Vishnu Purana and Ramachandra in every Treta yuga

achintya, "J.N. Das" <jndas> wrote:

 

> This is the definition of the term 'Veda-vyasa'. It refers

particularly

> to the personality of Vishnu and none other. Prior to being

empowered by

> Vishnu, Parashara, and the other vyasas were known only by their

> personal names. During their empowerment, when Vishnu is present

within

> them, they possess the name Veda-vyasa. After Vishnu withdraws his

> shakti, they are again known simply by their personal names. This

is why

> Krishna-dvaipayana Vyasa is sometimes described as special among the

> Vyasas, for at this moment Vishnu is present within him, and not

within

> the other previous vyasas: krishnadvaipayanam vyasam viddhi

narayanam

> prabhum, ko 'nyo hi bhuvi.

 

Thanks for bringing this up - this was also the subject of another

Achintya discussion a long time ago.

 

If I understand you correctly, all Veda-vyaasas are shakti-avesha

avataaras (empowered jiivas such as Paraashara), but in the most

recent Veda-Vyaasa is Naaraayana Himself, or in other words not

merely an empowered jiiva.

 

The contradictory viewpoint that i encountered was that there were

many Veda-vyaasas in each chatur-yuga, but the Vyaasa in this cycle

is Vishnu, albeit a shakti-avesha avataara (so really Vishnu in the

sense of being an empowered jiiva).

 

yours,

 

Krishna

>Where is this information regarding Vishnu purana's composition?

 

I thought this was accepted by everyone, so I didn't think there was a

need to substantiate the claim. I will provide a few references just in

case.

 

In the Matsya Purana, in defining the 18 Puranas, the following text

occurs:

 

varahakalpavritantamadhikritya parasharah

yatpraha dharmankhilan taduktam vaishnavam viduh

trayo vimshati sahasram tatpramanam vidurvudhah

 

"That in which Parashara describes the events of the Varaha kalpa, and

explains all religion, containing 23,000 verses, is known as the Vishnu

purana."

 

Vishnu is the only Purana in which Suta Goswami and the Rishis of

Naimisharanya do not take part. Instead it is a conversation between

Parashara and his disciple Maitreya.

 

In the first chapter, the history of the compiling of Vishnu Purana is

narrated. Therein Vasishtha, the grand-father of Parashara, says to

Parashara:

 

purana samhita kartta bhavan vatsa bhavishyati

 

"My dear son, you will be the creator [author] of the purana samhita."

 

This Purana samhita is universaly accepted as the Vishnu Purana due to

the context of the conversation. The context in which this occurs is

Parashara explaining to Maitreya how this text of Vishnu Purana came

about.

 

This is further clarified in the Linga Purana (Purvarddha, Chapter 64),

in which the story of Parashara's birth and activities are narrated,

with the concluding words "Thus by the mercy of Pulastya and Vasishtha,

Parashara composed the vaishnava purana in 10,000 verses, being the

third purana samhita."

 

Thus Purana samhita in the prior passage from Vishnu Purana refers to

Vishnu Purana itself. In Linga Purana there is a discrepancy in the

number of verses contained within Vishnu Purana, but this is common

throughout the Puranas. According to whom the book is prepared for, the

length will vary. In addition to this it is possible that some verses

were added by Parashara himself in later ages.

 

In the Srimad Bhagavatam this compilation by Parashara (Vishnu Purana)

is mentioned by Maitreya in Canto three, chapter 8).

 

Concluding the first chapter of Vishnu Purana, Parashara tells to

Maitreya:

 

iti purnam vasishthena pulastyena ca dhimata

yaduktam tat smritim yatam tvatprasnakhilam mama

 

"Now everything that was told by Vasishtha and Pulastya has been brought

to my memory by your questions."

 

so 'ham vadamyasesham te maitreya paripricchate

puranasamhitam samyak tam nibodha yathayatham

 

"Now I will completely answer your questions by narating the purana

samhita. Please try to understand."

