Vyasadeva may or may not know

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I took this explanation from the web site of Narashima Swami. I think this

may answer your question.

Vasudeva Datta dasa

 

Vyasa May Know or May Not Know

 

 

 

Question: Shri Vedavyasa compiled/composed the Bhagavatam prior to Shukadeva

Gosvami's recital of it. Are we to understand that He omitted Radharani's

name in His composition, knowing that Shukadeva would speak it to Maharaja

Parikshit in a mere 7 days? (H. Krishna Susarla)

 

Narasingha Maharaja: Actually Vyasadeva may or may not know what he has said

in the Bhagavat (referring to the innumerable verses containing the name of

Srimati in the rasik or hidden way). There is a famous verse in this

connection: (This verse may be found in the Madhya-lila, Ch24, Tx313, or in

the Gaudiya Kanthahara 2.27)

 

 

aham vedmi suko vetti, vyaso vetti na vetti va

bhaktya bhagavatam grahyam, na buddhya na ca tikaya

 

Lord Siva said; "I know the meaning of the Bhagavat and I know that Sukadeva

knows it also. But for Vyasadeva he may or may not know it. The Bhagavat can

only be known through bhakti, not by mundane intelligence or by reading many

commentaries."

 

This rather interesting sloka is spoken by Lord Siva himself in addressing

an assembly of Sankarites at Banaras. The second line of the sloka is an

admonishment to the misguided followers of Sankaracharya and the first line

of the sloka is the siddhanta accepted by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as

regards the position of the guru, i.e., relative or absolute.

 

When Sridhar Swami wrote his commentary on the Bhagavat it was rejected by

the Sankarites of Banaras due to the bhakti content and the acceptance of

the Supreme Personality of Godhead as parabrahma. However, Sripad Sridhar

Swami was vastly learned in the Vedanta etc., and thus the Sankarites could

not refute his arguments. Nonetheless, because Sridhar Swami's opinion did

not stride alongside that of the established institution of the advaitic

school, the Sankarites would not accept it.

 

Lastly the Sankarites proposed what seemed to be an impossible test. They

suggested that the Bhagavat commentary of Sridhar Swami be placed in the

temple of Viswanatha over night and if Lord Shiva accepted the commentary,

then, so would they.

 

Sridhar Swami was a saranagata-bhakta, a fully surrendered soul who had

embraced the ashraya-tattva, i.e., the shelter of the Supreme Lord.

Therefore he agreed to the test with the faith within that his destiny was

in good hands.

 

The Bhagavat, with commentary, was placed in the temple of Lord Visvanatha

for the night and when the doors of the sanctum-sanctorium were opened in

the morning this verse was revealed:

 

 

aham vedmi suko vetti, vyaso vetti na vetti va

bhaktya bhagavatam grahyam, na buddhya na ca tikaya

 

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has accepted the first line of this sloka which says

that the position of the guru is relative not absolute. The disciple may see

him as absolute, that is another thing, but not others or more importantly

he does not see himself as absolute.

 

In this regard Sriman Mahaprabhu spoke to Sanatana Goswami;

 

Sanatana, Krishna is going to give His kindness to you through me. I am

talking to you like a madman. I feel many things are passing through me to

you. But I do not know that I myself have the thing.

 

So the verse;

 

 

aham vedmi suko vetti, vyaso vetti na vetti va

bhaktya bhagavatam grahyam, na buddhya na ca tikaya

 

is accepted at least in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya as authoritative.

What has passed through Srila Vyasadeva may or may not be known to him.

 

There is another thread found here in connection with Lord Siva. Sambhuh,

Lord Siva, is one of the twelve Mahajanas.

 

 

svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh

prahlado janako bhismo balir vaiyasakir vayam

 

Narada, Sambhu, and vaiyasakir, Sukadeva Goswami have got special connection

with madhurya-rasa in Vrindavana. Sukadeva Goswami was the suka, parrot of

Srimati. Narada Muni got gopi-swarupa near Govardhan, and Lord Siva also got

gopi-swarupa for dancing in rasa-lila.

 

When Lord Siva was bathed by the gopis in a sacred kund in Vrindavana to get

his gopi-swarupa he emerged with the snake still wrapped around his neck.

Some say that the snake which is always seen on the neck of Siva is Ananta,

his guru.

 

Rather than be a direct participant in the rasa-lila, Siva was then given

the position of the protector of the rasa-lila and thus his name; Gopeswara

Mahadeva.

 

The most esoteric erotic principle of Divine Love reaches its pinnacle in

the tenth canto of the Bhagavat. Those who are conscious of the ontology of

events in the tenth canto are given at times to call the Bhagavat by the

name, Radha Bhagavat.

 

Lord Siva was to some degree privy to that which took place in rasa-lila. It

so happened that some "time" later in the brahma-loka Lord Siva was reciting

the Vrindavana-lila to Parvati and Srimati's suka was present there.

Thinking that the parrot would repeat the sacred Bhagavat here and there

without any realization, and thus cheapening the context of the Bhagavat,

Lord Siva decide to kill the poor bird. The rest we have heard in the Sriya

Suka article. The parrot flew, with Siva in quick pursuit, to the ashram of

Vyasadeva and entered the mouth of the wife of Vyasadeva. That is what the

Gaudiyas call "Divine Conception".

 

So in this sense, the practical sense, Lord Siva knows that Suka knows the

meaning of the Bhagavat (particularly tenth canto) - he heard it directly

from the vision of Siva who was there in his gopi-swarupa and we can also

safely conclude that he heard what went on there in the erotic pastimes of

rasa-lila from Srimati the Illustrious Queen of Vrindavana.

 

 

aham vedmi suko vetti, vyaso vetti na vetti va

 

I know, Suka knows, but Vyasadeva - he may or may not know.

 

Vyasadeva may not have been aware that he hid the name of Srimati so he went

there on the banks of the Ganga with all the assembled sages to hear

Sukadeva Goswami in order to find out.

 

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