Vaishampayana (Sanskrit: वैशंपायन, IAST: Vaiśaṃpāyana) is the traditional narrator of the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of India.[1]
| Vaisampayana | |
|---|---|
 Vaishampayana listens as Shaunaka recites the Mahabharata. | |
| Affiliation | Rishi |
| Texts | Mahabharata, Harivamsa |
Legend
editVaishampayana is a renowned sage who is stated to be the original teacher of the Krishna Yajur-Veda:[2]
The great man of intellect Vaiśampāyana, the disciple of Vyāsa, divided the tree of Yajurveda into seven branches.
— Agni Purana, Chapter 150
The Ashvalayana Grihya Sutra mentions him as Mahabharatacharya. He is also mentioned in the Taittiriya Aranayaka and the Ashtadhyayi of Pāṇini.[3]
Vyasa is regarded to have taught the Mahabharata of 100,000 verses to Vaishampayana. He is regarded to have recited the epic to King Janamejaya at his sarpa satra (snake sacrifice).[4] The Harivamsha Purana is also recited by him, where he narrates the legend of Prithu's emergence from Vena.[5][6]
References
edit- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (28 January 2019). "Story of Vaiśampāyana". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (13 November 2021). "Names of different Manus, different Sages and others [Chapter 150]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.38
- ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 1:Adi Parva: Section I". sacred texts.
- ^ Bhāratatattva: Course in Indology : a Study Guide. Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. 2006. p. 66. ISBN 978-81-87332-50-3.
- ^ Debroy, Bibek (9 September 2016). Harivamsha. Penguin UK. p. 32. ISBN 978-93-86057-91-4.
Further reading
edit- Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology
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