Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.6.48-49
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Supreme Lord Appears as Vyāsa
“O brāhmaṇa, in the present age of Vaivasvata Manu, the leaders of the universe, led by Brahmā and Śiva, requested the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the protector of all the worlds, to save the principles of religion. O most fortunate Śaunaka, the almighty Lord, exhibiting a divine spark of a portion of His plenary portion, then appeared in the womb of Satyavatī as the son of Parāśara. In this form, named Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, he divided the one Veda into four.”
What the purport teaches
- In the age of Vaivasvata Manu, the universal leaders, led by Brahmā and Śiva, asked the Supreme Personality of Godhead to protect the principles of religion.
- The almighty Lord appeared as the son of Parāśara in the womb of Satyavatī, exhibiting a divine spark of a portion of His plenary portion.
- In this form, named Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, the Supreme Lord divided the one Veda into four.
Try this today
Before studying today, pause to remember the Supreme Lord’s protection of religious principles through Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa.
Ask yourself
How does knowing Vyāsa’s divine identity deepen my respect for his work?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.