Vishnu Purana
by Horace Hayman Wilson | 1840 | 287,946 words | ISBN-10: 8171102127
The English translation of the Vishnu Purana. This is a primary sacred text of the Vaishnava branch of Hinduism. It is one of the eighteen greater Puranas, a branch of sacred Vedic literature which was first committed to writing during the first millennium of the common era. Like most of the other Puranas, this is a complete narrative from the cr...
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Chapter IV - Division of the Veda, in the last Dvapara age by the Vyasa Krishna Dvaipayana
Division of the Veda, in the last ¶Ł±¹Äå±č²¹°ł²¹ age, by the ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹ °į¹į¹£į¹a ¶Ł±¹²¹¾±±čÄå²ā²¹²Ō²¹. Paila made reader of the Rich; ³Õ²¹¾±Å²¹³¾±čÄå²ā²¹²Ō²¹ of the Yajush; Jaimini of the Shun; and Sumantu of the Atharvan. ³§Å«³Ł²¹ appointed to teach the historical poems. Origin of the four parts of the Veda. ³§²¹į¹h¾±³ŁÄå²õ of the Rig-veda.
±Ź²¹°łÄåŲ¹°ł²¹ said:ā�
The original Veda, in four parts, consisted of one hundred thousand stanzas; and from it sacrifice of ten kinds[1], the accomplisher of all desires, proceeded. In the twenty-eighth ¶Ł±¹Äå±č²¹°ł²¹ age my son ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹ separated the four portions of the Veda into four Vedas. In the same manner as the Vedas were arranged by him, as ³Õ±š»å²¹±¹²āÄå²õ²¹, so were they divided in former periods by all the preceding ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹s, and by myself: and the branches into which they were subdivided by him were the same into which they had been distributed in every aggregate of the four ages. Know, Maitreya, the ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹ called °į¹į¹£į¹a ¶Ł±¹²¹¾±±čÄå²ā²¹²Ō²¹ to be the deity ±·Äå°łÄå²ā²¹į¹a; for who else on this earth could have composed the ²Ń²¹³óÄå²ś³óÄå°ł²¹³Ł²¹[2]? Into what portions the Vedas were arranged by my magnanimous son, in the ¶Ł±¹Äå±č²¹°ł²¹ age, you shall hear.
When ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹ was enjoined by µž°ł²¹³ó³¾Äå to arrange the Vedas in different books, he took four persons, well read in those works, as his disciples. He appointed Paila reader of the Rich[3]; ³Õ²¹¾±Å²¹³¾±čÄå²ā²¹²Ō²¹ of the Yajush; and Jaimini of the Soma-veda: and Sumantu, who was conversant with the Atharva-veda, was also the disciple of the learned ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹. He also took ³§Å«³Ł²¹, who was named ³¢“Ē³¾²¹³ó²¹°łį¹£aį¹a, as his pupil in historical and legendary traditions[4].
There was but one Yajur-veda; but dividing this into four parts, ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹ instituted the sacrificial rite that is administered by four kinds of priests: in which it was the duty of the Adhwaryu to recite the prayers (Yajush) (or direct the ceremony); of the Hotri, to repeat the hymns (Ricas); of the UdgÄtri, to chaunt other hymns (³§Äå³¾²¹); and of the Brahman, to pronounce the formulƦ called Atharva. Then the Muni, having collected together the hymns called Ricas, compiled the Rigveda; with the prayers and directions termed Yajuį¹£as he formed the Yajur-veda; with those called ³§Äå³¾²¹, ³§Äå³¾²¹-veda; and with the Atharvas he composed the rules of all the ceremonies suited to kings, and the function of the Brahman agreeably to practice[5].
This vast original tree of the Vedas, having been divided by him into four principal stems, soon branched out into an extensive forest. In the first place, Paila divided the Rig-veda, and gave the two ³§²¹į¹h¾±³ŁÄå²õ (or collections of hymns) to Indrapramati and to µžÄåį¹£k²¹±ō¾±. µžÄåį¹£k²¹±ō¾±[6] subdivided his ³§²¹į¹h¾±³ŁÄå into four, which he gave to his disciples Baudhya, AgnimÄį¹hara, YajƱawalka, and ±Ź²¹°łÄåŲ¹°ł²¹; and they taught these secondary shoots from the primitive branch. Indrapramati imparted his ³§²¹į¹h¾±³ŁÄå to his son Maį¹įøukeya, and it thence descended through successive generations, as well as disciples[7].
Vedamitra, called also ÅÄå°ģ²¹±ō²ā²¹, studied the same ³§²¹į¹h¾±³ŁÄå, but he divided it into five ³§²¹į¹h¾±³ŁÄå²õ, which he distributed amongst as many disciples, named severally
- Mudgala,
- Goswalu,
- ³ÕÄå³Ł²õ²ā²¹,
- ÅÄå±ōÄ«²ā²¹,
- and ž±Å¾±°ł²¹[8].
