The Birth of Vyasa

Swapna

The Birth of Vyasa

We have heard so many fascinating stories in Mahabharat, but have you heard the story of the birth of Veda Vyas, the author of the longest epic? While some consider him to be the expansion of Vishnu, who is immortal and is never born, some believe he was born through an illegitimate relationship between his parents.

Veda Vyasa, the writer of the longest epic, Mahabharata; Image source- Pinterest

In searching for the roots of Veda Vyas’s birth, we discovered his parents, Satyavati and Rishi Parashar. His parents' relationship was unconventional and judgmental. His mother being a fisherwoman and his father being a sage, this relationship was difficult to understand at the time. However, we first have to explore Satyavati’s life in order to get an insight in tot he life of his son, Vyasa.

Satyavati was born to an apsara named Adrika, who was turned into a fish due to a curse. She was wandering in the deep rivers when she was caught by a fisherman. On cutting the fish, he found a boy and a girl. A rush of surprise went through his body, not knowing what to do he took them to the King Uparichara. The boy was adopted by the king, but the girl stayed with the fisherman. She grew up with him and was named Satyavati. However, because she was born of a fish, she reeked of fish and was also known as Matsyagandha. She gradually grew into a beautiful lady whom everyone dreamt of having.

One day, Sage Parashara arrived near the Yamuna in a hurry and searched for a boat to cross the river. He immediately stepped into the river's only boat, which was moored on the bank. As the boat began to move, Parashara sighed with relief, but his gaze was then drawn to the beautiful girl rowing the boat. He was awestruck by her innocent eyes and glowing face and felt a strong sexual attraction towards her. She was none other than Satyavati.

Later, Satyavati married King Shantanu, and Parashar’s chapter in her life was buried until she revealed it to Bhisma after decades. After King Shantanu’s death, the Hastinapura throne lay vacant, and Satyavati became the Rajmata. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, she summoned her son Vyasa to give them an heir for Hastinapur. Following his mother's advice, Veda Vyas fathered Dhritarashtra and Pandu, the future kings of Hastinapur.

According to legends, Veda Vyasa was an incarnation of God who descended to earth to write the Vedas and Puranas. He is still alive as he is immortal. He is present in the Vedas, in the Gita, and in the Puranas. His physical form is believed to live in a mysterious place far away from human interaction, where he is meditating and still continuing to write more Vedas.

Parashara declared his desire to Satyavati right away. She too was interested in the sage but faced a predicament. At the same time, she did not want to be on the receiving end of the sage’s wrath, and hence she agreed to his proposal. But, before he could touch her, she interrupted again.

She too was interested in the sage but faced a predicament. At the same time, she did not want to be on the receiving end of the sage’s wrath.

She told Parashar Muni that if she lost her virginity, she would never be able to face her family again and that everyone would question her character if they saw her like this. Furthermore, being a great sage, how can he cope with the terrible odor of fish coming from her body? Without thinking twice, Sage Parashar bestowed her boon of musk-smelling and she came to be known as “Yojana Gandhi” instead of “Matsyagandha”. He even told her that she could retain her virginity even after the act.

Satyavati gave birth to a baby boy in a secluded bush near the Yamuna river. The baby was named Vyasa by his father, Parashar, who decided to take him with him. He assured Satyavati that no one would question her sincerity and promised to send his son to meet her whenever she required him. With this, Parashar Muni left, and since then he never met Satyavati again.