Sages & Others
Parashara
पराशर
Sage Father of Vyasa
Who was Parashara?
Parashara (पराशर): Sage Father of Vyasa, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. The great rishi who, crossing the Yamuna with the ferry-maiden Satyavati, fathered Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa on an island in the river, granting her fragrance and restored maidenhood.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | पराशर |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | Sage Father of Vyasa |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | powerful, far-seeing, boon-giving |
| Featured in | 10 stories |
About Parashara
The great rishi who, crossing the Yamuna with the ferry-maiden Satyavati, fathered Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa on an island in the river, granting her fragrance and restored maidenhood.
In Their Words
The child of this island will divide the Veda and remember everything.
Parashara
Traits
- powerful
- far-seeing
- boon-giving
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Parashara
9 further tales on this site name Parashara, in canonical reading order.
- The Niyoga of VyasaThe Birth of the Kurus
- The Sacrifice That Was StoppedA son's fire, put out by the men it was lit for
- The Princes the Earth HidWhat was left of the Kshatriyas after the axe
- The Rishi Born From a WordVyasa tells his disciples who he was before he was Vyasa
- The Song of ParasharaVyasa's father on birth, work and the fruit of acts
- The Savitri Mantra of SalutationsBhishma gives Yudhishthira the roll of names to be said at dawn
- The Names That Cleanse SinAsked what destroys sin, Bhishma answers with a litany of gods, rivers, mountains, sages and kings
- What Sends a Man to Heaven or HellBhishma on gifts, the Sraddha, and the two lists of deeds
- The Return of the PortionsWho everybody turned out to have been
Places in Parashara's Story
Drawn from the stories Parashara appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.