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Guru Purnima: 
 

The Purnima day of Ashadh Shukla Paksha is dedicated to Krishna- -Dwaipayan Vyasa or Ved Vyasa and is celebrated as Guru Purnima or Vyasa Purnima. It is the auspicious day when this guru or master of Hindu religion was born. Maharshi Veda Vyasa was the great sage who edited the sacred Hindu scriptures, the Vedas and wrote 18 Puranas, Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagvatam-which form the basis of Hindu religion. Veda Vyasa is immortal forever just as his wonderful creations.  On this special day, devotees and spiritual aspirants pay homage to Adi Guru, Vyasa and perform a puja, offering prayers to their ‘gurudevs’ or preceptors. Students express their reverence towards their gurus/teachers and offer Guru Dakshina as an expression of love and gratitude. It is the holy occasion when students receive blessings from their gurus to succeed in life.

Sage Dattareya had 24 gurus from whom he learnt the art of living a perfect life. In modern times too, we strive to gain knowledge in diversified fields and in this endevaour, we seek help from many teachers who are experts in their fields of study. It is interesting to note that just as the teachers groom the students and show them the right path to success, it is the students who bring accolades and recognition for their teachers and make them famous personalities.  Guru Purnima is an occasion to celebrate the bond between teachers and students and the spirit of enlightenment through learning. This year, the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima falls on 24th July.                          

Veda Vyasa

Vyasam vasistanaptaram sakte:pautramakalmasamah

Parasaratmajam vande sukatatam taponidhimah

Vyasaya visnurupaya vyasarupaya visnave

Namo vai brahmanidhaye vasistaya namo nama…

“Vyasa is the son of Parasara, grandson of Shakti, great-grandson of sage Vashishta, and father of Suka. I pay my obeisance to Vyasa who is free from all imperfections and is an abundant resource of austerities. I offer salutations to Vyasa who is a representation of Lord Vishnu and also to Lord Vishnu who is a representative of Vyasa, who is a descendent of Vashishtha and is a valuable resource of Brahman.”

Birth and parentage of Vyasa

It is believed that there were 28 Vyasas; the present Vyasa, also known as Krishna Dvaipayana took birth at the end of Dvapara Yuga. His father was Parasara Rishi who brought him to this world through Matsya Gandhi or Satyavathi under strange circumstances. Parasara was known to be highly Jnani and one of the highest authorities on astrology. His creation Parasara Hora is still a textbook on Astrology. Also, Parasara Smriti, another Smriti written by him, is held in such high regard that it is often quoted by our present-day writers dealing with subjects on Ethics and Sociology. Parasara came to know of the divine truth that a baby, conceived at a particular muhurta, would be born as the greatest person of the age. He would be an ‘Amsa’ of Lord Vishnu Himself. Parasara was travelling in a boat on that day and he divulged the truth of the auspicious time to the boatman. The boatman being impressed with the sanctity and greatness of the sage, offered him his daughter’s hand in marriage. Hence, Vyasa was born due to this matrimonial union and with the divine blessings of Lord Shiva. It was at a very tender age that Vyasa expressed his desire to his parents to go to the forest and perform penance. At first, his mother did not agree but later gave permission on one condition that he would appear whenever she wished to see him.

The literary compositions of Vyasa

Maharshi Ved Vyasa composed Puranas and Upa-Puranas to explain in detail the Vedic teachings for the understanding of common people. The Puranas are one of the most extensively read scriptures in our country. The word ‘purana’ means ‘reflection of ancient times’. There are 18 major (maha) and 18 subsidiary (upa) puranas. At the end, Vyasa wrote Harivamsha, the history of Krishna as God. Vyasa’s last work was the Bhagavata, which he composed at the instigation of Devarshi Narada. Shukla Acharya, his son, is the narrator of Bhagavata Purana.

The literary compositions of Vyasa

Maharshi Ved Vyasa composed Puranas and Upa-Puranas to explain in detail the Vedic teachings for the understanding of common people. The Puranas are one of the most extensively read scriptures in our country. The word ‘purana’ means ‘reflection of ancient times’. There are 18 major (maha) and 18 subsidiary (upa) puranas. At the end, Vyasa wrote Harivamsha, the history of Krishna as God. Vyasa’s last work was the Bhagavata, which he composed at the instigation of Devarshi Narada. Shukla Acharya, his son, is the narrator of Bhagavata Purana.

Vyasa is traditionally accepted as the author of the Mahabharata, in which he too played a significant role. Mahabharata is a large text and an amazing literary creation (Mahatvat  Bharavatvat Mahabhratamucyate). Mahabharata remains a gem in the literature of the world. Veda Vyasa gifted the world this storehouse of realism, compassion, human traits, conflict and wisdom. It is history, sociology, philosophy, genealogy, neeti-shashtra, ethics, dharma shashtra, art of warfare, poetry and spirituality beautifully blended together. (Yadihasti tadanyatra-yannehasti na kutracit: what is not found here cannot be found elsewhere). An interesting legend is that Vyasa had asked Shree Ganesha to write the text of Mahabharata. Lord Ganesha had imposed a condition that Vyasa should narrate the story without a single pause. Hearing this, Vyasa had made a counter-condition that Lord Ganesha should understand the verse before he wrote it down.

The Brahma Sutras composed by Vyasa, also known as Vedanta Sutras, deal with Vedanta. They are categorised into 4 chapters, each chapter again being subdivided into four sections or parts. It is quite fascinating to note that they commence and end with Sutras, which when read together mean ‘the inquest into the real nature of Brahman has no return to the materialistic world’. The authorship of these Sutras, as per tradition is attributed to Vyasa. Adi Sankara, in Bhashya, mentions Vyasa as author of Mahabharata and the Gita and Badarayana as the author of the Brahma Sutras. Vachaspathi, Anandagiri and his other followers however identify the two persons as one while Ramanuja and others regard Vyasa as the author of all the three texts.

Why was he known as Vedas Vyasa and Badarayana?

Sage Vyasa divided the primordial single Veda into four categories (1131 Recensions or Sakhas divided into Rik (21 sakhas), Yajur (101 sakhas), Sama (1000 sakhas) and Atharva Veda (9 sakhas). He entrusted these books to his most trusted disciples for further editing: Rig Veda to Paila, Yajur Veda to Vaisampayana, Sama Veda to Jaimini, Atharva Veda to Sumantu. Therefore, he was called Vedas Vyasa. The main purpose of making a division of the texts was to help mortals easily understand the divine words and retain the text of the Vedas.

Vyasa is also known as Badarayana as the island on which he was born is said to have been covered with Indian Jujube or Badara. The Brahma-Sutra is accredited (attributed) to Badarayana (Vyasa) which makes him the exponent of the crest-jewel school of Indian philosophy-Vedanta.  There are 6 significant systems of thought known as Shad Darshanas or 6 orthodox schools of philosophy developed by our sages. These are- Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Purva Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa or Vedanta. Each of the systems has a varied shade of opinion. Later these thoughts became unwieldy and complex and hence the Sutras were created to control them.

The eternal presence of Vyasa

Veda Vyasa is regarded immortal, ‘Chiranjivi’, (one who is forever present and roaming throughout the world for the welfare of his devotees). It is said that he is visible to one who is true and faithful. Adi Sankara is said to have had his ‘Darshan’ at the house of sage Mandana Misra. Many others too have had his divine vision in some auspicious moment. Hence, it was said that he lived for the well being of the world.


By Dr. Surendra Kapoor
Renowned Astrologer and Vastu Expert

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