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Dhritarashtra
Vyasa is a great seer who is traditionally considered the author of the Mahabharata (even though in the text his assistant, Vaiśampayana, does the actual storytelling). He is known for compiling the Vedas (holy Hindu scriptures) and is also the biological father of Pandu, Dhritarashtra, and Vidura, making him the grandfather of many combatants on both the Kaurava and Pandava side of the Kurukshetra War. Vyasa embodies the qualities of knowledge and storytelling in the poem, showing how important they are. By providing a link between both the Pandavas and the Kauravas, he shows how enemies on the battlefield might not be so different from each other after all.
Vyasa Quotes in Mahabharata
The Mahabharata quotes below are all either spoken by Vyasa or refer to Vyasa . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 14. The Horse Sacrifice Quotes
‘Perform the horse sacrifice in due form, with gifts to all the Brahmins; for the horse sacrifice purifies one of all sins, lord of kings, and after sacrificing with that rite you will be sinless, make no doubt.’
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Chapter 15. The Hermitage Quotes
So, like a cloud sating the earth with rain, King Dhritarashtra sated those priests with the torrents of wealth he showered upon them; and when all was done, that lord of the earth then deluged his guests of every class with downpours of food and drink.
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Chapter 18. The Ascent to Heaven Quotes
This Bharata that emerged from the lips of Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa is without measure;
holy purifying and auspicious, it drives away sin.
If a man studies it as he hears it recited,
what need has he to bathe in the waters of holy Lake Pushkara?
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Vyasa Character Timeline in Mahabharata
The timeline below shows where the character Vyasa appears in Mahabharata. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1. Beginnings
...a story from an old tale from a noble seer named Dvaipayana (also known as Vyasa), which includes the history of the Bharata war (also called the Kurukshetra War because it...
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...become invulnerable to snakes. Śaunaka now wants to hear the Mahabharata, which Ugraśravas heard from Vyasa at the snake sacrifice.
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THE EARLIEST LINEAGES. Ugraśravas tells a story. Within that story, Vyasa (also known as Krishna Dvaipayana, who is famous for compiling the Vedas) goes to see...
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...and grants her wish. Paraśara then gives birth that very same day to a son: Vyasa. This is the same famous Vyasa who goes on to compile the Vedas and compose...
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...the lineage, and since Bhishma remains celibate, she decides to find a Brahmin and summons Vyasa.
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Satyavati explains to Ambika that Vyasa is coming to her that night. They have sex, but Ambika has to close her...
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...instead of sending Ambika again, Satyavati sends a maid dressed up as a princess to Vyasa. The maid delights Vyasa when they have sex, and so he gives her a son...
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...100 sons, a feat that is only possible due to a boon Gandhari receives from Vyasa. Among these many sons is the future king Duryodhana. There’s also just one daughter: Duhśala.
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The Pandavas keep traveling, and eventually Vyasa gives them shelter for a while. They move on to a town full of Brahmins...
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THE FIVE INDRAS. Drupada, an ally of Yudhishthira, opposes the five-way wedding, but Vyasa explains to him how the five Pandavas are like the great god Indra, and this...
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Chapter 3. The Forest
...DREAM DEER. Yudhishthira has a mysterious dream about a crying deer. THE BUSHEL OF RICE. Vyasa visits the Pandavas and sees them suffering, so he encourages them not to lose hope...
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Chapter 6. Bhishma
...fought, so Vaiśampayana begins the story. Each side masses its forces in preparation for conflict. Vyasa comes to speak with Dhritarashtra, offering to give the blind king sight so that he...
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Chapter 10. The Night-Raid
...their weapon and threatens to use it, putting the whole world in danger. Narada and Vyasa each appear to condemn both of them for their recklessness.
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...that he physically can’t withdraw it, so he tries to defend why he drew it. Vyasa says Arjuna’s drawing of his weapon was more justified, since he was just defending himself...
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Chapter 12. Tranquility
...he doesn’t, so his brothers continue to give him reasons to continue acting as king. Vyasa, then Krishna, also try to help Yudhishthira overcome his grief. Vyasa recommends Yudhishthira preform a...
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Bhishma tells a story he heard about Vyasa and his son Śuka. In the story, Vyasa tells his son how to obtain release,...
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Chapter 13. Instruction
...days until it’s time to return to Bhishma with materials for a funeral pyre. There, Vyasa, Narada, and other distinguished figures attend to Bhishma. Bhishma announces that it’s finally his time...
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Chapter 14. The Horse Sacrifice
...Hastinapura. Yudhishthira and some of the others decide to travel to find a treasure that Vyasa told them about. When they reach their destination, they make offerings to Śiva, then they...
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...offers vast amounts of wealth to the priests who participated, then offers the earth to Vyasa. Vyasa thanks Yudhishthira but tells him to keep the earth and just pay him money....
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Vyasa insists that Yudhishthira keep the earth, and Krishna advises him that Vyasa is correct. Eventually,...
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Chapter 15. The Hermitage
...something. He tries to talk Dhritarashtra out of the idea but is unable to. Eventually, Vyasa comes and persuades Yudhishthira to grant Dhritarashtra’s wish.
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THE VISION OF THE SONS. Vyasa comes to the hermitage and tells Dhritarashtra he knows the grief he must be suffering...
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That night, Vyasa plunges into the Ganga and comes back with all the dead warriors from the war,...
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Vaiśampayana continues the story. Although Dhritarashtra remains blind, Vyasa gives him sight of his dead sons’ true forms. Now Ugraśravas, who has been narrating...
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Chapter 16. The Clubs
...of the survivors in the new settlement to someone else and then goes to see Vyasa. Vyasa asks Arjuna why he looks so disappointed, and Arjuna explains recent events. Vyasa reassures...
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Chapter 18. The Ascent to Heaven
...the whole story from Vaiśampayana, he left the snake sacrifice and went back to Hastinapura. Vyasa, who first composed the Bharata tale that Vaiśampayana told, took three years to create it,...
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