Ugrashravas Sauti ( Sanskrit : उग्रश्रवस् सौती, also Ugraśravas , Sauti , Sūta , Śri Sūta , Suta Gosvāmī ) is a character in Hindu literature , featured as the narrator of the Mahābhārata and several Puranas including the Shiva Purana , Bhagavata Purana , Harivamsa , Brahmavaivarta Purana , and Padma Purana , with the narrations typically taking place before the sages gathered in Naimisha Forest . He is the son of Lomaharshana (or Romaharshana), and a disciple of Vyasa , the author of the Mahābhārata . Ugrashravas is a bard of Puranic literature.
7-458: The entire Mahābhārata epic is structured as a dialogue between Ugrasravas Sauti (the narrator) and sage Saunaka (the narratee). The narration ( Bharata ) of the history of Bharata kings by sage Vaisampayana to Kuru king Janamejaya is embedded within this narration of Ugrasravas Sauti. Vaisampayana's narration ( Jaya ) in turn contains the narration of Kurukshetra War by Sanjaya , to Kuru king Dhritarashtra . Thus Mahābhārata has as
14-508: A Story within a story structure. Kisari Mohan Ganguli 's English translation of the Mahābhārata begins by introducing Ugrasravas thus: "Ugrasrava, the son of Lomaharshana, surnamed Sauti, well-versed in the Puranas , bending with humility, one day approached the great sages of rigid vows, sitting at their ease, who had attended the twelve year sacrifice of Saunaka , surnamed Kulapati, in
21-545: A piece of kusa grass. Balarama offered to revive Romaharshana, but the sages asked, "Please see to it, O Rāma, that Your power and that of Your kuśa weapon, as well as our promise (of long life, etc. to Romaharṣaṇa) and Romaharṣaṇa’s death, all remain intact." Balarama fulfilled this by letting Romaharṣaṇa's son become the speaker of the Purāṇas, and let him be endowed with long life, strong senses, and stamina. Saunaka Shaunaka ( Sanskrit : शौनक , IAST : śaunaka )
28-684: Is the name applied to teachers, and to a Shakha of the Atharvaveda . It is especially the name of a celebrated Sanskrit grammarian, author of the Ṛgveda-Prātiśākhya , the Bṛhaddevatā , the Caraṇa-vyūha and six Anukramaṇīs (indices) to the Rigveda . He is claimed as the teacher of Katyayana and especially of Ashvalayana , and is said to have united the Bashkala and Shakala Shakhas of
35-681: The Rigveda. In legend, he is sometimes identified with Gritsamada , a Vedic rishi . According to the Vishnu Purana , Shaunaka was the son of Gritsamada and invented the system of the four levels of human life. Sūta mahamuni narrated mythological stories to a group of sages headed by Shaunaka maha muni. Ṛgveda-Prātiśākhya is attributed to Shaunaka who taught it to others in a satra-yajna (a 12-day very large scale collective yajna) held in Naimisha according to Vishnumitra of Champa town,
42-429: The commentator of Uvaṭa 's commentary of Ṛgveda-Prātiśākhya The Ṛgvidhāna, a Vidhāna text on the use of Rigvedic mantras, is also attributed to Shaunaka. Shaunaka had a prominent role in the epic Mahābhārata . The epic Mahābhārata was narrated to Shaunaka by a storyteller named Ugrasrava Sauti during a conclave of sages headed by Shaunaka in a forest named Naimisha. Shaunaka also consoled Yudhishthira on
49-603: The forest of Naimisha ." (Mahabharata 1:1) The Bhagavata Purana gives an account of the conflict of Sauti's father Romaharṣaṇa with Balarama . During the Kurukshetra war , Balarama is performing a pilgrimage by visiting various sacred spots. As such, he came to the Naimisha Forest , where he saw Romaharṣaṇa narrating the Puranas to the sages present there. Everyone welcomed Balarama with joined palms, except Romaharṣaṇa. The angered Balarama killed Romaharṣaṇa, with
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