Rishi Ved Vyas is the legendary author of Mahabharat and one of the most celebrated sages of Bharat. According to legends he was a part incarnation of Shri Vishnu. He is immortal and one of the seven ‘Chiranjeevi’. It is said that he descended to the earth to write Vedas and Puranas. He is the writer of 18 major Puranas. The word ‘Vyas’ means ‘arranger’, ‘composer’, ‘division’ or ‘separation’. Rishi Vyas split the single Veda into four books – Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. This made the Vedas, easy for people to understand. This is why he is known as ‘Rishi Ved Vyas’ – the separator of Vedas. The birth of Rishi Ved Vyas is celebrated on Guru Purnima. It is also called Vyas Purnima. It is also believed that he separated the Vedas on this day.
Born as Krishna Dvaipayana, Rishi Ved Vyas was the son of Rishi Parashar (the writer of Vishnu Puran) and a fisherwoman called Satyavati. Rishi Vashishta was his grand father. Once Rishi Parashar was travelling near the banks of river Yamuna. He was just returning after doing severe penance and had received a boon that he would have a very knowledgeable son who would be a great sage himself. He saw a young fisherwoman who was helping travellers cross the river in her wooden boat.
Rishi Parashar with the power of his penance knew that the time had come for the boon to be fulfilled. He went towards the girl and asked her to take him on the other side of the river. When the boat reached the middle, Parashar told her about his desire. Satyavati was reluctant but after repeated requests from Rishi Parashar she agreed. However she had conditions for the sage.
Satyavati said that when they are doing the act no one should see them. Rishi Parashar agreed and spoke a mantra. Soon an island appeared and the surrounding became foggy around them. Satyavati then asked for the smelly fish emanating from the body to be turned to fragrance and that she should retain her virginity after their physical relationship. The Sage agreed and turned the fishy smell into a fragrance. He gave Satyavati a boon that she will remain a virgin even after this event. The third condition was that the child born from the relationship should be knowledgeable, learned and a big sage himself. The sage was very pleased and welcomed this condition too.
Rishi Parashar with his yogic powers impregnated Satyavati on the foggy island. On the same day, Satyavati gave birth to a boy who was named Krishna Dvaipayana due to his dark skin and because he was born on an island. ‘Dvaipayana’ means ‘island born’ in Sanskrit. Rishi Parashar took the boy with him and left.
Satyavati kept this entire incident a secret all her life and did not reveal it to even King Shantanu whom she married later. Years later, after the death of her son Vichitravirya, the Hastinapur kingdom was left without a heir. That is when she disclosed this secret to Bhishma and asked him to invite ‘Rishi Ved Vyas’ for a Niyog with Vichitravirya’s widows.
