[Advaita-l] bAdarAyaNa - vyAsa

[Shrinivas Gadkari]

Namaste,
 
I am sharing a few points on this topic (based on my understanding).
 
1. If we try to associate a life span of 100-120 years to vyAsa and expect
that all works associated to him should have been composed in a period
(Tv to Tv + 100 years), where Tv is around the time vyAsa was born, we
will encounter serious difficulties.
2. Tradition maintains that vyAsa is living even today (VyAsa is a master
also of yoga). Did vyAsa not debate with Adi shankarAcharya? 
3. If we subscribe to this view, may riddles are solved.
4. Now, we can say that vyAsa was continually revising purANa texts,
and brahma sutra + other texts. So the versions of purANa-s and brahma
sutra-s available for circulation at Adi shankara's time would find mention of 
buddhism. This does not mean we can attribute a post Buddha period to 
the original composition of these texts.
5. This can also help us understand the riddle of the so called "later 
purANa-s", like bhAgavatam. shrimad bhAgavatam was narrated to 
parikshit before mahAbhArata was narrated to janamejaya. Yet, the
text of bhAgavatam was very likely not available for public circulation
until 1200-1300 AD. This does not mean some compiler of vedic texts
who would be given a generic title of "vyAsa" can be attributed the
authorship of bhAgavatam. It however does mean that vyAsa might have
somewhat modified the text after it was narrated to parikshit. However
the core content very likely was the same, terminology might have been
adapted to suit the later periods.
6. Regarding vedic samhitA-s we can be sure that the mantra-s were
only rearranged, and not modified by vyAsa. Hence for these we can
be sure that even though the vocabulary, terminology, grammar 
evolved with time, the vedic mantra-s would have to retain the form as
revealed by the original Rshi.
 
Regards,
Shrinivas