Maharshi Veda Vyasa -some interesting facts.

 Maharshi Veda Vyasa- some interesting facts.

Maharshi Veda Vyasa is considered one of the Seven Chiranjivi (long-lived, or immortals) by the Hindus, who are still living and walking the earth for the well-being of their devotees.

He was born at the end of Treta Yuga and lived throughout Dwapara Yuga. He appears to be true and faithful and Adi Shankaracharya had his darshan, as did many others.

There are two different views regarding his birthplace. One suggests that he was born in the Tanahun district in western Nepal. The Vyas municipality of Tanahun District in Gandaki State is named after his birthplace. Another view suggests that he was born on an island in the Yamuna River near Kalpi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. However, both stories say of his birth on an island formed by a river. Hence also known as Krishna Dwaipayana, which means 'island-born' and refers to his dark complexion.

Vyasa was born to Sage Parashara and mother Satyavati under extraordinary circumstances. Satyavati was a young and beautiful woman when she met the wandering Sage Parashara while ferrying him across the river. The sage was attracted to her and requested Satyavati to fulfill his physical needs. She agreed, but only after he promised to grant her the gift of eternal virginity, everlasting youth, and the scent of a musk deer. Parashara was a renowned authority on astrology, and his book "Parashara Hora" remains a fundamental astrology text even in modern times.

Satyavati, the mother of Veda Vyasa, later married King Shantanu, who was the father of Bhishma. Her father, the chief of the fishermen, imposed the condition that her sons would inherit the throne. At that time, Shantanu had already declared Bhishma as the Prince and Heir to the Throne. To assist Shantanu, Bhishma made a vow to serve Satyavati's descendants and renounced any claim to the throne, which rightfully belonged to him. Consequently, Bhishma and Veda Vyasa are stepbrothers.

After having two sons, both of Satyavati's sons passed away one after the other. Following the death of her younger son, Vichitravirya, Satyavati asked Ved Vyasa to perform Niyoga on Ambika and Ambalika, who were both widows. Niyoga is an ancient Hindu ritual that involves impregnating a woman at her request to help her bear a child if her husband is deceased or incapable. Whether this is achieved physically or through projecting spiritual energy is unknown.

Vyasa's life serves as a remarkable example of someone born to spread spiritual knowledge. His writings continue to inspire people around the world in countless ways to this day. 

As per the "Vishnu Purana," "Veda Vyasa" is a title given to the compilers of the Vedas, who are considered avatars of Vishnu. So far, twenty-eight individuals with the title of "Veda Vyasa" have appeared. It is believed that Veda Vyasa is one of the 24 Avatars of Lord Vishnu.

Vyasa is considered to be the greatest sage in the history of the Hindu religion. He wrote the 18 Puranas, and Brahma sutras, and established the system of teaching them through ‘Upakhyanas’ or discourses. In this way, he established the three paths of karma, Upasana (devotion), and jnana (knowledge). 

     The epic Mahabharata and the Shrimad Bhagavatham have also been credited to Veda Vyasa.  Vyasa’s last work was the Bhagavatam, which he undertook at the instigation of Devarshi Narada, the celestial sage. Narada once came to him and advised him to write it, stating that without doing so, his goal in life would not be reached.

According to legend, when Veda Vyasa wanted to compose the Mahabharata, he needed a very intelligent person to write it down for him. Veda Vyasa prayed to Lord Brahma for guidance. Brahma suggested Lord Ganesha for the task, as Ganesha has the highest intellect in the world. When Veda Vyasa approached Lord Ganesha to write down the epic, Ganesha initially hesitated because he didn't want to stop writing while Vyasa dictated. However, he agreed under the condition that his pen would not stop, meaning Vyasa would have to continuously dictate verses. Now, Sage Vyasa was at a loss because he would need some time to compose the verses. After much consideration, he agreed with Ganesha's request to fully comprehend the verse before transcribing it, allowing him the necessary time to compose the next verse. While writing the Mahabharata verses, Ganesha's pen broke down. But Ganesha has given his word that he will write non-stop. So to keep his promise, Ganesha broke one of his tusks and started writing again. And the world knows him as " Eka Danta".

The moral of the story has a lot to teach us.

The selfless act of Lord Ganesha, who broke a piece of his own tusk to write the epic when his stylus broke, suggests that when it comes to gaining knowledge, no sacrifice is too great. Similar to the determined nature of Ganesha, we should also persist without limit when it comes to learning. Similarly, Ved Vyasa’s cleverness and quick thinking demonstrate that we can navigate any difficult situation with some astute reflection. For example, Vyasa’s stipulation that Ganesha could not write the epic without comprehending the sentences or plot allowed him to take some moments between recitations to catch his breath!

The Festival of Guru Purnima is dedicated to Ved Vyasa. It is also known as Vyasa Purnima because it is the day believed to be his birthday and the day he divided the Vedas.