[Advaita-l] vyAsa - a portfolio

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,
 
Kurma Purana names 27 vyAsAs in Vaivasvata Manvantara.  They are:
 
svAyaMbhuva manu, prajApati, shukrAchArya, brihaspati,
sUrya, yama, dEvEndra, vashiShTha, sArasvata, tribhuvana,
riShabha, sujEta, dharma, suchakSha, trayyAruNi, dhananjaya,
kritanjaya, rutanjaya, bharadwAja, Gautama, vAchashrava,
nArAyaNa, triNabindu, vAlmiki, shakti, parAshara, jAtukarNa,
kriShNadvaipAyana.  
 
Devi Bhagavata mentions 28th vyAsa as “ashwatthAma”.  
 
So, vyAsa is a portfolio which is occupied by different rishis
in 4 yugas respectively.  Again, these 4 yugas keep on repeating
which is a cyclic process.  
 
Generally we don't find in South but in North, whoever expounds the purANa, first his seat is worshipped with flowers which is called "vyAsa gaddi".  The crossed stand to keep the holy books is called "vyAsa pIth".  This is the "shraddha" of north indians towards the paurANika. This respect to the paurANika is still to be found in Mathura, Brindavan, Haridvar, Kasi etc.  Unfortunately, south indians don't pay much respects to them as north indian do.   
 
BTW, Sri Vashishta Ganapati Muni wrote a thesis work on Mahabharata called “bhArata charitra parIkSha”.  In his thesis work he broke his head 
To arrive at the conclusion who exactly was the Vyasa.  Whether “vyAsa”
Is a single personality / group of scholars assembled on a project etc.
 
So, who classified the Vedas as mantra, brahmana & Upanishad says the 
Ganapati Muni as:
 
rgyajuH sAmAtharvaNAM vEdAnAmavibhaktAnAM vibhAkridvEdavyAsaH 
kriShNadvaipAyana iti mahAbhAratE purANEShu cha kathyatE //

mantrAtmaka vEdAnAm iti eka pakShah; sa brAhmaNAnAm ityaparaH; 
AdyE pakShE sarvavEdamantraprAdurbhAvAdatantarO vyAsasya kAlaH; 
dvitIyE pakShE tatO(a)phyarvAchInaH //
 
There are 2 chapters in his book that are though provoking.  They are:
vyAsa kAla nirnayaH and other is vaishaMpAyana kAla nirnayaH.
 
He raises the issue of authorship of Mahabharata & Brahma Sutras 
in these two chapters.  
 
Regs,
Sriram