Vyasa Purnima

The blog is courtesy: Sulekha.com

Today 7th July '09 is celebrated as the Vyasa Purnima or Gurupurnima dedicted to the rishi Veda Vyasa composer of Mahabharata.The life history of Veda Vyasa is an interesting and inspirational story. The author of the longest poetic epic Mahabharata, containing one lakh verses in Sanskrit. Veda Vyasa was the first and greatest acharya of Sanatan Dharma.
He is responsible for classifying the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas and recited the great Mahabharata, noted down by Lord Vighneswara. In fact, the Mahabharata is often called as the fifth Veda (Panchama Veda).
The most important and the most glorified section of Mahabharat is the Srimadth Bhagwad Gita, the lesson recited to Arjuna by Lord Krishna on the battlefield. The biography of Veda Vyasa is very vivid and makes an interesting read.
Around some 5000 years ago, he was born on an island on the holy river Yamuna. His father was Parashara Maharshi, a sage and his mother was Satyavati.
He taught the Vedas to his pupils with ardent devotion and dedication. It is said that Mahabharata is the 18th Purana that was written by Veda Vyasa.
He fathered four famous sons, Pandu, Dhritarashtra, Vidura and Sukhdeva. Veda Vyasa received knowledge from great sages like Vasudeva and Sanakadika. He described that the most important goal in one's life is to attain Narayana or the Divine Supreme.
Apart from the Mahabharata, he also wrote the Brahmasootra, one of his shortest theologies on Hindu philosophy. It is said that Veda Vyasa is immortal and he never died. Seeing the widespread violence in today's times, he is said to have retreated into some remote village in Northern India.
The life of Veda Vyasa is an example to all in the modern times on how to be selfless and devote oneself entirely to Lord in order to attain Nirvana.