Vedavyasa, Vedavyāsa, Veda-vyasa: 13 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
Languages
1. Sanskrit
2. Kannada
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Introduction:

Vedavyasa means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास).—See under Vyāsa.

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास) refers to the “one who classified the Vedas” and is associated with Viṣṇu, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.5.16 (“The battle of the gods”).—Accordingly, as Brahmā and the Gods eulogized Viṣṇu: “[...] Obeisance to you of the form of Vedavyāsa who classified the Vedas and who wrote the Purāṇas for the welfare of the worlds. Obeisance to you who are ready to perform the task of the devotees through incarnations of Fish etc. O lord, obeisance to you of the form of Brahman, the cause of creation, sustenance and annihilation. [...]”.

Source: Dharmakshetra: The Vayu Purana

Who was this Vedavyasa (alternatively Vyasadeva)? You must first realize that Vedavyasa is not a proper name. It is a title. When evil begins to reign on earth, it is necessary that the wisdom of the Vedas be disseminated amongst people. But the Vedas are abstract and esoteric, they are difficult for ordinary people to comprehend. To ensure that the knowledge that is in them is properly disseminated, the Vedas must be partitioned and divided (vyasa). An individual who does this has the title of Vedavyasa conferred on him.

In the Vedic conception of time, there are four yugas or eras. These are known as satya yuga or krita yuga, treta yuga, dvapara yuga and kali yuga. As one progessively moves down the scale, the power of righteousness diminishes and evil starts to rear it ugly head. Accordingly, in each dvapara yuga, a Vedavyasa is born. In the present cycle, twenty-eight such dvapara yugas have passed and twenty-eight Vedavyasa have been born. The Vedavyasa who is credited with having composed the mahapuranas was twenty-eighth in the list. He was the son of Satyavati and the sage Parashara and his proper name was Krishna Dvaipayana. The word krishna means dark and he was known as Krishna because he was dark in complexion. The word dvipa means island and he was known as Dvaipayana because he was born on an island.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास).—(Vyāsa) a sage; twenty-eight Vedavyāsas for twenty-eight dvāparas of the Vaivasvata epoch; Svayambhuva, Vedavyāsa, Uśanā, Bṛhaspati, Savitā, Mṛtyu, Indra, Vasiṣṭha, Sārasvata, Antarikṣa, Dharma, Traiyāruṇi, Dhanañjaya, Kṛtamjaya, Ṛjīṣa, Bharadvāja, Gautama, Uttama, Haryavana, Vena, Vājaśrava, Arvāk, Somamukhyāyana, Tṛṇabindu, Tataja, Śakti, Parāśara, Jātūkarṇa, and Dvaipāyana; in the future Dvāparadroṇi (more names are given);¹ son of Parāśara born in the 28th dvāpara; eighth human incarnation of Viṣṇu with Jātūkarṇi (ja) as purodha (purohita).²

1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 33. 33; 35. 117-125.
2) Ib. III. 73. 93; Matsya-purāṇa 47. 246; Vāyu-purāṇa 98. 93.

1b) Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana; he who split the one Veda into four parts;¹ different Vedavyāsas are said to be compilers of the Veda in different Yugas.²

1) Vāyu-purāṇa 1. 17, 179.
2) Ib. 58. 11; 61. 104.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Mīmāṃsā (school of philosophy)

Source: Srimatham: Mīmāṃsa: The Study of Hindu Exegesis

Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास).—All the 18 Purāṇas and Upapurāṇas, the Mahābhārata and the Brahma-sutras are claimed to have been authored by a sage named Śrī Vedavyāsa.—also known as Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana. He is also said to have edited the four Vedas and divided them among his disciples with a view to preserve and perpetuate them for future generations. In fact the name Vyāsa simply means the ‘compiler’ or ‘editor’.

context information

Mimamsa (मीमांसा, mīmāṃsā) refers to one of the six orthodox Hindu schools of philosophy, emphasizing the nature of dharma and the philosophy of language. The literature in this school is also known for its in-depth study of ritual actions and social duties.

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: archive.org: Isvara Samhita Vol 5

Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास) refers to one of the various Vibhava manifestations according to the Īśvarasaṃhitā 24.343-344.—Accordingly, “That Bhagavan must also be thought of as having the complexion of Atasī flower, who classified the group of the speech of Veda, which has its own splendours which arise by itself into three Paśyantī and others being their marks and which arose in the places, knowledge, air heart and others in their order. He [Vedavyāsa] bears in his left hand the book containing the sense of all śāstras and preaching the sense of the śāstras as it is with the right hand. He who knows the three times classified the one Veda into four parts in order to avoid depression or distress for the difference (found) according to the yugas”.

These Vibhavas (e.g., Vedavyāsa) represent the third of the five-fold manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness the Pāñcarātrins believe in. Note: Kṛṣṇa is represented here more as a guide and instructor of people than as a child in Gokula.

context information

Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास).—an epithet of Vyāsa who is regarded as the 'arranger' of the Vedas in their present form; see व्यास (vyāsa).

Derivable forms: vedavyāsaḥ (वेदव्यासः).

Vedavyāsa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms veda and vyāsa (व्यास).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास).—m.

(-saḥ) The Muni Vyasa. E. veda the Vedas, vi and āṅ severally, before as to throw or place, aff. ghañ, the compiler and arranger of the Vedas; he first cellected and arranged the Hindu scriptures into the four parts, in which they at present exist.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—son of Janārdana:
—[commentary] on Ānandatīrtha’s Tantrasārasaṃgraha.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास):—[=veda-vyāsa] [from veda] m. ‘arranger of the V°’, Name of Vyāsa or Bādarāyaṇa, [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa] etc.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vedavyāsa (वेदव्यास):—[veda-vyāsa] (saḥ) 1. m. The sage Vyāsa.

[Sanskrit to German]

Vedavyasa in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Vēdavyāsa (ವೇದವ್ಯಾಸ):—[noun] Křṣṇa Dvaipāyana, the sage who collected, classified and edited the vedas.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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