Long ago, it was understood that the Vedas, the most ancient and sacred scriptures, were not accessible to everyone. For women, Śūdras, and even the sons of twice-born men who were unfit to hear the Vedas, the compassionate sages composed the Purāṇas, so that all could benefit from spiritual teachings. Now, in this auspicious seventh Manvantara, known as Vaivasvata, when the twenty-eighth Dvāpara Yuga arrives, Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī—my revered teacher and a knower of dharma—will serve as the Vyāsa. And when the twenty-ninth cycle comes, Drauni will take up the role of Vyāsa. In this way, there have already been twenty-seven Vyāsas in ages past, each a great sage who recited and compiled the Purāṇas for their time. At this point, the assembled sages spoke: “O highly fortunate Sūta, please tell us—who were these Vyāsas born in previous ages? Who recited the Purāṇas in each Dvāpara Yuga?” Sūta replied: “In the first Dvāpara Yuga, it was Svayambhū, the self-born, who divided the Vedas. In the second, Prajāpati took on the work of Vyāsa. In the third, Uśanas became Vyāsa; in the fourth, it was Bṛhaspati; the fifth saw Savitṛ as Vyāsa; the sixth, Mṛtyu; and in the seventh, Maghavan. In the eighth Dvāpara, Vasiṣṭha is remembered as Vyāsa; in the ninth, Sārasvata; in the tenth, Tridhāmā. The eleventh Dvāpara had Trivṛṣa, followed by Bharadvāja in the twelfth. In the thirteenth, Antarikṣa; in the fourteenth, Dharma. The fifteenth Vyāsa was Trayyaruṇi; the sixteenth, Dhanañjaya; the seventeenth, Medhātithi; the eighteenth, Vratī. Atri was Vyāsa in the nineteenth; Gautama followed in the twentieth; Uttama, known as Haryātmā, in the twenty-first. Then came Vena, Vājaśravā, Soma, Amuṣyāyaṇa, Tṛṇabindu, Vyāsa, and Bhārgava. After them came Śakti, Jātukarṇya, and then Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa—the twenty-eighth, as I have heard.” Sūta continued, “From Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa, I have heard the Purāṇa called the glorious Bhāgavata, which is supremely holy and destroys all sorrow. It grants both worldly desires and liberation, is adorned with the essence of the Vedas, delights the hearts of those who seek truth, and is always cherished by those longing for freedom. Vyāsa composed this most auspicious Purāṇa and entrusted it to his son Śuka, a great soul endowed with detachment, knowing that Śuka was born miraculously, not from a womb but from the fire-stick. I received and heard this Purāṇa there, just as it was, from the lips of Vyāsa and other great sages, by the grace of my compassionate guru, who is like an ocean of mercy.” “When Sūta inquired, Dvaipāyana Vyāsa revealed all the secrets of the Purāṇas. I heard it from him, that wondrous sage not born of a womb, whose intellect and power are unmatched. Śuka, the best among men, desiring to cross the difficult ocean of worldly existence, listened with love and attentive ears to the wondrous Bhāgavata—a treasury of stories and the very nectar of the gods’ feet. Truly, who, after hearing it, would not be freed from the fear and darkness of the Kali Age?” “Even the most sinful, those devoid of Vedic dharma and good conduct, who listen even with pretense to this supreme Purāṇa, enjoy abundant happiness here, and at life’s end, attain the beautiful, unshakable state marked by the Lord’s names—a state reached by yogis. This knowledge, which is beyond all qualities and even unattainable by Hari and Hara, arises in the heart’s cave of one who listens to this pure Purāṇa with devotion and meditation. To be born a human, with all faculties intact, is like possessing a boat to cross the ocean of existence; and if, having found a reciter, one does not listen to the Purāṇa that brings happiness, such a person is truly deceived by fate. One who always listens to slander but not to the nectar of the Purāṇa, the giver of all aims, is surely lost.” At this, the sages inquired further: “Gentle Sūta, in which wife of Vyāsa was his son Śuka born? How did this excellent Purāṇa come to be recited, and by whom? You have said that Śuka was not born from a womb, but from a celestial—this fills us with doubt. Please explain. It is also heard that Śuka, the great ascetic, was a yogi even in the womb. How did he recite this extensive Purāṇa?” Sūta replied: “Once, on the banks of the Sarasvatī, Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, saw two young birds in his hermitage and was filled with wonder. In their nest, a newly hatched chick, freed from its shell, charming to behold, with a copper-colored beak and auspicious limbs, but not yet feathered, was seen. The two parent birds, devoted to seeking food, diligently placed morsels in the chick’s open beak. With joy, they rubbed their bodies against the chick, and with great affection, lovingly kissed its beautiful face.” “Seeing this wondrous display of love, Vyāsa was overcome with reflection. ‘If even among animals such love for offspring is found, what wonder is it that humans, desiring the fruits of service, should do the same? Will these birds arrange a marriage for their chick, and rejoice at the bride’s beauty? Or, when old age comes, will the son serve his parents for merit, as is fitting? Or, having gained wealth, will he satisfy them? Will he perform the funeral rites for them, as prescribed? Will he go to Gayā and make the ancestral offerings and water rituals?’” “Vyāsa pondered further: ‘In this world, the highest happiness is said to be the embrace of a son’s body, and especially the act of nurturing him. For one without a son, there is no destiny, no heaven at all; apart from a son, there is no means to attain the next world. This has been stated by Manu and other sages: one with a son attains heaven, but one without a son does not, in any way. This is seen directly, not just inferred; one with a son is freed from sin—this is the eternal teaching.