Parashara

Who is Parashara?

Parashara was a Rigvedic Maharishi, and the author of many ancient Indian texts. He is regarded to have been lived around 3100 BCE, although some estimate him as lower as 1500 BCE. He is accredited for being the author of the first Purana: Vishnu Purana. He was the grandson of Vashista, the son of Śakti Maharṣi, and the father of Veda Vyasa. There are several texts which give reference to Parashara as an author/speaker. Modern scholars believe that there were many individuals who used this name throughout time whereas others assert that the same Parashara taught these various texts and the time of writing them varied. The actual sage himself never wrote the texts, he was known as a traveling teacher, and the various texts attributed to him are given in reference to Parashara being the speaker to his student. He is the third member of the Ṛṣi Paramparā of the Advaita Guru Paramparā.