Vayu Purana

अष्टौ सामसहस्राणि सामानि च चतुर्द्दश। आरण्यकं सहोमञ्च एताद्गायन्ति सामगाः ।। ६१.

There are eight thousand Sāman hymns and fourteen Sāmans; the Āraṇyaka and the Homānca—these are sung by the Sāmagas.

द्वादशैव सहस्राणि छन्द आध्वर्यवं स्मृतम्। यजुषां ब्राह्मणानाञ्च यथा व्यासो व्यकल्पयत् ।। ६१.

Twelve thousand is remembered as the number of verses in the Ādhvaryava (Yajur Veda), as established by Vyāsa for the Yajur Veda Brāhmaṇas.

सग्राम्यारण्यकन्तत्स्यात्समन्त्रकरणं तथा। अतः परं कथानान्तु पूर्वा इति विशेषणम् ।। ६१.

This includes those with village and forest recensions, as well as those with mantras and ritual instructions; beyond this, the earlier narratives are specifically distinguished.

ग्राम्यारण्यं समन्त्रञ्च ऋग्ब्राह्मणयजुः स्मृतम्। तथा हारिद्रवीयाणां खिलान्युपखिलानि च। तथैव तैत्तिरीयाणां परक्षुद्रा इति स्मृतम् ।। ६१.

The village, forest, and mantra portions are recognized for the Ṛg, Brāhmaṇa, and Yajur Vedas; likewise, the Khilas and Upakhilas of the Hāridravīyas, and the minor sections of the Taittirīyas are also acknowledged.

द्वे सहस्रे शतन्यूने वेदे वाजसनेयके। ऋग्गणः परि संख्यातो ब्राह्मणन्तु चतुर्गुणम् ।। ६१.

In the Vājasaneyi Veda, there are two thousand minus one hundred; the Ṛg collection is thus counted, and the Brāhmaṇa is four times that.

अष्टौ सहस्राणि शतानि चाष्टौ अशीतिरन्यान्यधिकश्च पादः। एतत्प्रमाणं यजुषामृचाञ्च सशुक्रियं साखिल याज्ञवल्क्यम् ।। ६१.

There are eight thousand and eight hundred, plus an additional fraction, and this is the measure of the Yajur and Ṛg verses, including the Śukriya and all the Yājñavalkya branches.

तथा चरणविद्यानां प्रमाणं संहितां श्रृणु। षट्साहस्रमृचामुक्तमृचः षड्विंशतिः पुनः । एतावदधिकं तेषां यजुः कामं विवक्षति ।। ६१.

Now hear the measure of the Saṃhitās of the various schools: six thousand Ṛg verses are declared, and again twenty-six more; this is the excess that the Yajur desires to express.

एकादश सहस्राणि दश चान्या दशोत्तराः । ऋचान्दश सहस्राणि अशीतित्रिशतानि च ।। ६१.

Eleven thousand, and then ten more, and ten in addition; and ten thousand Ṛg verses, with three hundred and eighty as well.

सहस्रमेकं मन्त्राणामृचामुक्तं प्रमाणतः। एतावद्भृगुविस्तारमन्यच्चाथर्विकं बहु ।। ६१.

A thousand mantras of the Ṛg are declared as the standard; such is the extent of the Bhṛgu tradition, and the Atharvan is even more.

ऋचामथर्वणां पञ्च सहस्राणि विनिश्चयः। सहस्रमन्यद्विज्ञेयमृषिभिर्विंशतिं विना ।। ६१.

The settled number of Atharvan Ṛg verses is five thousand; another thousand is to be known, except for twenty as stated by the seers.

एतदङ्गिरसा प्रोक्तन्तेषामारण्यकं पुनः। इति संख्या प्रसंख्याता शाखाभेदास्तथैव च ।। ६१.

This was spoken by Aṅgiras; among them, the Āraṇyaka is again included; thus, the enumeration and the distinctions of the branches are also given.

कर्त्तारश्चैव शाखानां भेदे हेतुस्तथैव च। सर्वमन्वन्तरेष्वेवं शाखाभेदाः समाः स्मृताः ।। ६१.

The authors of the branches, and the reasons for their divisions, are likewise described; in every Manvantara, the distinctions of the branches are considered the same.

प्राजापत्या श्रुतिर्नित्या तद्विकल्पास्त्विमे स्मृताः। अनित्यभावाद्देवानां मन्त्रोत्पत्तिः पुनः पुनः ।। ६१.

The Prājāpatya revelation is eternal, but these variations are considered as remembered; because of the impermanence of the gods, the production of mantras occurs again and again.

