Date:06/02/2003 URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2003/02/06/s...0600940900.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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