Geethartha Chinthane 06: Vedavyasa’s Worthy Name

When the gods prayed to the Lord to incarnate for the restoration of religious knowledge (Dharma Jnana), deities like Brahma, Rudra, and Indra were present among the assembly. However, deities such as Garuda and Shesha were absent. Why was it? This absence can be understood as Garuda and Shesha being associated with the service division (vehicle and bed) rather than the administrative functions of the cosmos.

Brahma, Rudra, and Indra belong to the administrative division of the world. Brahma is the chief of all living beings, Rudra is the destroyer, and Indra is the ruler of the three worlds (Tri-Loka). It is fitting that those responsible for the administration of the world would express concern over the diminishing Dharma Jnana and find it challenging to govern the world during their prayers to the Lord.

But why must the Lord himself incarnate? Wouldn’t it be sufficient for one of the other deities (Devagana) to do so? The reason is that all the deities (Devagana) require knowledge, and thus, the gods prayed to the Supreme Lord, who is the source of all knowledge, to incarnate. This is how Bhagavan Vedavyasa came to be.

The nomenclature of Vedavyasa is “Krishna Dwaipayana,” and he is also known as “Badarayana.” The name Vedavyasa was given based on his work. ‘Vyasa’ means an arranger or organizer. It signifies separating, categorizing, and structuring. This task could only be accomplished by someone with profound knowledge. Before Vedavyasa, the Vedas existed as a single entity. He divided the Vedas, thereby earning the name Vedavyasa.

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