 

With this, Parashara begins his naration of Vishnu Purana begining with

the words "vishnoh sakashat sambhutam jagat tatraiva samsthitam...",

which is the essential sumary of the entire text. The remembrance that

Parashara has is from the 26th chatur-yuga, when he was the Veda-vyasa.

It was in that age that he originally compiled Vishnu Purana. This

claimed history of Vishnu Purana is universally accepted by clasical

indologists, as well as by Sri Vaishnavas. By that I mean indologist

accept that Vishnu Purana is claimed to have been authored from a

previous chatur-yuga. Due to the complete difference in style from the

other 17 Puranas, they consider it to be one of the oldest Puranas, if

not the oldest.

 

It was because Parashara authored Vishnu Purana that Ramanuja took the

vow to name one of his most learned disciples after Parashara.

 

Regarding Sri Ramachandra appearing in every Treta-yuga; in the third

canto of Vishnu Purana (3.2.53), Parashara tells to Maitreya:

 

caturyuge 'pyasau vishnuh sthitivyaparalakshanah

yugavyavastham kurute yatha maitreya tacchrinu

 

"Now I will explain to you how Vishnu acts within the four ages for the

proper balance of the yugas. O Maitreya, hear this from me."

 

krite yuge param jnanam kapiladisvarupadhrik

dadati sarvabhutanam sarvabhutahiteratah

 

"In the Krita yuga Lord Vishnu assumes the form of Kapila to impart the

supreme knowledge to all living entities for their welfare."

 

chakravartisvarupena tretayamapi sa prabhuh

dushtanam nigraham kurvan paripati jagattrayam

 

"In the Treta yuga He assumes the form of chakravarti, the world

monarch, to punish the wicked and maintain the the three worlds."

 

The word "chakravarti" in this text refers directly to Ramachandra. If

there is doubt, please refer to an appropriate commentary on this verse.

 

vedamekam caturbhedam kritva sakhasatairvibhuh

karoti bahulam bhuyo vedavyasasvarupadhrik

 

"In the Dvapara yuga, He assumes the form of Vedavyasa, to divide the

one Veda into four, and then into hundreds of branches."

 

vedamstu dvapare vyasya kalerante punarharih

kalkisvarupi durvritan marge sthapayati prabhuh

 

"In the end of the Kali yuga, Sri Hari again appears in the form of

Kalki to reestablish the wicked in the path of religion."

 

[The use of the word sthapayati in the present tense indicates it is not

a future prediction, but a general rule. Otherwise the word

"sthapayisyati" should have been used.]

 

evamesha jagat sarvam paripati karoti ca

hanti canteshvanantatma nastyasmat vyatireki yat

 

"Thus Vishnu maintains the world, and in the end destroys it."

 

We should note that the word "svarupa" is used in every context, and not

just "rupa". He is assuming His own form. These incarnations occur in

every chatur-yuga, and it is through them that the Lord maintains the

three worlds. All these four avataras, which are kalpa-avataras, occur

in every chatur-yuga.

 

Every single vyasa is an incarnation of the Lord. This is quite clear

from the words "svarupa", as well as the words "...kalerante punarharih"

(As He came as Vyasa, _again_ Hari comes in the end of the Kali yuga).

 

Also, Parashara begins his description of these avataras with the

statement:

 

sahasrayugaparyantah kalpo nihsesha ucyate

 

It is not a description of a single yuga, but a description of the

entire system of universal maintenance.

 

Some would have us believe only Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa is an avatara

of Vishnu, but not the Veda-vyasas from other chatur-yugas. The Vishnu

Purana speaks differently. In the third chapter of the third canto, the

topic of vyasa-avatara is described in detail.

 

dvapare dvapare vishnurvyasarupi mahamune

vedamekam sa bahudha kurute jagato hitah

 

"In every single dvapara yuga, Vishnu in the form of Mahamuni Vyasa

divides the single veda into many for the benefit of the world."

 

The words "dvapare dvapare" are quite clear in this regards; As are the

words "vishnuh vyasa-rupi".

 

But to make this clearer (Vishnu Purana 3.3.6):

 

vedavyasabhidhana tu sa murtirmadhuvidvishah

 

"That form that Sri Hari assumes to divide the Vedas is known by the

nomenclature 'Veda-vyasa'."