SÄkapÅ«rį¹i made a different division of the original ³§²¹į¹h¾±³ŁÄå into three portions, and added a glossary (Nirukta), constituting a fourth[9]. The three ³§²¹į¹h¾±³ŁÄå²õ were given to his three pupils, Krauncha, VaitÄlaki, and ValÄka; and a fourth, (thence named) Niruktakrit, had the glossary[10]. In this way branch sprang from branch. Another µžÄåį¹£k²¹±ō¾±[11] composed three other ³§²¹į¹h¾±³ŁÄå²õ, which he taught to his disciples °Äå±ōÄå²ā²¹²Ō¾±, ³ŅÄå°ł²µ²ā²¹, and KathÄjava[12]. These are they by whom the principal divisions of the Rich have been promulgated[13].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
According to the Grihya portion of the ³§Äå³¾²¹-veda, there are five great sacrificial ceremonies; 1. Agnihotra, burnt-offerings, or libations of clarified butter on sacred fire; 2. DerÅapaurį¹amÄsa, sacrifices at new and full moon; 3. CÄturmasya, sacrifices every four months; 4. PaÅu-yajƱa or AÅvamedha, sacrifice of a horse or animal; and 5. Soma-yajƱa, offerings and libations of the juice of the acid asclepias. These, again, are either PrÄkrita, āsimple,ā� or Vaikrita, āmodified;ā� and being thus doubled, constitute ten.
[2]:
The composition of the ²Ń²¹³óÄå²ś³óÄå°ł²¹³Ł²¹ is always ascribed to the ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹ named °į¹į¹£į¹a DwaipÄyana, the cotemporary of the events there described. The allusion in the text establishes the priority of the poem to the Viį¹£į¹u PurÄį¹a.
[3]:
Or rather, āhe took Paila as teacher.ā� The expression is, Rigveda ÅrÄvakam Pailam jagrÄha. ÅrÄvaka means properly āhe who causes to hear,ā� āa lecturer,ā� āa preacher;ā� although, as in the case of its applicability to the laity of the Buddhists and Jainas, it p. 276 denotes a disciple. The commentator however observes, that the text is sometimes read āone who had gone through the Rig-veda.ā� So in the preceding verse it is said, āhe took four persons, well read in the Vedas, as his disciples,ā� and again it is said, āSumantu, conversant with the Atharva-veda, was his disciple.ā� It is clear, therefore, that the Vedas were known, as distinct works, before °į¹į¹£į¹a DwaipÄyana; and it is difficult to understand how he earned his title of arranger, or ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹: at any rate, in undertaking to give order to the prayers and hymns of which the Vedas consist, Paila and the others were rather his coadjutors than disciples; and it seems probable that the tradition records the first establishment of a school, of which the ³Õ²āÄå²õ²¹ was the head, and the other persons named were the teachers.
[4]:
The ItihÄsa and PurÄį¹as; understanding by the former, legendary and traditional narratives. It is usually supposed that by the ItihÄsa the ²Ń²¹³óÄå²ś³óÄå°ł²¹³Ł²¹ is especially meant; but although this poem is ascribed to °į¹į¹£į¹a DwaipÄyana, the recitation of it is not attributed to his pupil, Roma or Loma-harį¹£aį¹a: it was first narrated by ³Õ²¹¾±Å²¹³¾±čÄå²ā²¹²Ō²¹, and after him by Sauti, the son of ³¢“Ē³¾²¹³ó²¹°łį¹£aį¹a.
[5]:
From this account, which is repeated in the VÄyu P., it appears that the original Veda was the Yajush, or in other words was a miscellaneous body of precepts, formulæ, prayers, and hymns, for sacrificial ceremonies; Yajush being derived by the grammarians from Yaj, āto worship.ā� The derivation of the VÄyu PurÄį¹a, however, is from Yuj, āto join,ā� āto employ;ā� the formulæ being those especially applied to sacrificial rites, or set apart for that purpose from the general collection: p. 277 ### again, ### The commentator on the text however, citing the former of these passages from the VÄyu, reads it, confining the derivation to Yaj, āto worship.ā� The concluding passage, relating to the Atharvan, refers, in regard to regal ceremonies, to those of expiation, ÅÄnti, &c. The function of the Brahman is not explained; but from the preceding specification of the four orders of priests who repeat at sacrifices portions of the several Vedas, it relates to the office of the one that is termed specifically the Brahman: so the VÄyu has āHe constituted the function of the Brahman at sacrifices with the Atharva-veda.ā�
[6]:
Both in our text and in that of the VÄyu this name occurs both BÄį¹£kala and µžÄåį¹£k²¹±ō¾±. Mr. Colebrooke writes it BÄhkala and BÄhkali. As. Res. VIII. 374.
