Vyasadeva's identity

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> I have a confusion about the position of Srila Vyasadeva. I have heard in

> a lecture that He is Krsna Himself, but in Prabhupada's books I have read

> that He is an empowered living entity. How to understand this? This a

> position and sometimes a living entity and sometimes Krsna Himself takes

> this position, and now Vyasa is Krsna Himself?

 

The Vyasa for this Chatura-yuga is Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa who is a living

entity (jiva) but directly empowered by the Lord (one category of

shaktyavesha avatara). Shaktyavesha avataras have two broad categories: one

direct Vishnu-tattva incarnation and other when the Lord empowers a jiva

with His potency to perform a particular task. Vyasas are normally living

entities and only specific ones like the present Vyasa are shaktyavesha

avataras. Ofcourse in the absence of a Vyasa, the Lord Himself may become

Vyasa in rare cases and at that time the Vyasa is directly a Vishnu-tattva.

 

The present age is the Vaivasvata Manu and Brahma's present day is the Sveta

Varaha Kalpa.

 

14 Manus for this day of Brahma

 

1) Svayambhuva Manu - son of Lord Brahma

2) Svarocisa Manu - son of Agni

3) Uttama Manu - son of Priyavrata

4) Tamasa Manu - brother of Uttama

5) Raivata Manu - brother of Tamasa

6) Caksusa Manu - son of the demigod Caksu

7) Vaivasvata Manu - son of the sun-god Vivasvan

8) Savarni Manu - son of the sun-god by his wife Chaya

9) Daksa Savarni - son of Varuna

10) Brahma Sarvani _ son of Brahma

11) Dharma Savarni - son of Ruci

12) Rudra Savarni - son of Rudra

13) Deva Savarni - son of Satyasaha

14) Indra Savarni - son of Bhuti

 

During the period of each manu different sages accept the position of Vyasa

or the compiler of the Vedas, Puranas, etc in each of the 71 Chaturyugas in

each manvantara. Thus in the Dvapara-yuga of each (chatura) divya-yuga a

different sage accepts the position of Vyasa.

 

28 Vyasas of the Vaivasvata Manvantara

 

1) Brahma 15) Trayyaruna

2) Prajapati or Manu 16) Dhananjaya

3) Usana, Sukracarya 17) Krtanjaya

4) Brhaspati 18) Rina

5) Savitri 19) Bharadvaja

6) Yamaraja 20) Gautama

7) Indra 21) Uttama

8) Vasistha 22) Vena

9) Sarasvata 23) Somasushmapana

10) Tridhama 24) Riksha or Valmiki

11) Trivishan 25) Sakti, father of Parasara Muni

12) Bharadhvaja 26) Parasara Muni

13) Antariksa 27) Jaratkaru

14) Vapra 28) Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa

 

In the next Dvapara-yuga the Vyasa will be Asvattama the son of Drona.

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

Daaso'smi, Tridandi Bhikshu Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami.