{"id":11864,"date":"2013-08-30T13:04:26","date_gmt":"2013-08-30T12:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=11864"},"modified":"2013-08-30T13:04:26","modified_gmt":"2013-08-30T12:04:26","slug":"who-is-srila-vyasadeva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=11864","title":{"rendered":"Who is \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva?"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nBy Aki\u00f1cana Balar\u0101ma D\u0101sa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Devotees with inquisitive minds and curiosity for details might have sometimes wondered who is \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva, the compiler and editor of the four Vedas, the Upani\u1e63ads, the Pur\u0101\u1e47as and the author of the Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btra and Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata. Is he an empowered j\u012bva or does he belong to the vi\u1e63\u1e47u-tattva category? In this article we will try to present the conclusive statements that are in accordance with guru, s\u0101dhu and \u015b\u0101stra.<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva as the compiler of the Vedic literatures is a post, just as Lord Brahm\u0101, Indra, S\u016brya etc. are also posts that are held by different personalities at different times. The Vi\u1e63\u1e47u Pur\u0101\u1e47a (3.3.11\u201319) gives a list of twenty-eight persons who act as Vy\u0101sa for the twenty-eight Dv\u0101para-yugas which have passed in the current Vaivasvata-manvantara. The last in the list is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa who is described in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam:
\n\u201cThereafter, in the seventeenth incarnation of Godhead, \u015ar\u012b Vy\u0101sadeva appeared in the womb of Satyavat\u012b through Par\u0101\u015bara Muni, and he divided the one Veda into several branches and subbranches, seeing that the people in general were less intelligent.\u201d (\u015aB 1.3.21)<\/p>\n

As he occupies the post of the compiler of the Vedic literatures, \u015ar\u012b Vy\u0101sadeva is generally categorized as a \u015bakty\u0101ve\u015ba-avat\u0101ra, an exalted j\u012bva empowered by the Lord with portions of His powers such as knowledge. In the yugas previous to the last Dv\u0101para-yuga some of the personalities who acted in the post of Vy\u0101sa were: Brahm\u0101, Manu, B\u1e5bhaspati, Indra, Yama, Bharadv\u0101ja, Gautama, Dhana\u00f1jaya, Par\u0101\u015bara and others. In the next Dv\u0101para-yuga Drau\u1e47i, the son of Dro\u1e47a (A\u015bvatth\u0101m\u0101) will become Vy\u0101sa. All these personalities are especially empowered j\u012bvas.<\/p>\n

But in the last Dv\u0101para-yuga we see an exemption from the general rule: instead of empowering a j\u012bva, the Lord Himself takes up the position of Vy\u0101sadeva, which means that the last Vy\u0101sadeva, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa, is vi\u1e63\u1e47u-tattva. This is confirmed by \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b in his Laghu-bh\u0101gavat\u0101m\u1e5bta (1.3.81\u201384) and by \u015ar\u012bla Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a in his commentary on the Laghu-bh\u0101gavat\u0101m\u1e5bta (English translation by H.H. Bh\u0101nu Swami): <\/p>\n

Text 81
\ndvaip\u0101yano \u2019smi vy\u0101s\u0101n\u0101m iti \u015baurir yad \u016bciv\u0101n
\nato vi\u1e63\u1e47u-pur\u0101\u1e47\u0101dau vi\u015be\u1e63e\u1e47aiva var\u1e47ita\u1e25 <\/p>\n

\u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself says, \u2018I am Dvaip\u0101yana among the Vy\u0101sas.\u2019 In the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u Pur\u0101\u1e47a and other scriptures, he is described as directly the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commentary by \u015ar\u012bla Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a:
\n\u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (\u015bauri\u1e25) describes himself as Vy\u0101sa in the Eleventh Canto (11.16.28) as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Text 82
\nyath\u0101 \u2013
\nk\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-dvaip\u0101yana\u1e41 vy\u0101sa\u1e41 viddhi n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a\u1e41 svayam
\nko hy anya\u1e25 pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bk\u0101k\u1e63\u0101n mah\u0101bh\u0101rata-k\u1e5bd bhavet iti<\/p>\n

\u201cThus it is said: \u2018Know that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa is N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a Himself. Who else except the Lord could produce the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata?\u2019 (Vi\u1e63\u1e47u Pur\u0101\u1e47a 3.4.5, Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata 12.346.11)\u201d<\/p>\n

