In the course of the ages, the role of Vyāsa—the sage who arranges and preserves the Vedas—has been assumed by many illustrious beings. In the first Dvāpara era, Vyāsa was revered as Manu Svāyambhuva, the progenitor of mankind. In the second Dvāpara, Vedavyāsa was the lord of all creatures. Time moved forward, and in the fifth Dvāpara, Savitṛ became Vyāsa; in the sixth, it was Mṛtyu who was proclaimed as Vyāsa. The ninth era saw Sārasvata as Vyāsa, and the tenth remembered him as Tridhāmā. In the thirteenth, Dharma took up the mantle; in the fourteenth, it was Tarakṣu. Kṛtañjaya was Vyāsa in the seventeenth, and Ṛtañjaya in the eighteenth. The twenty-first era brought forth Rājaśravā, followed by Śuṣmāyaṇa. In the twenty-fifth, Śakti became Vyāsa, and in the twenty-sixth, Parāśara. It was Vyāsa, the son of Parāśara, who became known as Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana. This great yogi, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, is indeed Hari—the Lord himself. By his grace, Hari made Vyāsa the arranger and divider of the Vedas, ensuring their preservation for all time. The sage appointed Paila as the fourth among his disciples, and myself as the fifth. Vaiśampāyana was made the teacher of the Yajur Veda, while I was entrusted with the recitation of the Itihāsas and Purāṇas. It was by Vyāsa’s wisdom that the fourfold sacrificial priesthood arose, and the proper performance of sacrifice was established. He instituted the Udgātṛ priesthood with the Sāma hymns and the office of Brahman with the Atharva hymns. The Yajus formulas were assigned to the Yajur Veda, and the Sāma hymns to the Sāma Veda. Vyāsa divided the Yajur Veda into a hundred branches, and further split the Atharva Veda into nine parts. Thus, the one Veda—of four divisions—has existed since ancient times. At the heart of all Vedic knowledge is the venerable, eternal Vāsudeva. He is both the knower and the known, the supreme Brahman, the highest light and bliss. The sage devoted to the Veda understands this truth—that the Veda is to be known through Vāsudeva, who is both the Veda and its object. By resorting to him, one attains liberation. The great sage, son of Parāśara, also knows that which is beyond the Veda. Now, O virtuous ones, listen to the descents of Mahādeva in the Kali age. For the welfare of the Brahmins during the Vaivasvata period, Mahādeva appeared by name. His disciples, adorned with topknots, shone with immeasurable radiance. These four were great-souled Brahmins, accomplished in the Vedas. Lokākṣiratha, the lord of yogis, appeared in the seventh period, followed by Jaigīṣavya. Bhṛgu was Vyāsa in the tenth, and from him came Ugra, who is considered supreme. In the fourteenth, Gautama became the head of the Vedas, and beyond him came Jaṭāmālī, Aṭṭahāsa, Dāruka, and Lāṅgalī, each in their turn. Sahiṣṇu, Somaśarman, and finally Nakulīśa, the lord, appeared as the last. At the holy place of Kāyāvatāra, Deveśa is worshipped as Nakulīśvara. Each of these teachers had disciples who became eminent sages in their own right. I will declare their names in order—the yogis most versed in yoga: Vikeśa, Viśoka, Viśāpa, and Śāpanāśana; Sana, Sanātana, Mukāra, and Sanandana; Sudhāmā, Virajā, and also Śaṅkhapātraja. Thus, the lineage of wisdom and devotion continues, shining forth through the ages.