Every year Ashadha Shukla Purnima is celebrated as Vyasa Purnima. When we take up the names of Guru Parampara and pray, we say “Sadashiva Samarambham Vyasa Shankara Madhyamam Asmadacharya Paryantam Vande
Guru Paramparam”. Starting with the Sadashiva, we bow to Vyasa and Shankaracharya, and covering till our own physical Guru and offering respects is the meaning.
Parashara Maharshi’s son through Satyavati or Yojanagandhi was Vyasa. As he was instrumental in classifying Vedas, he is called Veda Vyasa. He organized Veda into four and gave the responsibility of preserving it to four of his chief disciples. Paila was given Rigveda, Vaishampayana was given Yajurveda, Jaimini was entrusted with Samaveda, and Sumanta was given the charge of Adharvana. He wrote Mahabharata. Mahabharata has Bhagavadgita and Vishnu Sahasranama as part of it. Vyasa wrote/organized Puranas too and entrusted with Romaharsha. Vyasa guided Shri Shankaracharya on the latter's contributions. Vyasa is said to be “Vishnu roopaya”. We pray to Vyasa as “Vyasaya Vishnuroopaya”.
After so much contribution to the Vedic and Puranic realms, Vyasa was feeling disturbed and was without peace. Sage Narada encouraged him to write the Bhagavata Mahapurana to reach a peaceful state of mind, and Vyasa completed the task.
Vyasa’s lineage continued with son Shukacharya and other shishyas. Shukacharya was the sage who guided King Pareekshit through “Bhagavata Saptaha”, a seven-day discourse on Bhagavata Mahapurana. This is a living tradition till date. As a mark of our gratitude, every year we celebrate Ashadha’s Purnima as Vyasa Purnima.
(Dr. Ainavolu Srinivas is a Mumbai-based teacher of Management and Sanatana)
