Parasar
When time came, Adrisyanti gave birth to
the son of Saktri in Vasistha's ashrama. Vasistha
himself performed the after birth ceremonies of his grandson. Since
Vasistha had given up his desire for destroying his own body when he
heard about this unborn child, the child came to be known as Parasar
(one who brings life to the dead). The child grew up in the ashrama to
become a very learned and a pious son of a Rishi under the tutelage of
Vasistha. The child knew Vasistha to be his father and
addressed him as such. One day when he had addressed Vasistha as father
in front of his mother Adrisyanti, the latter replied that
Vasistha was not his father but grandfather, and his father
Saktri was called by a Rakshasa in the forest.
Parasar was at first sad to hear the
account of his father, but soon he was enraged and vowed to destroy the creation
by his ascetic power. Vasistha was concerned. He tried to pacify him
by telling him the story of Aurva. On hearing this account,
Parasar refrained from the resolution of detroying the whole world.
However he bore a grudge against the Rakshasas who had killed his
father.
Parasar therefore called for a sacrifice
to exterminate all the Rakshasas to avenge the death of his father.
Parasar, the young Rishi, conversant with the Vedas,
offered his oblations and Rakshasas and cannibals from different
regions, young and old, male and female, came rushing and fell into that
terrible fire which consumed them immediately. It seemed that all
Rakshasas would be killed. Then the heavenly sages, seeing the great
calamity that faced the creation in general and the Rakshasas in
particular, approached the place of worship. Atri, the foremost among
them, asked Parasar to stop the sacrifice of innocent
Rakshasas. Along with him came Pulastya, an ancestor of Ravana
and the progenitor of the Rakshasas, the sage Pulaha, and the sage
Kratu, who himself had performed many sacrifices. Pulastya was
aggrieved by the death of the Rakshasas and addressed Parasar
in the most gentle manner to desist from the act. He told Parasar that
non violence or ahimsa was the highest virtue and as a Brahmin
it was his duty to practice non violence. He also told him that the death of his
father Saktri was a result of the Karma of Saktri, as a
consequence of his anger and consequent curse on the king. Both king
Kalmashpada and Viswamitra were mere blind instruments in the
hand of destiny. He also informed Parasar that Saktri now
rejoices in heaven together with king Kalmashpada and the hundred sons
of Vasistha. Therefore it behoves not on the part of Parasar
to beget sin by killing innocent souls and he should stop the sacrifice at once
to prevent any further killing. Vasistha joined the heavenly sages in
placating Parasar and in entreating him to control his wrath which was
unbecoming of a Brahmin, since the principal trait of a
Brahmin was forgiveness. Parasar understood and bought an end
to the sacrifice.
Parasar grew up to be a great
Rishi conversant in every branches of Veda. His union with
Satyavati, the fisherman's daughter, produced Krishna Dwaipayana
Vyasa, the composer of Mahabharata and one of the most respected
and highly reverred sages of ancient India.
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