Week 12 Story: Vyasa's Secret to Immortality

Vyasa's Secret to Immortality

Vyasa, Source: Wikimedia

Vyasa comes from miraculous origin. His father, Parashara, a pious brahmin was moved by the great beauty of his mother Satyavati. When Satyavati became a mother, Vyasa grew suddenly before her eyes, and in a brief span of time turned into a man. He bade his mother farewell and hastened to the depths of a forest to spend his days in holy meditation.

It was during his stay in the forest that he came across a village. In the town of Ekacharka, he asked for lodging in the house of a brahmin. The brahmin accepted and took Vyasa into his home. Vyasa noticed the family talking with great sorrow. They told him about they were conquered by a cruel chief called Baka.

Every other week, Baka demanded the townspeople to send him as food a cartful of rice, two buffaloes and a man or woman from the townspeople houses. Baka would take the food and also eat the people bringing the food. Today was their family's turn to give the food, and they were discussing among themselves who will go as Baka's blood-tax with the cart full of food.

Vyasa wanted to help them get rid of this evil. The brahmin told him that no warrior was able to defeat Baka, to which Vyasa replied, "I am not a warrior." After much deliberation, Vyasa and the brahmin headed out with the cart full of food.

They met Baka at the edge of the village. When Baka saw them he growled, "Looks like I am eating double today." To which Vyasa replied, "You can eat us, or you can learn the secret of immortality from me." At his words, Baka stopped and looked at him.

"How would you know the secret of immortality" replied Baka.

"My name is Vyasa, and if you do as I tell you I will make you immortal," said Vyasa.

Baka knew about the great Vyasa, but he thought he was getting tricked. So he asked the hermit to prove his claim. Vyasa declared, "Let it be known that I am Vyasa and I will make you immortal, if not, may Indra strike me down." At his words, lightning struck in between them. They were all startled but Vyasa was unharmed. Baka convinced of his powers listen to Vyasa.

"You must drink the elixir of death," Vyasa told Baka.

Baka replied, "Why would I drink that, it might be poison."

"In order to become immortal you must conquer death," said Vyasa.

Baka drank the elixir and fell dead. Vyasa told the brahmin, "He will bother no more." The brahmin replied, "Oh great Vyasa, you broke your promise, you killed him."

Vyasa replied, "I did not say that I will not kill him. I said I would make him immortal. That I shall do, and he will be known for thousands of years by hundreds of generations to come." And so Vyasa included Baka in Mahabaharata later in life.

During his life, Vyasa studied the Shastras or scriptures under sages Snake and Sanandana, as well as from others. He arranged the Vedas for the good of mankind and wrote the Brahma Sutras for the quick and easy understanding for the Shrutis. He also authored the Mahabharata.

Vyasa is still considered living and walking the earth for the well-being of his devotees. It is rumored that he appears to the true and faithful. He represents erudition and wisdom. Even if you have not seen him, his writings inspired thousands of people even to this day. In a way, Vyasa has been immortalized.

Author's Notes:

This story is derived from the story of "Bhima and Baka" in the Mahabharata. In the original story, it is the Pandava brother that go to the village and stay with the brahmin. Upon hearing the family's story of Baka's reign of terror, Bhima decided to fight Baka. In the end, Bhima killed Baka and saved the village from more eatings.

In my story, I wanted to demonstrate the wisdom of Vyasa. I also wanted to give a little bit of a back story from him. Vyasa understands that there is another way to become immortal. I got the idea from a book I read, which I cannot remember the name of, but it talked about how we all have immortality projects. Something that we live behind in this world, and that people will remember us by. Most of the time, this is family and children, but some extraordinary people leave great inventions or works of art, that basically make them immortal in a sense.

Bibliography:

Story: Bhima and Baka, from the Mahabharata.