 

This is the definition of the term 'Veda-vyasa'. It refers particularly

to the personality of Vishnu and none other. Prior to being empowered by

Vishnu, Parashara, and the other vyasas were known only by their

personal names. During their empowerment, when Vishnu is present within

them, they possess the name Veda-vyasa. After Vishnu withdraws his

shakti, they are again known simply by their personal names. This is why

Krishna-dvaipayana Vyasa is sometimes described as special among the

Vyasas, for at this moment Vishnu is present within him, and not within

the other previous vyasas: krishnadvaipayanam vyasam viddhi narayanam

prabhum, ko 'nyo hi bhuvi.

 

Following the above verse, Parashara begins to list the 28 Vyasas who

have already appeared in this manvantara. While mentioning the 26th

Vyasa

he states (3.3.18):

 

"I was the Veda-vyasa of the 26th dvapara."

 

It is during this period that Parashara composed Vishnu Purana.

 

And in verse 3.3.19 he states:

 

"Krishna Dvaipayana was the 28th Veda-vyasa."

 

Since the division of the Veda had already been completed by

Krishna-dvaipayana Veda-vyasa, Parashara speaks of him in the past

tense.

 

[The Vishnu Purana is a recital of Parashara's original Vishnu Purana,

from the 26th chatur yuga, which occured at the end of the the present

Dvapara yuga. Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa has added the first five

invocational verses, but has left the content unchanged.]

 

Following this Parashara states:

 

bhavishye dvapare capi draunirvyaso bhavishyati

vyatite mama putre 'smin krishnadvaipayane munau

 

"In the future dvapara yuga, the son of Drona will become the next

Vyasa, when my son, Krishna Dvaipayana, ceases to be Veda-vyasa."

 

Parashara lists the 24th Veda-vyasa (corresponding to the 24th

chatur-yuga) as Riksha, who is also known as Valmiki. This may hint that

the Ramayana was composed in the same chatur-yuga, but Parashara does

not state it directly.

 

The fifth canto of the Vishnu Purana contains the pastimes of Lord

Krishna. But the descriptions vary from both the Bhagavatam and the

Mahabharata. It may be a composite description of various Krishna

avataras, or it may be a different description altogether.

 

 

 

 

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>>krishnadvaipayanam vyasam viddhi narayanam prabhum, ko 'nyo hi bhuvi.

>

> If I understand you correctly, all Veda-vyaasas are shakti-avesha

> avataaras (empowered jiivas such as Paraashara), but in the most

> recent Veda-Vyaasa is Naaraayana Himself, or in other words not

> merely an empowered jiiva.

>

> The contradictory viewpoint that i encountered was that there were

> many Veda-vyaasas in each chatur-yuga, but the Vyaasa in this cycle

> is Vishnu, albeit a shakti-avesha avataara (so really Vishnu in the

> sense of being an empowered jiiva).

 

Actually I am saying the second point. But why he is Vishnu and the

others are not is because he is still empowered with vishnu-shakti at

this moment, whereas the others have relinquished their positions of

Vyasa, and the vishnu-shakti has been withdrawn. When they hold the

title 'veda-vyasa' it is because they are empowered by Vishnu, that is

the definition to the nomenclature 'veda-vyasa' as was pointed out

before.

 

At this point in time, Ashtavakra appears to be an ordinary soul. But in

the next Chatur-yuga the scriptures will be calling him Ashtavakra

Vyasa, or maybe he will pick up a new name, who knows? Krishna

Dvaipayana will cease to be Vyasa, and he will act as the previous

Vyasas are acting in this chatur-yuga, as rishis, munis, etc., just as

Parashara is acting now.

 

In other words, Ashtavakra was not empowered by Vishnu at the time of

killing the Pandava's sons, but in the next Chatur-yuga he will be

empowered when it comes to divide the Vedas. Thus in the present tense,

he is not referred to as Vishnu, whereas Krishna Dvaipayana is.

 

 

 

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