Text 83
\n\u015br\u016byate \u2019p\u0101ntaratam\u0101 dvaip\u0101yanyam ag\u0101d iti
\nki\u1e41 s\u0101yujya\u1e41 gata\u1e25 so \u2019tra vi\u1e63\u1e47v-a\u1e41\u015ba\u1e25 so \u2019pi v\u0101 bhavet
\ntasm\u0101d \u0101ve\u015ba ev\u0101yam iti kecid vadanti ca <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is said in the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata that a sage named Ap\u0101ntaratam\u0101, who had extinguished internal ignorance, became Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa. This means that the sage merged into the \u012b\u015bvara form of Dvaip\u0101yana, or that he was an a\u1e41\u015ba of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commentary by \u015ar\u012bla Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a:
\n\u201cThis is related in the N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47\u012bya of the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata. Ap\u0101ntaratam\u0101 was an austere br\u0101hma\u1e47a who had extinguished ignorance. He (sa\u1e25) merged into Lord Dvaip\u0101yana (atra) or can be regarded as an a\u1e41\u015ba of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u (in the manner that Dro\u1e47a and Dhar\u0101 were am\u015bas of Nanda and Ya\u015bod\u0101 and merged into them when they appeared on earth with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a). Because of this, some say that Vy\u0101sa is an \u0101ve\u015b\u0101vat\u0101ra, like the Kum\u0101ras.\u201d<\/p>\n

HG Gop\u012bpar\u0101\u1e47adhana Prabhu translates the same text 83 as follows:
\n\u201cWe hear from scripture that the sage Ap\u0101ntaratam\u0101 became Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa. Ap\u0101ntaratam\u0101 may have merged with Dvaip\u0101yana, or else he was also a partial expansion of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. Therefore some authorities say that Dvaip\u0101yana is an \u0101ve\u015ba incarnation.\u201d<\/p>\n

