The Hindu Article - Sage who codified the Vedas

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Date:06/02/2003 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2003/02/06/stories/2003020600940900.htm

 

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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