तत्प्रसादादसौ व्यासं वेदानामकरोत् प्रभुः
By his grace, that Lord made Vyāsa the arranger of the Vedas.
पैलं तेषां चतुर्थं च पञ्चमं मां महामुनिः
The great sage appointed Paila as the fourth among them, and me as the fifth.
यजुर्वेदप्रवक्तारं वैशम्पायनमेव च
He made Vaiśampāyana the teacher of the Yajur Veda.
इतिहासपुराणानि प्रवक्तुं मामयोजयत्
He engaged me to recite the Itihāsas and Purāṇas.
चातुर्हेत्रमभूद् यस्मिंस्तेन यज्ञमथाकरोत्
In whom the fourfold sacrificial priesthood arose, by him the sacrifice was performed.
औद्गात्रं सामभिश्चक्रे ब्रह्मत्वं चाप्यथर्वभिः
He established the Udgātṛ priesthood with the Sāma hymns, and the office of Brahman with the Atharva hymns.
यजूंषि च यजुर्वेदं सामवेदं च सामभिः
He assigned the Yajus formulas to the Yajur Veda, and the Sāma hymns to the Sāma Veda.
शाखानां तु शतेनैव यजुर्वेदमथाकरोत्
He divided the Yajur Veda into a hundred branches.
अथर्वाणमथो वेदं बिभेद नवकेन तु
He further split the Atharva Veda into nine parts.
सो ऽयमेकश्चतुष्पादो वेदः पूर्वं पुरातनात्
Thus, this one Veda of four parts existed from ancient times.
वेदवेद्यो हि भगवान् वासुदेवः सनातनः
The venerable, eternal Vāsudeva is both the knower and the known of the Veda.
एतत् परतरं ब्रह्म ज्योतिरानन्दमुत्तमम्
This is the supreme Brahman, the highest light and bliss.
वेदवेद्यमिमं वेत्ति वेदं वेदपरो मुनिः
The sage devoted to the Veda knows this Veda, which is to be known through the Veda.
स एव वेदो वेद्यश्च तमेवाश्रित्य मुच्यते
He alone is both the Veda and the object to be known; by resorting to him, one is liberated.
अवेदं च विजानाति पाराशर्यो महामुनिः
The great sage, son of Parāśara, also knows what is not Veda.
महादेवावताराणि कलौ शृणुत सुव्रताः
O virtuous ones, hear now of the descents of Mahādeva in the Kali age.
नाम्ना हिताय विप्राणामभूद् वैवस्वते ऽन्तरे
By name, he was for the welfare of the Brahmins during the Vaivasvata period.
तस्य शिष्याः शिखायुक्ता वभूवुरमितप्रभाः
His disciples, adorned with topknots, shone with immeasurable radiance.
चत्वारस्ते महात्मानो ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः
Those four were great-souled Brahmins, accomplished in the Vedas.
लोकाक्षिरथ योगीन्द्रो जैगीषव्यस्तु सप्तमे
Lokākṣiratha, the lord of yogis, and Jaigīṣavya in the seventh (period).
भृगुस्तु दशमे प्रोक्तस्तस्मादुग्रः परः स्मृतः
Bhṛgu is said to be in the tenth, and from him Ugra, who is considered supreme.
चतुर्दशे गौतमस्तु वेदशीर्षा ततः परम्
In the fourteenth, Gautama, the head of the Vedas, and then beyond.
जटामाल्यट्टहासश्च दारुको लाङ्गली क्रमात्
Jaṭāmālī, Aṭṭahāsa, Dāruka, and Lāṅgalī, in order.
सहिष्णुः सोमशर्मा च नकुलीशो ऽन्तिमे प्रभुः
Sahiṣṇu, Somaśarman, and Nakulīśa, the lord, as the last.
तीर्थे कायावतारे स्याद् देवेशो नकुलीश्वरः
At the holy place of Kāyāvatāra, Deveśa is Nakulīśvara.
शिष्या बभूवुश्चान्येषां प्रत्येकं मुनिपुङ्गवाः
Other disciples of each of them became eminent sages.
क्रमेण तान् प्रवक्ष्यामि योगिनो योगवित्तमान्
I will declare them in order—the yogis most versed in yoga.
विकेशश्च विशोकश्च विशापश्शापनाशनः
Vikeśa, Viśoka, Viśāpa, and Śāpanāśana.
सनः सनातनश्चैव मुकारश्च सनन्दनः
Sana, Sanātana, Mukāra, and Sanandana.
सुधामा विरजाश्चैव शङ्खपात्रज एव च
Sudhāmā, Virajā, and also Śaṅkhapātraja.