There are seven great sages, each endowed with seven distinguished qualities, who are collectively remembered as the Saptarishis. These sages are enlightened beings, possessing direct perception of dharma, and they are the originators of ancient lineages. Their actions were always marked by fairness and impartiality, guided by causes that were entirely blameless. Living as wise householders and also as ascetics in forest retreats, they embodied both worldly and spiritual ideals. It was through these sages that the arrangement of the four classes (varṇas) and the four stages of life (āśramas) was first established in the world. They set in motion the entire system of society, assigning everyone their place and duties according to these principles. In the cycles of birth and rebirth, a father may be born as a son and a son as a father, continuing the lineage unbroken. Among these, eighty-eight thousand are said to be householders—those who have wives and perform sacred fire-rituals, remembered as the progenitors of future generations. These eighty-eight thousand householders are established in the northern region, upholding the sacred traditions. At the end of each age, new creators of mantras and Brāhmaṇa texts are born, composing the scriptures and sciences appropriate to each epoch. In every Dvāpara Yuga during the interval of Vaivasvata Manu, this process repeats again and again. Notably, in the seventh Dvāpara, the Vedas themselves were divided by Svayambhū, the self-born. Throughout the ages, different sages have taken on the role of Vyāsa, the divider and arranger of the Vedas: in the third Dvāpara it was Uśanas, in the fourth Bṛhaspati, and in the seventh Indra. Vasiṣṭha is remembered as Vyāsa in the eighth, and in the eleventh Dvāpara, Sanadvāja held this role for three years. In the fifteenth, Traiyyāruṇi became Vyāsa, and in the sixteenth, Dhanañjaya. From Ṛjīṣa came Bharadvāja, and from Bharadvāja, Gautama. From Haryavana came Vena, and from Vena, Vājaśravā. From Tṛṇabindu was born Tataja, and also from Tṛṇabindu, Jātūkarṇa; from Jātūkarṇa, Dvaipāyana is remembered. In the future Dvāpara age, Dvoṇi will arise from Dvaipāyana, and in times to come, there will be many branches and expositions of these teachings. Through their austerity and action, these sages have attained greatness, and by their actions, their fame endures. The immortal essence of Brahman pervades all; it is Brahman that is called the immortal. Because of its infinite greatness and power to expand, it is known as Brahman. Salutations are offered to that Brahman, present in the Atharva, Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman Vedas, and to that excellent Brahman, the supreme secret of the great. By its manifestation and activity, the true purpose of human life is fulfilled. Yet, Brahman itself remains unmanifest, unthinkable, eternal, and of its own nature—undivided, pure, imperishable, and of manifold forms. In the Kṛta age, there is no action; how then can there be actions left undone? Whether something is heard or unheard, good or not good, it is all regarded the same. Brahman may be seen, heard, or even smelled in any manner, for it pervades all experience. What Brahman has not revealed, who indeed is worthy to seek out? Whenever someone performs an action, he considers it as his own doing. And whenever anything is done, by anyone, in any way, anywhere—whether detached or excessive, in knowledge or ignorance, in what is dear or not dear—all these states, whether upward, transverse, or downward, belong to that unseen doer alone, the supreme Brahman.