Birth of Vyasa

Mahabharata Adiparva Adivansavataranaparva section 62-64

Sri Sadgurubhyoh namah

There was a king by name Uparichara who ruled Chedi. He is also known as Vasu. He was a friend of Indra. Indra gave him a chariot that can travel through sky and a bamboo pole as a mark of friendship. Vasu conducted a festival every year in respect of Indra. He erected the bamboo pole in earth and bedecked it with jewels and ornaments. It has become a custom for all Kings henceforth to do this festival in respect of Indra. He had five sons Vrihadratha, Pratyagraha, Kusamva, Mavella, and Yadu. He installed them as governers of five provinces and ruled the land with authority. And his son Vrihadratha was installed in Magadha and was also known as Maharatha. Kusamva, is also known as Manivahana.

Vasu rescued a river by name Suktimati from the embraces of a mountain with name kolahala, by hitting the mountain with his foot. This caused the river escape from the embraces of Mountain, and begot two children. a son and Girika. Vasu weds Girika. Son of river becomes General of his forces.

Vasu goes to forest to slay a deer for performing shraddha to his ancestors and forefathers. But he was full of thoughts of his wife Girika and possessed of desire. He asks a Hawk to carry his seed to his wife. On the way the seed gets dropped in the ocean and a fish Adrika swallows it. The fish is a apsara who was cursed to be a fish. Some fishermen catch and cuts open the fish, to find two children, a male and female. They bring them to the king Uparichara. King takes male child and names as Matsya and gives back the female child to fisher folk. She is known as Satyavati. She smelled of fish, and plied a boat on river Yamuna. She is beautiful and of agreeabable demeanour.

One day Rishi Parasara used her boat to cross the river, and was struck with her beauty and desired her. She asks a boon of preserving her virginity and also changing her body smell to a fragrance, Henceforth she is called Yojanagandhi. Sage Parasara grants the boon and he creates a dense fog in the middle of the Yamuna river and embraces Satyavati. She begets a son on the very day in an island on Yamuna river. He is known as Dwaipayana (born in island). He is also known as Krishna dwaipayana. He takes to asceticism at birth and goes away granting the wish of his mother that he will appear whenever she wants him to appear before her.

Dwaipayana, son of Parasara and Satyavati, know that Dharma will be crippled in the coming ages, and to rescue righteousness, he wrote all puranas, compiled and divided Veda into four for easy study, Bhagavatam, Brahmasutra and most of the sacred literature. He is also known as Vyasa (compiler) and because he edited Veda, he is also known as Veda vyasa.

He has taught Sumanta, Jaimini, Paila, his son Suka, and Vaisampayana.

My commentary :

Whatever knowledge, wisdom that sanatana dharma is left with is because of this great soul Veda Vyasa. He is the father and mother of Hindu civilization and religion. I pray to VedaVyasa to bestow wisdom and his Grace on us. He is the Guru to all Gurus, hence we observe His birthday as the Gurupoornima day.

Peace