of a beautiful parrot, causing him sexual arousal. He discharges his semen, which falls on some sticks and a son develops. This time, he was named Shuka because of the role of the celestial parrot.<ref name="Vyasa" /> Shuka appears occasionally in the story as a spiritual guide to the young Kuru princes.

Besides his heir, Vyasa had four other disciples{{mdash}}Paila, [[Jaimini]], [[Vaishampayana]] and Sumantu.{{sfn|Sullivan|1999|p=2}} Each one of them was given the responsibility to spread one of the four Vedas. Paila was the made the incharge of [[Rigveda]], Jaimini of the [[Samaveda]], Vaishampayana of the [[Yajurveda]] and Sumantu of [[Atharvaveda]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shastri|first1=J. L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YWPsDwAAQBAJ&q=Paila+Jaimini+Sumantu+&pg=PA37|title=Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology Volume 7: The Bhagavata-Purana Part 1|last2=Tagare|first2=Ganesh Vasudeo|date=2004-01-01|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-3874-1|language=en}}</ref>

Vyasa is believed to have lived on the banks of [[Ganga|Gangā]] in modern-day [[Uttarakhand|Uttarākhaṇd]]. The site was also the ritual home of the sage [[Vashishta]], along with the [[Pandavas|Pāṇḍavas]], the five brothers of the [[Mahabharata|Mahābhārata]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Master's Narrative: Swami Sivananda and the Transnational Production of Yoga |jstor= 3814692 |publisher=Indiana University Press |volume=23 |issue= 2/3 |last=Strauss |first=Sarah |journal=Journal of Folklore Research |year=2002 |page=221}}</ref>

Vyāsa is also mentioned in the [[Shankara Digvijayam|Śankara Digvijaya]]. He confronts [[Adi Shankara|Ādi Shankara]], who has written a commentary on the Brahma-Sutras, in the form of an old Brahmana, and asks for an explanation of the first Sutra. This develops into a debate between Shankara and Vyāsa which lasts for eight days. Recognizing the old Brahmana to be Vyāsa, Shankara makes obeisance and sings a hymn in his praise. Thereupon, Vyasa inspects and approves Shankara's commentary on the Brahma-Sutras. Adi Shankara, who was supposed to die at the end of his sixteenth year, expresses his desire to leave his body in the presence of Vyāsa. Vyāsa dissuades him and blesses him so that he may live for another sixteen years to complete his work.<ref name="Sankara Digvijaya">{{cite book |last1=Vidyaranya |first1=Madhava |title=Sankara Digvijaya The Traditional life of Sri Sankaracharya |year=2005 |publisher=Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai |isbn=8178233428 |page=70}}</ref>

==Festival==
The festival of [[Guru Purnima]] is dedicated to Vyasa. It is also known as ''Vyasa Purnima'', the day believed to be both of his birth and when he divided the Vedas.<ref name=ci>{{cite book |title=Awakening Indians to India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AIU4LzftaPAC&q=%22Guru+Purnima%22+-inpublisher%3Aicon&pg=PA167 |year=2008 |publisher=Chinmaya Mission |isbn=978-81-7597-434-0 |page=167 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=ed>{{cite book |title=What Is Hinduism?: Modern Adventures Into a Profound Global Faith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XC9bwMMPcwC&q=%22Guru+Purnima%22+-inpublisher%3Aicon&pg=RA1-PA230 |publisher=Himalayan Academy Publications |isbn=978-1-934145-00-5 |page=230|year = 2007}}</ref>

==In Sikhism==
In ''Brahm Avtar'', one of the compositions in [[Dasam Granth]], [[Guru Gobind Singh]] mentions Rishi Vyas as an avatar of [[Brahma]].<ref name="Dasam Granth, Dr. SS Kapoor">[https://books.google.com/books?id=8-h8ptzp0lUC&dq=brahma+avtar&pg=PA76 Dasam Granth, Dr. SS Kapoor]</ref> He is considered the fifth incarnation of Brahma. Guru Gobind Singh wrote a brief account of Rishi Vyas's compositions about great kings—Manu, Prithu, Bharath, Jujat, Ben, Mandata, Dilip, Raghu Raj and Aj<ref name="Dasam Granth, Dr. SS Kapoor"/><ref>Line 8, Brahma Avtar, Dasam Granth</ref>—and attributed to him the store of Vedic learning.<ref>Line 107, Vyas Avtar, Dasam Granth</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal bar|Hinduism|Poetry|History}}
* [[Chiranjivi]]
* [[Guru Gita]]
* [[Gnana Saraswati Temple, Basar]]
* [[Parashara]]
* [[Vedic mythology]]
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{notelist|35em}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
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* {{Cite book|last=Dalal|first=Roshen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=trh9DwAAQBAJ&q=vatika&pg=PT170|title=The 108 Upanishads: An Introduction|date=2019-01-06|publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited|isbn=978-93-5305-377-2|language=en}}
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* {{Citation | last=Maas | first=Philipp A. | year=2006 | title=Samādhipāda. Das erste Kapitel des Pātañjalayogaśāstra zum ersten Mal kritisch ediert. (Samādhipāda. The First Chapter of the Pātañjalayogaśās-tra for the First Time Critically Edited). | publisher=Aachen: Shaker}}
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* {{Cite book|last=Pattanaik|first=Devdutt|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IVsoDwAAQBAJ&q=vatik%C4%81+jabali&pg=PT59|title=The Goddess in India: The Five Faces of the Eternal Feminine|date=2000-09-01|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-59477-537-6|language=en}}
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* {{cite book|last=Sullivan|first=Bruce M. | date =1999 | title =Seer of the Fifth Veda: Kr̥ṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa in the Mahābhārata | publisher =Motilal Banarsidass Publ.|isbn=978-81-208-1676-3|language=en | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=8XO3Im3OMi8C&q=birth+date+of+Vyasa}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated by [[Kisari Mohan Ganguli]], published between 1883 and 1896
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070706200542/http://www.mssu.edu/projectsouthasia/history/primarydocs/Arthashastra/index.htm 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==
* {{wikiquote-inline}}
* {{commons category-inline|Vyasa}}
* {{wikisource author-inline}}
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm The ''Mahābhārata''] – Ganguli translation, full text at sacred-texts.com

{{Mahābhārata}}
{{VishnuAvatars}}
{{Rishis of Hindu mythology}}
{{Caitanya sampradaya}}
{{Indian Philosophy}}
{{Authority control}}

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