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Maharshi Paraashar was the son of Maharshi Vashishth Jee's son Shakti. His mother's name was Adrishyanti.

Once Shakti was coming from somewhere, that he met a King named Saudaas (Kalmaashpaad) coming in his chariot. The King was very proud, so when he saw a Braahman coming on the way, he did not respect him, he did not give way to him to pass, rather he said - "You are coming on this way, don't you see that a King is coming on this road. You should have given way to me." Shakti said - "You are telling me otherwise. I am a Braahman and a pedestrian, it is you who should have given me the way, not me." But Kalmaashpaad stuck to his statement. At this Shakti gave him Shaap of being a Raakshas.

Vishwaamitra Jee was seeing all this from a distance. At that time he was very angry with Vashishth and was always looking for an opportunity to lower him down. On that day he got an good opportunity to show his anger to Vashishth (as he was his greatest enemy at that time). He saw a Raakshas named Kinkar. He asked him to enter the King's body. He entered the King's body, so the King started behaving like a Raakshas. In this process, the King insulted another Braahman too, so he also gave him Shaap to be a Raakshas. Now he fully got converted into Raakshas.

Now he went to Shakti and said - "Let me start my Raakshas career with eating you." And he ate him. He killed his brother too. When Vashishth Jee heard this. He became very sad and started towards forest. There he met Shakti's wife Adrishyanti who was pregnant at that time. He got pitied on her and brought her in his Aashram. After some time she gave birth to a son. Vashishth Jee named him Paraashar.

Paraashar and Raakshas Yagya
Thus Paraashar was brought up by his grandfather Vashishth Jee. First he took Vashishth Jee as his father, but one day when he addressed Vashishth Jee as his father in front of his mother, she said weeping - "He is not your father, he is your father's father - grandfather. Then only he came to know that his father was killed by a Raakshas employed by Vishwaamitra. So in anger he did a Yagya to destroy all Raakshas. Many Raakshas reduced to ashes through that Yagya; but when they were just about to extinguish, Pulastya Jee told him to stop that Yagya saying, "This was your father's Destiny. Anger is the passion of fools. It should not be a wise man's tool. Every man reaps the consequences of his own Karm (actions). Mercy is the might of the righteous." Later Pulastya Jee told Paraashar Vishnu Puraan explaining that everything in this world had Vishnu in it and the whole Universe was in Him. Paraashar told it to Maitreya Muni.

He was the Ved Vyaas of 26th Dwaapar Yug (the present Chatur-Yug is the 28th Chatur-Yug of the 7th Manvantar and in this Chatur-Yug Krishn Dwaipaayan Jee divided Ved - see the list of Ved Vyaas) and a teacher of a branch of Rig Ved and of the Saam Ved.

Note:
Sage Paraashar performed a lot of penance wishing that Vishnu be born as his son. So Vishnu appeased by his Tap promised him to be born to him through Satyavatee; and that is how He was born to him as Ved Vyaas. Consequently, Sage Paraashar approached Satyavate when she was transporting him across the Yamunaa River. Sage Ved Vyaas immediately underwent the Upanayan ceremony. He also made Sage Paraashar fully aware of who he actually was. He also blessed his parents that he would appear before them whenever they desired to see Him.
[From   MBTN]

Paraashar and Satyavatee
This story comes in MBH, G-0-Prolog/13. Once Paraashar Jee had to cross Gangaa River. A fisherman's daughter Satyavatee used to row boat to carry passengers across Gangaa, so Paraashar Jee was crossing Gangaa River in her boat. At that time Satyavatee used to smell like fish and was called Matsya-gandhaa. Paraashar thought for a moment and asked her - "Do you know me?" Satyavatee said - "I could not recognize you." Paraashar said - "How can you recognize me when one cannot know himself. You are not born just to take people across Gangaa River. You have a lots of responsibilities towards Bhaarat, but before this a knowledgeable child has to be born from you. So I want to give you a son." Satyavatee got scared at this proposal and said - "Mahaaraaj, I am unmarried and I am scared of the society."

Paraashar said - "Don't worry, you will still remain unmarried." And saying this with his mystic powers, he created a dense smoke around them and gave her a son. He was born on an island that is why he was named Krishn Dwaipaayan. Krishn because because he was black in complexion; Dwaipaayan because he was born on an island (Dweep); and he is known as Ved Vyaas because later he divided Ved. Vyaas means the splitter. It is said that Krishn Dwaipaayan (their son) also used to smell foul and was very ugly. Besides the son, Paraashar gave Satyavatee a sweet divine scent also which used to go miles together. So after this she was called Yojan-gandhaa as her smell used to spread up to a Yojan around. Raajaa Shaantanu came to her because of that smell only.

Paraashar was three generations earlier of the Mahaabhaarat war - his son Ved Vyaas was the father of Dhritraashtra, Paandu and Vidur and Kaurav and Paandav were the sons of Dhritraashtra and Paandav respectively. Thus he was the great grandfather of Kaurav and Paandav.

Disciples of Paraashar
(1) Maitreya
Maitreya Jee used to sit at the lotus feet of his Guru – Paraashar Maharshi, to learn all the secrets which his Guru himself had realized. Guru was immensely pleased with the obedience of his disciple and passed on all the knowledge with all affection to his dear disciple Maitreya Jee. He taught him astronomy, astrology, time span, Yug Dharm, the four stages of a human being commencing from Brahmcharya and also Shri Vishnu Puraan etc. Paraashar's knowledge is known in the name of Paraashar Sanhitaa.

Works of Paraashar
(1) In Rig Ved he is the seer of verses 1.65-73 which are all in praise of Agni Dev (Fire god), and part of 9.97 (verses 31-44) which is in praise of Som (Chandramaa Devtaa).
(2) Paraashar Smriti (Paraashar Dharm Sanhitaa) - a code of laws for Kali Yug.
(3) Speaker of Vishnu Puraan
(4) Speaker of Brihat Paraashar Horaa Shaastra (BPHS) - considered a foundation text of astrology. Its Sanskrit is from 7th or 8th century BC.
(5) Speaker of Vriksh Aayur Ved (the science of life of trees) - one of the earliest work on botany

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