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Concept
Vyasa
Summary
Krishna Dvaipayana (Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (ˈvjɑːsə; Vyāsaḥ) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, Veda-vyāsaḥ, "the one who classified the Vedas"), is a revered sage portrayed in most Hindu traditions. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the epic Mahabharata.
Vyasa is also regarded by many Hindus as a partial incarnation (aṃśa-avatāra) of the god Vishnu and the compiler of the mantras of the Vedas into four Vedas, as well as the author of the eighteen Puranas and the Brahma Sutras. He is one of the eight immortals Chiranjeevis, implying he is still alive in the current Kali yuga.
Vyasa's birth name is Krishna Dvaipayana, which possibly refers to his dark complexion and birthplace, although he is more commonly known as "Veda Vyasa" (Veda Vyāsa) as he has compiled the single, eternal Veda into four separate books Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda.
The word "Vyasa" (Vyāsa) refers to "compiler", or, "arranger", and also means "separation", or, "division." Other meanings are "split", "differentiate", or, "describe." It is also a title, given to "a holy sage or a pious learned man," and applied to "persons distinguished for their writings."
Swami Vivekananda expresses the opinion that Vyasa may not have been a single person but a lineage of sages who were content to simply develop the ideas without claiming credit, as they were free from desire for the results of their work, and hence attributed the authorship to Vyasa.
He says that Vyasa being only a title, anyone who composed a new Purana was known by the name Vyasa.
Hindus traditionally hold that Vyasa subcategorized the primordial single Veda to produce four parts as a canonical collection. Hence he was called Veda Vyasa, or "Splitter of the Vedas," the splitting being a feat that allowed people to understand the divine knowledge of the Veda.
The Vishnu Purana elaborates on the role of Vyasa in Hindu chronology. The Hindu view of the universe is that of a cyclic phenomenon that comes into existence and dissolves repeatedly.
Official source
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