Vayu Purana

एवमुक्तस्तथेत्युक्त्वा मनुर्लोकहिते रतः। वेदमेकं चतुष्पादं चतुर्धा व्यभजत्प्रभुः ।। ६०.

Thus addressed, and having replied 'so be it,' Manu, intent on the welfare of the world, divided the one four-footed Veda into four parts, being the lord.

ब्रह्मणो वचनात्तात लोकानां हितकाम्यया। तदिदं वर्त्तमानेन युष्माकं वेदकल्पनम् ।। ६०.

By the command of Brahmā, desiring the welfare of the worlds, this arrangement of the Veda has come to you in the present time.

मन्वन्तरेण वक्ष्यामि व्यतीतानां प्रकल्पनम्। प्रत्यक्षेण परोक्षं वै तन्निबोधत सत्तमाः ।। ६०.

By the Manvantara I shall declare the arrangement of the past; know that, O best ones, as both direct and indirect.

अस्मिन् युगे कृतो व्यासः पाराशर्यः परन्तपः। द्वैपायन इति ख्यातो विष्णोरंशः प्रकीर्तितः ।। ६०.

In this age, the arranger of the Veda is Vyāsa, son of Parāśara, renowned as Dvaipāyana, declared to be a portion of Viṣṇu.

ब्रह्मणा चोदितः सोऽस्मिन् वेदं व्यस्तुं प्रचक्रमे। अथ शिष्यान् स जग्राह चतुरो वेदकारणात् ।। ६०.

Urged by Brahmā, he began to arrange the Veda in this age; then, for the sake of the Veda, he took four disciples.

जैमिनिञ्च सुमन्तुञ्च वैशम्पायनमेव च। पैलन्तेषां चतुर्थन्तु पञ्चमं लोमहर्षणम् ।। ६०.

Jaimini, Sumantu, and Vaiśampāyana, and as the fourth among them, Paila, and the fifth, Lomaharṣaṇa.

ऋग्वेदश्रावकं पैलञ्जग्राह विधिवद् द्विजम् । यजुर्वेदप्रवक्तारं वैशम्पायनमेव च ।। ६०.

Paila, the twice-born, properly received the role of reciter of the Ṛgveda, and Vaiśampāyana that of the expounder of the Yajurveda.

जैमिनिं सामवेदार्थश्रावकं सोऽन्वपद्यत। तथैवाथर्ववेदस्य सुमन्तुमृषिसत्तमम् ।। ६०.

Jaimini became the reciter of the meaning of the Sāmaveda, and likewise, Sumantu, the most excellent sage, of the Atharvaveda.

इतिहासपुराणस्य वक्तारं सम्यगेव हि। माञ्चैव प्रतिजग्राह भगवानीश्वरः प्रभुः ।। ६०.

And as the proper narrator of Itihāsa and Purāṇa, the venerable Lord Īśvara accepted me as well.

एक आसीद्यजुर्वेदस्तञ्चतुर्द्धा व्यकल्पयत्। चतुर्होत्रमभूत्तस्मिंस्तेन यज्ञमकल्पयत् ।। ६०.

There was one Yajurveda, which he divided into four parts; in it arose the four hotṛ priests, and thus he arranged the sacrifice.

आध्वर्यवं यजुर्भिस्तु ऋग्भिर्होत्रं तथैव च। उद्गात्रं सामभिश्वक्रे ब्रह्मत्वञ्चाप्यथर्वभिः। ब्रह्मत्वमकरोद्यज्ञे वेदेनाथर्वणेन तु ।। ६०.

With the Yajur mantras, he established the Adhvaryu; with the Ṛg mantras, the Hotṛ likewise; with the Sāma mantras, he created the Udgātṛ; and with the Atharva mantras, the Brahman; indeed, he made the office of Brahman in the sacrifice by means of the Atharvaveda.

ततः सऋचमुद्धृत्य ऋग्वेदं समकल्प यत्। होतृकं कल्प्यते तेन यज्ञवाहं जगद्धितम् ।। ६०.

Then, extracting the Ṛks, he arranged the Ṛgveda; by that, the office of Hotṛ is established, which carries out the sacrifice for the welfare of the world.

सामभिः सामवेदञ्च तेनोद्गात्रमरोचयत् । राज्ञस्त्वथर्ववेदेन सर्वकर्माण्यकारयत् ।। ६०.

With the Sāma mantras, he arranged the Sāmaveda, and thereby appointed the Udgātṛ; but with the Atharvaveda, he caused all the king's rituals to be performed.

आख्यानैश्चाप्युपाख्यानैर्गाथाभिः कुलकर्मभिः। पुराणसंहिताश्चक्रे पुराणार्थविशारदः ।। ६०.

With narratives, sub-narratives, songs, and family rites, he, skilled in the meaning of the Purāṇas, composed the collections of the Purāṇas.

यच्छिष्टन्तु यजुर्वेदे तेन यज्ञमथायुजत्। युञ्जानः स यजुर्वेदे इति शास्त्रविनिश्चयः ।। ६०.

