Vyasa
Also called: Veda Vyasa, Krishna Dvaipayana · Topic: Society in Early India: Kinship, Varna-Jati, Women · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Kinship, Caste and Class - Early Societies"
Meaning
Vyasa, also called Veda Vyasa or Krishna Dvaipayana, is the sage that tradition credits with composing the Mahabharata. Historians point out that the epic grew over about a thousand years, from under 10,000 to about 100,000 verses. Many people must have helped make it. Vyasa is therefore best understood as the traditional author, not as a single historical writer.
Example
A popular tradition says Vyasa dictated the epic to Ganesha, who wrote it down. Vyasa also appears inside the story itself. When King Drupada objected to his daughter Draupadi marrying all five Pandavas, Vyasa explained the marriage to him and convinced him to accept it.
Don't confuse with
- Valmiki: Valmiki is the sage credited with the Ramayana. Vyasa is credited with the Mahabharata.
Related concepts
- Composition of the Mahabharata
- Sutas
- Narrative and didactic sections
- Itihasa
- Bhagavad Gita
- Hastinapura
- Draupadi's marriage
- Mahashweta Devi
- Ramayana