Vyasa’s Relationship to Vishnu and Brahma

Abstract

This essay explores the paradoxical position of Vyāsa within the Hindu religious tradition: despite being credited with authoring and organizing its most authoritative texts—including the Mahābhārata, the Purāṇas, and the four Vedas—and being recognized as an avatāra (incarnation) of Viṣṇu, Vyāsa remains largely unworshipped. Bruce M. Sullivan investigates this disjunction through a close reading of textual and ritual traditions, particularly within the Mahābhārata, which, while attributing the epic’s authorship to Vyāsa, subtly portrays him with qualities that align more closely with Brahmā than Viṣṇu. Vyāsa shares with Brahmā the roles of cosmic teacher, transmitter of sacred knowledge, and ritual priest, even being labeled “pitāmaha” (grandfather) of the epic’s dynasties. Sullivan argues that the convergence of these roles lends Vyāsa a symbolic function equivalent to that of Brahmā, reinforcing the religious authority of the Mahābhārata as a “fifth Veda.” However, due to shifting devotional priorities toward Viṣṇu and Śiva, and Vyāsa’s position as a brāhmaṇa rather than a royal or heroic figure, he lacks the emotional and symbolic resonance necessary for active worship. The essay thus illuminates the theological and historical reasons why Vyāsa, though divine, remains the "unworshipped avatāra."