VEDA VYASA’S LOYALTY TO THE VEDA

Veda Vyāsa’s Loyalty

Veda Vyāsa, the special incarnation of Viṣṇu, the holder of the special post of codifying the Vedas, is ever loyal to the Veda.  He expresses his loyalty to the Vedas by depicting the Vedic message through his Puranas and the Mahabharatha.  Here is an instance of such expression of his loyalty.

In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa is narrated an episode:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbr/sbe44/sbe44117.htm

QUOTE

 

FOURTEENTH KÂNDA.

THE PRAVARGYA.

FIRST ADHYÂYA, FIRST BRÂHMANA.

14:1:1:11. The gods Agni, Indra, Soma, Makha, Vishnu, and the Visve Devâh, except the two Asvins, performed a sacrificial session 1.

14:1:1:22. Their place of divine worship was Kurukshetra.. Therefore people say that Kurukshetra is the gods’ place of divine worship: hence wherever in Kurukshetra one settles there one thinks, ‘This is a place for divine worship;’ for it was the gods’ place of divine worship.

14:1:1:33. They entered upon the session 2 thinking, ‘May we attain excellence! may we become glorious! may we become eaters of food!’ And in like manner do these (men) now enter upon the sacrificial session thinking, ‘May we attain excellence! may we become glorious! may we become eaters of food!’

14:1:1:44. They spake, ‘Whoever of us, through austerity, fervour, faith, sacrifice, and oblations, shall first compass the end of the sacrifice, he shall be the most excellent of us, and shall then be in common to us all.’ ‘So be it,’ they said.

14:1:1:55. Vishnu first attained it, and he became the

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most excellent of the gods; whence people say, ‘Vishnu is the most excellent of the gods.’

14:1:1:66. Now he who is this Vishnu is the sacrifice; and he who is this sacrifice is yonder Âditya (the sun). But, indeed, Vishnu was unable to control that (love of) glory of his; and so even now not every one can control that (love of) glory of his.

14:1:1:77. Taking his bow, together with three arrows, he stepped forth. He stood, resting his head on the end of the bow. Not daring to attack him, the gods sat themselves down all around him.

14:1:1:88. Then the ants said–these ants (vamrî), doubtless, were that (kind called) ‘upadîkâ 1‘–‘What would ye give to him who should gnaw the bowstring?’–‘We would give him the (constant) enjoyment of food, and he would find water even in the desert: so we would give him every enjoyment of food.’–‘So be it,’ they said.

14:1:1:99. Having gone nigh unto him, they gnawed his bowstring. When it was cut, the ends of the bow, springing asunder, cut off Vishnu’s head.

14:1:1:1010. It fell with (the sound) ‘ghriṅ’; and on falling it became yonder sun. And the rest (of the body) lay stretched out (with the top part) towards the east. And inasmuch as it fell with (the sound) ‘ghriṅ,’ therefrom the Gharma 2 (was called); and inasmuch as he was stretched out (pra-vrig,), therefrom the Pravargya (took its name).

14:1:1:1111. The gods spake, ‘Verily, our great hero  (mahân virah) has fallen:’ therefrom the Mahâvîra pot (was named). And the vital sap which flowed from him they wiped up (sam-mrig) with their hands, whence the Samrâg 1.

14:1:1:1212. The gods rushed forward to him, even as those eager to secure some gain (will do) 2. Indra reached him first. He applied himself to him limb after limb, and encompassed him 3, and, in encompassing him, he became (possessed of) that glory of his. And, verily, he who knows this becomes (possessed of) that glory which Indra is (possessed of).

14:1:1:1313. And Makha (sacrifice), indeed, is the same as Vishnu: hence Indra became Makhavat (possessed of makha), since Makhavat is he who is mystically called Maghavat 4, for the gods love the mystic.

14:1:1:1414. They gave to those ants the enjoyment of food; but, indeed, all food is water, for it is by moistening (the food) therewith that one eats here whatever one does eat.

14:1:1:1515. This Vishnu, the (Soma-) sacrifice, they then divided amongst themselves into three parts: the Vasus (received) the morning-pressing, the Rudras the midday-pressing, and the Âdityas the third pressing.

14:1:1:1616. Agni (received) the morning-pressing, Indra.

UNQUOTE

Veda Vyāsa, even though he is verily Viṣṇu, true to his loyalty to the Veda, has narrated the above in the Devi Bhāgavatam. He does not feel that ‘None is above Viṣṇu’:

http://tinyurl.com/q259bwc

The above narrative shows the Power of Devi over that of Lord Viṣṇu.

Om Tat Sat