Vyaasa Puja

श्री:।
।।श्री गुरुभ्यो नम:।।

व्यासं वसिष्ठनप्तारं शक्तेः पौत्रमकल्मषम ् ।

पराशरात्मजं वन्दे शक
ु तातं तपोनिधिम ् ॥

व्यासाय विष्णुरूपाय व्यासरूपाय विष्णवे।

नमो वै ब्रह्मनिधये वासिष्ठाय नमो नम:।।

नमोऽस्तु ते व्यास विशालबद्ध

ु े फुल्लारविन्दायतपत्रनेत्रः।

येन त्वया भारततैलपूर्णः प्रज्ज्वालितो ज्ञानमयप्रदीपः।।

In this S’aarvaree year, in the month of Aashadha (falling within the Tamizh
month of Aani) on the paurNami (Full Moon) day, i.e., on July 5,2020), falls
Vyaasa Jayanti, which the Peetadhipatis and other Sannyaasins observe
fervently.

All the three major schools of thought in our religion, viz., the ‘Advaita’, the
‘Vis’ishtaadvaita’ and the ‘Dvaita’ worship Bhagavaan Vyaasa on this holy day.
Bhagavaan Vyaasa compiled the massive Vedaas into four parts: Rk, Yajur,
Saama & Atharva. As the preceptor, he illumined his disciples with each of
these Vedas respectively to Paila, Vais’ampaayana, Jaimini and Sumantu.
From these first disciples down to our Acharyaas, The ‘Guru-S’ishya
Adhyayana parampara (tradition) has continued uninterrupted.
 He is, therefore, acclaimed as ‘Veda Vyaasa’. He is also known by another
name, KrishNa Dvaipaayana’. In the Adi Parvan of our great epic ‘Mahaa
Bhaarata’ the order in which his name is derived is explained:

यो व्यस्य वेदांश्चतुर: तपसा भगवान ् ऋषि:।

लोके व्यासत्वमापेदे कार्ष्ण्यात ् कृष्णमेव च।।

Apart from compiling the Vedas, Vyaasa also authored the monumental epic
‘Mahaa Bhaarata’ which is acclaimed as the 5th Veda. And, the eighteen
PuraaNaas too came off his pen! PuraaNassay that for each & every ‘Yuga’
(aeon), there is a Vyaasa taking birth , who is invested with the power of
collating the Vedas compatible with the learning ability of the people in that
Yuga, For all the ‘Sanaatana’ adherents, the ultimate proof called ‘pramAna’ in
Sanskrit is the ‘BrahmaSutram’. And, the devotion-drenched ‘Srimad
Bhaagavatam’ – these two great works also owe their authorship to
Bhagavaan Vyaasa.

In ‘Dvaapara-Yuga’, Vyaasa’s name was ‘Apaantara-Tamas’ and he took the

name of ‘KrishNa-Dvaipaayana’: ‘यावदधिकारं अवस्थिति: अधिकारिकाणाम ्’ – so says

Bhagadpaada AdiS’ankara in his commentary on BaadarayaNa Sutra.

Some recent researchers opine that BaadaraayaNa is different from Vyaasa,

which is not correct, as this goes against the traditional view. Vyaasa has also
the name of Paraas’arya – son of Maharshi Paraas’ara. Veda declares this as:
‘स होवाचव्यास: पाराशर्य:’ Brahma Sutram, also known as ‘Bhikshu Sutram’ was

also authored by Vyaasa – so records Maharshi PaaNini: पाराशर्य शिलालिभ्यो

भिक्षुनटसूत्रयो::।

2
 Therefore, all these names: Paars’arya, BaadaraayaNa, Veda-Vyaasa,
KrishNa-Dvaipaayana, Satyavati-Suta describe one and the same person.
Even the reputation of Bhaarata as a nation is intertwined with Vyaasa’s name.

In the tradition of Vedaanta Upades’a, Vyaasa occupies the head position. In

our ‘advaita’ tradition too, with Bhagavaan NaarayaNa and up to our Acharyas,
Vyaasa & his son. S’uka are placed in the middle:

नारायणं पद्मभवं वशिष्ठं , शक्तिं च तत्पत्र

ु पराशरं च।
व्यासं शुकं गौडपदं महान्तं, गोविन्दयोगीन्द्रमथास्यशिष्यम ्॥ 

श्रीशंकराचार्यमथास्य पद्मपादं च हस्तामलकम ् च शिष्यान ्।

तं तोटकं वार्तिककारमन्यान ्, अस्मद् गरू
ु न्सन्ततमानतोस्मि।।

In the month of Aashaadha, the rainy season begins, with countless small
creatures moving here and there. All Sannyaasins, therefore, stay put at a
place (in order not to cause any harm to any living being), and observe
‘Chatur-Maasya’, traditionally in our country. We, ordinary mortals, cannot,
therefore afford to forget the humongous contribution of Bhagavaan Veda
Vyaasa and it is our bounden duty to offer our worship to him, in an appropriate
manner.