[7]:
The VÄyu supplies the detail. Maį¹įøukeya, or, as one copy writes, MÄrkaį¹įøeya, taught the SanhitÄ to his son SatyaÅravas; he to his son Satyahita; and he to his son SatyaÅrÄ«. The latter had three pupils, ÅÄå°ģ²¹±ō²ā²¹, also called Devamitra (sic in MS.), RathÄntara, and another µžÄåį¹£k²¹±ō¾±, called also BharadvÄja. The VÄyu has a legend of ÅÄå°ģ²¹±ō²ā²¹'s death, in consequence of his being defeated by YÄjƱavalkya in a disputation at a sacrifice celebrated by Janaka.
[8]:
These names in the VÄyu are Mudgala, Golaka, KhÄliya, MÄtsya, ÅaiÅireya.
[9]:
The commentator, who is here followed by Mr. Colebrooke, states that he was a pupil of Indrapramati; but from the VÄyu it appears that ÅÄkapÅ«rį¹i was another name of RathÄntara, the pupil of SatyaÅrÄ«, the author of three SanhitÄs and a Nirukta, or glossary; whence Mr. Colebrooke supposes him the same with YÄska. As. Res. VIII. 375. It is highly probable that the text of the VÄyu may be made to correct that of the Viį¹£į¹u in this place, which is inaccurate, notwithstanding the copies agree: they read, ###. p. 278 Here ÅÄkapÅ«rį¹ir-atha-itaram is the necessary construction; but quere if it should not be ÅÄkapÅ«rį¹i RathÄntara. The parallel passage in the VÄyu is, ###. Now in describing the pupils of SatyaÅrÄ«, RathÄntara was named clearly enough: ###. In another passage it would seem to be implied that this µžÄåį¹£k²¹±ō¾± was the author of the SanhitÄs, and RathÄntara of the Nirukta only: ###. However this may be, his being the author of the Nirukta identifies him with ÅÄkapÅ«rį¹i, and makes it likely that the two names should come in juxta-position in our text, as well as in the VÄyu. It must be admitted, however, that there are some rather inexplicable repetitions in the part of the VÄyu where this account occurs, although two copies agree in the reading. That a portion of the Vedas goes by the name of Rathantara we have seen (p. 42); but as far as is yet known, the name is confined to different prayers or hymns of the Uhya GÄna of the ³§Äå³¾²¹-veda. The text of the Viį¹£į¹u also admits of a different explanation regarding the work of ÅÄkapÅ«rį¹i, and instead of a threefold division of the original, the passage may mean that he composed a third SanhitÄ. So Mr. Colebrooke says āthe Viį¹£į¹u P. omits the ÅÄkhÄs of AÅvalÄyana and SÄį¹ khyÄyana, and intimates that ÅÄkapÅ«rį¹i gave the third varied edition from that of Indrapramati.ā� The VÄyu, however, is clear in ascribing three SanhitÄs or ÅÄkhÄs to ÅÄkapÅ«rį¹i.
[10]:
In the VÄyu the four pupils of SÄkapÅ«rį¹i are called Kenava, DÄlaki, ÅatavalÄka, and Naigama.
[11]:
This µžÄåį¹£k²¹±ō¾± may either be, according to the commentator, the pupil of Paila, who, in addition to the four SanhitÄs previously noticed, compiled three others; or he may be another µžÄåį¹£k²¹±ō¾±, a fellow-pupil of ÅÄkapÅ«rni. The VÄyu makes him a disciple of SatyaÅrÄ«, the fellow-pupil of ÅÄå°ģ²¹±ō²ā²¹ and RathÄntara, and adds the name or title BhÄradvÄja.
[12]:
In the VÄyu they are called NandÄyanÄ«ya, PannagÄri, and Ärjjava.
[13]:
Both the Viį¹£į¹u and VÄyu PurÄį¹as omit two other principal divisions of the Rich, those of AÅvalÄyana and SÄį¹ khyÄyana or the KauÅÄ«takÄ«. As. Res. VIII. 375. There is no specification of the aggregate number of SanhitÄs of the Rich in our text, or in the VÄyu; but they describe eighteen, including the Nirukta; or as Mr. Colebrooke states, sixteen (As. Res. VIII. 374); that is, omitting the two portions of the original, as divided by Paila. The KÅ«rma PurÄį¹a states the number at twenty-one; but treatises on the study of the Vedas reduce the ÅÄkhÄs of the Rich to five.