Krishna Dvaipayana(“Krishna” meaning “dark” and “Dvaipayana” meaning “island-born”), better known as Vyasa or Vedavyasa, is a central and revered sage portrayed in most Hindu traditions. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the Mahabharata. He is also regarded by many Hindus as the compiler of a number of significant scriptures.
The Veda Vyasa of the current particular cycle of Yugas was born to Satyavati, the daughter of a fisherman. During her youth, while performing her job of ferrying travelers across the Yamuna river, Satyavati met a great sage named Parashara. Becoming attracted to each other, the two went to an island where they could be alone, and ended up conceiving Veda Vyasa. The legend says that being no ordinary soul, Vyasa was born that very day, grew immediately into maturity, and was given the name Krishna Dvaipayana.
Determined to live the life of an ascetic, Vyasa left, but promised Satyavati he would return if she ever needed him. As providence would have it, Satyavati later became the wife of the emperor of the world, Shantanu, and had two sons with him. Unfortunately, Shantanu and the two sons died, leaving the kingdom in need of a king.
Without an heir to the throne, other hostile rulers threatened the stability of the kingdom and the world, and so Satyavati frantically searched for a solution. Remembering Vyasa’s promise, Satyavati called upon her first-born and asked him to beget children with the widows of her dead sons. Vyasa agreed, and thus conceived a son with each of the widows, as well as one with a maidservant, producing three sons in total, before returning to his asceticism.
From the moment he was born, he felt no desire for personal material pursuits, and instead chose to live a renounced life of spiritual discipline. Though dedicated to his spiritual practice, when his mother and the world needed his help to bring stability to the kingdom by producing an heir, he set aside his personal commitments, did what was requested of him, and then returned to his renounced lifestyle without asking for anything in return. And when he knew the coming of Kali Yuga was imminent, out of compassion, he compiled a plethora of spiritual texts to provide guidance for the people of what is considered the most difficult age.
Hindu scripture describes Vyasa as being a Chiranjivi, or immortal being who is still alive today, choosing to remain on the earth for the well-being of others until the end of the current Kali Yuga. Because Veda Vyasa compiled the wealth of spiritual literature used by most of Hinduism’s major lineages, many view him as the original guru, which is why Guru Purnima, the day to pay respects to the guru, is celebrated on his birthday.
There are six important systems of thought developed by our ancients known as the Shad Darshanas or the six orthodox schools of philosophy, viz., Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Purva Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa or Vedanta. Each system has a different shade of opinion. Later, these thoughts became unwieldy, and to regulate them, the Sutras came into existence. Treatises were written in short aphorisms, called "Sutras" in Sanskrit, meaning clues for memory or aids to long discussions on every topic. In the Padma Purana, the definition of a Sutra is given. It says that a Sutra should be concise and unambiguous; but the brevity was carried to such an extent that the Sutra has become unintelligible and particularly so in the Brahma Sutras.
The Brahma Sutras written by Vyasa or Badarayana-for that was the name which he possessed in addition-are also known as Vedanta Sutras as they deal with Vedanta only. They are divided into four chapters, each chapter being subdivided again into four sections. It is interesting to note that they begin and end with Sutras which read together mean "the inquiry into the real nature of Brahman has no return", meaning that "going by that way one reaches Immortality and no more returns to the world".
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