Hear now a sacred tale, woven from the ancient verses of the Liṅga Purāṇa. The Lord, Puruhūta, the supreme soul, stands as the imperishable refuge for all beings, the master of the worlds, praised by men everywhere. In the veils of darkness, he is known as Kālarudra; in the fires of passion, he is born of gold. Through goodness, he becomes the all-pervading Viṣṇu, and in transcendence, he is Maheśvara, the great Lord. The seekers ask, “O wise one, by what do men descend to hell? Is it by action or by inaction? We are eager to hear, for curiosity stirs within us.” To this, the teacher responds, “I shall reveal to you the secret—the immeasurable brilliance and power of Bhava, the origin of Śaṃkara—as witnessed by all. Yogis, who have mastered all principles, are established in supreme detachment, accompanied by the eightfold practices such as breath control and others. Endowed with qualities like compassion, these yogis, even after performing various actions, ascend to heaven or descend to hell according to their deeds. From grace arises knowledge; from knowledge, yoga is set in motion; through yoga, liberation is attained; and from grace, all this follows. If, by grace, you are able to speak of the true nature—of the divine and Maheśvara yoga—O best of those who know yoga, then tell us: How does the Lord Śiva, free from all thought, grant grace through the path of yoga, and at what time does he bestow this upon men, O mighty one?” In the presence of gods, sages, and ancestors, the story was once told by Śailādi. Let all listen now to the son of Brahma. The incarnations of Vyāsa, too, appeared at the end of the Dvāpara age, along with the incarnations of yoga teachers and the trident-bearer in the Tiṣya age. In each place, the Lord’s disciples are four, vessels of tranquility; among them are many sub-disciples, and thus the Lord is pleased. Knowledge, therefore, flows in succession from the mouth of the Lord to men, beginning with the Brahmins and ending with the Vaiśyas, each according to their nature and compassion. In every Dvāpara age, who were the Vyāsas? Where and in which cycles and kalpas did they arise? Let this be told. Listen: In the Varāha kalpa, in the Vaivasvata cycle, the Vyāsas and the Rudras exist now, as well as in all cycles. I will declare, in proper order, those who revealed the Vedas, the Purāṇas, and all knowledge, in every cycle at present. Among them are Kratu, Satya, Bhārgava, Aṅgirā, Savitṛ, Mṛtyu, Śatakratu the wise, and Vasiṣṭha, foremost among sages. Sārasvata, Tridhāmā, Trivṛt, Śatatejā, Svayaṃdharman, and Nārāyaṇa are also named. Further, Tarakṣu, Āruṇi the wise, Deva, Kṛtaṃjaya, Ṛtaṃjaya, Bharadvāja, Gautama, best among poets, Vācaśravā the sage, Śuṣmāyaṇi the pure, Tṛṇabindu the austere sage, Śakti, Śākteya, and Uttara. Jātūkarṇya, Hari in person, and Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana the sage—all these are the Vyāsas. Let them listen to the yoga masters as they appear in the Kali age. Countless, indeed, are the incarnations of the Lord, Rudra, and Vyāsa in all cycles and ages, especially in Kali, out of reverence for the world. In the Vaivasvata cycle, in the Varāha kalpa, I will again declare these incarnations, as well as those in all cycles. You ought to know the Manvantaras in the Varāha kalpa at present, and likewise the perfected ones in the upper cycles and in the Vaivasvata cycle. Manu Svāyambhuva is the first, then Svārociṣa, Uttama, Tāmasa, Raivata, and Cākṣuṣa. Vaivasvata and Sāvarṇi follow, then Dharma Sāvarṇika, Piśaṅga, Apiśaṅgābha, Śabala, and Varṇaka. The Manus ending with ‘au’ and beginning with ‘a’ are named Śveta, Pāṇḍu, Rakta, Tāmra, Pīta, and Kāpila. Krishna, Shyama, Dhumra, Sudhumra, Apishanga, Pishanga, Trivarna, and Shabala are also counted among them. These auspicious Manus have been described as Kalaṃdhura according to their color; named by both name and color. Those whose essence is sound have been named, and the inner lords in summary: Vaivasvata, Ṛkāra, Manu, Krishna, and Sureśvara. I will now speak of the seventh among them, the yogis, in the cycles of ages, past kalpas, and those yet to come. Varaha should be known at present, in order from the seventh interval, and likewise the yogic incarnations of the Lord and the lineages of his disciples. Observing all times and cycles of the yogis: in the first, Shveta; in Kali, Rudra; Sutara, and Madana. Suhotra and Kaṅkaṇa, Lokākṣi, Jaigīṣavya of great brilliance, and the blessed Dadhivāhana; Ṛṣabha the wise sage, Ugra, Atri, Subālaka, Gautama, and the blessed one revered by all gods. Vedaśīrṣa, Gokarṇa the cave-dweller and bearer of the crest, Jaṭāmālī, Ṭṭahāsa, Dāruka, and Lāṅgalī. The great-bodied sage Śūlī, Daṇḍī, Muṇḍīśvara himself; Sahiṣṇu, Somaśarmā, and Nakulīśa, the teacher of the world. In the interval of Vaivasvata, the incarnations of the supreme soul as yoga teachers have been properly spoken, those of good vows in all cycles. And Vyasa and the foremost sages in Dvapara; in Dvapara, these four disciples of the lords of yoga, each imperishable. Thus, the sacred tradition flows from the Lord, through his incarnations and disciples, through cycles and kalpas, through the sages and Vyāsas, preserving the knowledge and yoga for all ages, each according to their nature and compassion.