HG Ku\u015bakratha Prabhu\u2019s translation of the same verse differs somewhat:
\n\u201cIn the scriptures it is said that Ap\u0101ntaratam\u0101 Muni became Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa. Is Vy\u0101sa a j\u012bva who attained s\u0101yujya-mukti, or is he an a\u1e41\u015ba-avat\u0101ra of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u? Some say he is an \u0101ve\u015ba-avat\u0101ra.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since \u015ar\u012bm\u0101n Ku\u015bakratha Prabhu didn\u2019t have and use \u015ar\u012bla Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a\u2019s commentary in his translation, he naturally thought that s\u0101yujya here refers to s\u0101yujya-mukti, but with the help of Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a\u2019s commentary we understand that it refers to the merging of sage Ap\u0101ntaratam\u0101 with Lord Dvaip\u0101yana, who is an a\u1e41\u015ba of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, in the same manner as the demigod portions of eternal residents of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana merged with Goloka Vrajav\u0101s\u012bs during Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s pastimes on earth. This merging is the reason why some say that Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa is a \u015bakty\u0101ve\u015ba-avat\u0101ra, but actually he is Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a Himself. In the same way one may refer to Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and Mother Ya\u015bod\u0101 as demigods (since Dro\u1e47a and Dhar\u0101 merged with them) although in reality they are K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s eternal parents from Goloka.<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b leaves no doubt that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa is vi\u1e63\u1e47u-tattva in his \u015ar\u012b Tattva-sandarbha 16.1 (English translation by HG Gop\u012bpar\u0101\u1e47adhana Prabhu):
\n\u201cThe Skanda Pur\u0101\u1e47a says, \u2018These others make use of small collections of ideas they have carved out from the infinite sky of Vy\u0101sadeva\u2019s mind. They take advantage of these borrowed ideas like people who pick up things discarded from someone else\u2019s house.\u2019 In the same vein is the statement of Par\u0101\u015bara Muni in \u015ar\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u Pur\u0101\u1e47a (3.4.2\u20135.): \u2018Then during the period of the twenty-eight Manu, the great master, my son Vy\u0101sa, divided the one Veda with four divisions into four separate books. In the same way as he, the brilliant editor of the Vedas, arranged their entire text into various books, so have other Vy\u0101sas in the past, including myself. O best of br\u0101hma\u1e47as, you can understand that in each of the rotations of the cycles of four yugas a different Vy\u0101sa organizes the branches of the Vedas. But know that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa is the Supreme Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a Himself. Who else on this earth, Maitreya, could be the author of the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b continues (16.2):
\n\u201cIn the Skanda Pur\u0101\u1e47a we read, \u2018Knowledge in this world was originally generated from Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. In K\u1e5bta-yuga it remained intact. In Tret\u0101-yuga it became somewhat corrupted, and in Dv\u0101para-yuga altogether so. When knowledge had thus gradually transformed into ignorance because of Gautama \u1e5a\u1e63i\u2019s curse, the confused demigods headed by Brahm\u0101 and Rudra went to ask protection from N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, the faultless provider of shelter. Informed of what they needed Him to do, He, the Personality of Godhead and greatest of mystics, descended to earth as the son of Par\u0101\u015bara in the womb of Satyavat\u012b. In that form Lord Hari Himself restored the neglected Vedas.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Gop\u012bpar\u0101\u1e47adhana Prabhu comments: \u201cJust as infinite space is all-accommodating, so the mind of Veda-vy\u0101sa encompasses everything there is to know. Vedic \u1e5b\u1e63is are greater than ordinary mystics of other cultures who comprehend something of the Absolute Truth and its energies for their own self- realization, but cannot express their experiences coherently for the benefit of others. The Vedic sages are not only mystics but expert communicators as well; they systematically teach practical means by which persons entangled in material life can also become self-realized. Of these sages, Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa is incontestably the greatest. His own father, Par\u0101\u015bara \u1e5a\u1e63i, student of Maitreya \u1e5a\u1e63i and narrator of the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u Pur\u0101\u1e47a, attests to this. Previously, in the twenty-sixth Dv\u0101para-yuga of this Vaivasvata-manvantara, Par\u0101\u015bara himself was Vy\u0101sa, editor of the Vedas. As an incarnation of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, however, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana excels all other Vy\u0101sas. He best knows the whole purpose of the Vedas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thus, the \u015b\u0101stras (Vi\u1e63\u1e47u Pur\u0101\u1e47a and Skanda Pur\u0101\u1e47a) and the \u0101c\u0101ryas (\u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b, \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b and \u015ar\u012bla Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a) are consistent in the opinion that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa is Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a Himself or vi\u1e63\u1e47u-tattva.<\/p>\n

Some devotees have argued in the past (see http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=3279) that opinions of the \u0101c\u0101ryas on this matter differ and that our \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da held the position that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa is a \u015bakty\u0101ve\u015ba-avat\u0101ra and thus j\u012bva-tattva. To support this they cite quotes such as:
\n\u201cSo Vy\u0101sadeva, he is also living entity, although he is empowered, so apa\u015byat puru\u1e63a\u1e41 p\u016br\u1e47am, he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And m\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 ca tad-ap\u0101\u015brayam, and the back side is m\u0101y\u0101.\u201d (Lecture, \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam 1.7.2\u20134 Durban, October 14, 1975)
\nBut, the reality is that \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was not specific in this or any other similar statements, he never mentions K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa as a \u015bakty\u0101ve\u015ba-avat\u0101ra or j\u012bva-tattva but is always using a generic term Vy\u0101sadeva that is used for the post of Vy\u0101sadeva in general. To infer that \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da specifically refers to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa, without him ever saying it, would be inappropriate, since it would make his words contradict \u015b\u0101stra and the previous \u0101c\u0101ryas. How could \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da ever contradict \u015ar\u012bla Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a, a great scholar and \u0101c\u0101rya to whom he dedicated his Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 As It Is? Thus we can safely conclude that whenever \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da referred to Vy\u0101sadeva as a \u015bakty\u0101ve\u015ba-avat\u0101ra or j\u012bva-tattva, he meant the post of Vy\u0101sadeva in general, and not specifically K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Aki\u00f1cana Balar\u0101ma D\u0101sa<\/strong><\/p>\n

But, the reality is that \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was not specific in this or any other similar statements, he never mentions K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa as a \u015bakty\u0101ve\u015ba-avat\u0101ra or j\u012bva-tattva but is always using a generic term Vy\u0101sadeva that is used for the post of Vy\u0101sadeva in general.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11864\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}