M108 - Parashara meets Satyavathi and Birth of Vyasa

Since Uparicara (vasu), king of Chedi, gave the female child back to the fisherman Dusharaj (also a ferryman) on the banks of the river Yamuna. As she was born from a fish, she had an odor of fish, naming her Matsya-gandha ("She who smells like fish"). The fisherman raised the girl as his daughter and named her Kali ("the dark one") because of her complexion. Over the course of time, Kali earned the name Satyavathi ("truthful"). The fisherman was also a ferryman, ferrying people across the river in his boat. Satyavathi helped her father, the fisherman, in his job and grew up into a beautiful maiden.

One day the great sage Parasara, who was the grandson of sage Vasishtha (Manasa Putra of Lord Brahma), was travelling and in the course of his travels came wanted to cross the river and availed himself of her services to ferry across the river. While she was rowing the boat the sage asked from where the fishy smell was coming and Satyavathi confessed that it was indeed coming from her body.  He gave her a title of Matsyagandhi and then took pity on her and with his yogic powers, gave her a boon that a beautiful perfume would emanate from her body and would spread far and wide. Thus Matsyagandhi became Yojanagandhi. A yojana is traditionally equal to 8 miles. As they were crossing the river in her boat, the beautiful perfume emanating from Satyavati captivated the sage Parasara. The sage saw with his divine powers that the whole thing is happening for a noble cause. Parasara grew attracted towards Satyavathi, and desired to perform coitus with her. Parasara said to Satyavathi that the child born of them will not be any ordinary child but he will change the course of history and that the time was correct for the birth of a great soul (Lord Vishnu Himself would incarnate through her).

Satyavathi was terrified of him and again gave an excuse that the act was not appropriate in broad daylight and there were many people present on either sides of the river. She finally gave in, realizing the desperation and persistence of the sage and fearing that if she did not heed to his request, he might topple the boat midstream. At last she consented to his request, with the condition that no one should know of this escapade. On this condition, Parasara with his yogic powers, created an island in the middle of the river  and also created a dense sheet of mist around the boat to consummated their relationship. The sage granted a boon on satyavati's request: that she would get her virginity back and no one will ever doubt her integrity. Ecstatic with her blessings, Satyavati gave birth the same day to her baby on an island in the Yamuna. The son immediately grew up as a youth and promised his mother that he would come to her aid anytime she called on him, he then left to do penance in the forest. The son born of them was called Krishna Dwaipayana. As he was dark-complexioned and hence called by the name Krishna (dark), and also the name Dwaipayana, meaning ‘island-born’. Krishna Dwaipayana was popularly known as sage Vyasa, who would later compose the Mahabharata. After the act, the sage Parasara bathed in the river and left, never to meet her again.

Latter on, as usual, Satyavathi continued her ferry service across the river Yamuna , helping her father.