The Hindu : Sage who codified the Vedas

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Thursday, Feb 06, 2003

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Sage who codified the Vedas

CHENNAI FEB.6 . The Supreme Being is the very embodiment of compassion, ever gracious towards His creation, especially human beings, who alone can consciously strive to realise Him. The Lord wishes that every soul must be liberated from worldly bondage and gain the supreme status of union with Him. Then why do only few among the countless bonded souls are able to realise the goal of liberation? Man's ego is responsible for thwarting the operation of divine grace. When God is ready to claim the soul as His very own, the ego acts as a hurdle by seeking fulfilment of worldly desires. As it is the Lord's nature to grant the wish of His devotee, He grants whatever the devotee seeks from Him.

It becomes necessary then that every individual must understand the significance of human birth so that he does not fritter it away in sensory pursuits. Sages of yore and saints have undertaken this role of showing humanity the spiritual path. The incarnations of God also served the same purpose and His manifestations made Him accessible to mankind. His incarnations have made it possible for man to listen to His inimitable deeds and infinite auspicious qualities and also to engage in devotional acts like chanting the Divine names and singing His glory. His manifestations have been variously described as 10, 24 and countless if reckoned that everything is a manifestation of God. Among them His incarnation as Sage Vyasa had special significance, said Paranur Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal in his discourse.

One may ask how it is possible to categorise Vyasa as an incarnation with Rama and Krishna. If one considers his contribution to scriptural lore and that it was Vyasa who enabled humanity to know about the various incarnations of God through the extensive Puranas he composed then it will become clear that the marathon task he accomplished was superhuman.

The scriptural authority for Sanatana Dharma is the Veda, which was revealed to the sages. The Vedic mantras are eternal and thus revelations. Vyasa came to be known popularly by this name after he codified the Vedic mantras into four— Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharvana. His birth as Sage Parasara's son to Satyavati is described in the Mahabharata. He is known variously as Krishna, Dwaipanya and Badarayana, but his singular status among the Vedic sages as the compiler of the Vedas and author of the Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Vedantasutras, has rightly earned him the name, Veda Vyasa.

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