And what remained in the Yajurveda, with that he further joined the sacrifice; one who employs the Yajurveda in this way is established by the teaching.

पदानामुद्धृतत्वाच्च यजूंषि विषमाणि वै । स तेनोद्धृतवीर्यस्तु ऋत्विग्भिर्वेदपारगैः। प्रयुज्यते ह्यश्वमेधस्तेन वा युज्यते तु सः ।। ६०.

Because the words were extracted, the Yajus mantras are indeed irregular; thus, endowed with that extracted power, he is employed by the expert priests, and by that, the Aśvamedha is performed, and he is thus engaged.

ऋचो गृहीत्वा पैलस्तु व्यभजत्तद् विधा पुनः । द्विष्कृत्वा संयुगे चैव शिष्याभ्यामददत्प्रभुः ।। ६०.

Paila, having taken the Ṛks, divided them again according to rule; making them twofold in arrangement, the master gave them to his two disciples.

इन्द्रप्रमतये चैकां द्वितीयां बाष्कलाय च। चतस्रः संहिताः कृत्वा बाष्कलिर्द्विजसत्तमः। शिष्यानध्यापयामास शुश्रूषाभिरतान् हितान् ।। ६०.

One portion to Indrapramati, the second to Bāṣkala; Bāṣkala, best of twice-born, made four collections, and taught his devoted disciples who were eager to listen.

बोधन्तु प्रथमां शाखां द्वितीयामग्निमाठरम्। पाराशरं तृतीयान्तु याज्ञवल्क्यामथापराम् ।। ६०.

The first branch was Bodha, the second Agnimāṭhara, the third Pārāśara, and the fourth Yājñavalkya.

इन्द्रप्रमतिरेकान्तु संहितां द्विजसत्तमः। अध्यापयन्महाभागं मार्कण्डेयं यशस्विनम् ।। ६०.

Indrapramati, best of twice-born, taught one collection to the illustrious and noble Mārkaṇḍeya.

सत्यश्रवसमग्र्यन्तु पुत्रं स तु महायशाः। सत्यश्रवाः सत्यहितं पुनरध्यापयद् द्विजः ।। ६०.

And Satyaśravas, the renowned, taught his son Satyasravas, who in turn taught Satyahita, the twice-born.

सोऽपि सत्यतरं पुत्रं पुनरध्यापयद्विभुः। सत्यश्रियं महात्मानं सत्यधर्मपरायणम् ।। ६०.

He too, the illustrious one, taught his son Satyatara, the great-souled Satyashri, who was devoted to truth and righteousness.

अभवंस्तस्य शिष्या वै त्रयस्तु सुमहौजसः । सत्यश्रियस्तु विद्वासः शास्त्रग्रहणतत्पराः ।। ६०.

He had three disciples of great vigor; Satyashri's wise students were intent on mastering the scriptures.

शाकल्यः प्रथमस्तेषां तस्मादन्यो रथ(ा)न्तरः । बाष्कलिश्च भरद्वाज इति शाखाप्रवर्तकाः ।। ६०.

Śākalya was the first among them, then another called Rathāntara; Bāṣkali and Bharadvāja—these were the founders of the branches.

देवमित्रस्तु शाकल्यो ज्ञानाहङ्कारगर्वितः। जनकस्यस यज्ञे वै विनाशमगमद् द्विजः ।। ६०.

Devamitra, known as Śākalya, proud of his knowledge and ego, met his destruction, O twice-born, at the sacrifice of Janaka.

कथं विनाशमगमत्स मुनिर्ज्ञानगर्वितः। जनकस्याश्वमेधेन कथं वादो बभूव ह ।। ६०.

How did that sage, proud of his knowledge, come to ruin? How did the debate arise at Janaka’s aśvamedha sacrifice?

किमर्थञ्चाभवद्वादः केन सार्द्धमथापि वा। सर्वमेतद्यथावृत्तमाचक्ष्व विदितन्तव। ऋषीणान्तु वचः श्रुत्वा तदुत्तरमथाब्रवीत् ।। ६०.

For what reason did the debate occur, and with whom, and how? Tell me everything as it happened, as you know it. Hearing the words of the sages, he then replied accordingly.

जनकस्याश्वमेधे तु महानासीत्समागमः। ऋषीणान्तु सहस्राणि तत्राजग्मुरनेकशः। राजर्षेर्जनकस्याथ तं यज्ञं हि दिदृक्षवः ।। ६०.

At Janaka’s aśvamedha, there was a great gathering; thousands of sages came there in many groups, wishing to witness the sacrifice of King Janaka.

आगतान् ब्राह्मणान् दृष्ट्वा जिज्ञासास्याभवत्ततः। कोन्वेषां ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठः कथं मे निश्चयो भवेत्। इति निश्चित्य मनसा बुद्धिं चक्रे जनाधिपः ।। ६०.

Seeing the assembled brāhmaṇas, a desire for inquiry arose in him: ‘Who among these brāhmaṇas is the greatest? How can I determine this?’ Thus, having resolved in his mind, the king made a decision.