मन्वन्तराणां क्रियते सुराणां नामनिश्चयः। द्वापरेषु पुनर्भेदाः श्रुतानां परिकीर्त्तिताः ।। ६१.

In the Manvantaras, the names of the gods are not fixed; in each Dvāpara, the divisions of the revelations are again described.

एवं वेदं तदान्यस्य भगवानृषिसत्तमः। शिष्येभ्यश्च पुनर्दत्त्वा तपस्तप्तुं गतो वनम्। तस्य शिष्यप्रशिष्यैस्तु शाखाभेदास्त्विमे कृताः ।। ६१.

Thus, the venerable sage, having imparted the Veda to his disciples, went to the forest to perform austerities; by his disciples and their disciples, these divisions of the branches were made.

अङ्गानि वेदाश्चत्वारो मीमांसा न्यायविस्तरः। धर्म शास्त्रं पुराणञ्च विद्यास्त्वेताश्चतुर्दश ।। ६१.

The four Vedas with their limbs, Mīmāṃsā, the extensive Nyāya, Dharmaśāstra, and Purāṇa—these are the fourteen branches of knowledge.

आयुर्वेदो धनुर्वेदो गान्धर्वश्चैव ते त्रयः। अर्थशास्त्रं चतुर्थन्तु विद्यास्त्वष्टादशैव तु ।। ६१.

Āyurveda, Dhanurveda, and Gāndharva are the three; Arthaśāstra is the fourth, thus there are indeed eighteen branches of knowledge.

ज्ञेया ब्रह्मर्षयः पूर्वन्तेभ्यो देवर्षयः पुनः। राजर्षयः पुनस्तेभ्य ऋषिप्रकृतयस्त्रयः। तेभ्य ऋषिप्रकृतयो मुनिभिः संशितव्रतैः ।। ६१.

The Brahmarṣis are to be known as the earliest, from them come the Devarṣis; from them again the Rājarṣis, and then three classes of Ṛṣis; from them, the Ṛṣi classes are formed by sages of strict vows.

कश्यपेषु वसिष्ठेषु तथा भृग्वङ्गिरोऽत्रिषु। पञ्चस्वेतेषु जायन्ते गोत्रेषु ब्रह्मवादिनः। यस्मादृषन्ति ब्रह्माणन्तेन ब्रह्मर्षयः स्मृताः ।। ६१.

Among the Kaśyapas, Vasiṣṭhas, Bhṛgus, Aṅgiras, and Atris—these five lineages—are born those who speak of Brahman; because they see Brahman, they are called Brahmarṣis.

धर्मस्याथ पुलस्त्यस्य क्रतोश्च पुलहस्य च। प्रत्यूषस्य प्रभासस्य कश्यपस्य तथा पुनः ।। ६१.

Of Dharma, Pulastya, Kratu, Pulaha, Pratyusha, Prabhasa, and likewise of Kashyapa—

देवर्षयः सुतास्तेषां नामतस्तान्निबोधत। देवर्षी धर्मपुत्रौ तु नरनारायणानुभौ ।। ६१.

The divine sages are their sons; hear their names: the sons of Dharma are the two, Nara and Narayana.

वालखिल्याः क्रतोः पुत्राः कर्दमः पुलहस्य तु। कुबेरश्चैव पौलस्त्यः प्रत्यूषस्याचलः स्मृतः ।। ६१.

The Valakhilyas are the sons of Kratu, Kardama is of Pulaha, Kubera is known as the son of Pulastya, and Achala is of Pratyusha.

पर्वतो नारदश्चैव कश्यपस्यात्मजावुभौ। ऋषन्ति देवान् तस्मात्ते तस्माद्देवर्षयः स्मृताः ।। ६१.

Parvata and Narada are both sons of Kashyapa; since they are seers of the gods, they are therefore called devarshis.

मानवे वैषये वंशे ऐलवंशे च ये नृपाः। ऐला ऐक्ष्वाकनाभागा ज्ञेया राजर्षयस्तु ते ।। ६१.

In the lineages of Manu, Vaishya, and the Aila dynasty, those kings—descendants of Ila, Ikshvaku, and Nabha—are to be known as royal sages.

ऋषन्ति रञ्जनाद्यस्मात्प्रजा राजर्षयस्ततः । ब्रह्मलोकप्रतिष्ठास्तु स्मृता ब्रह्मर्षयो मताः ।। ६१.

Those who are seers among the royal lineages, from whom people are colored, are called royal sages; those established in the world of Brahma are considered brahmarshis.

देवलोकप्रतिष्ठाश्च ज्ञेया देवर्षयः शुभाः। इन्द्रलोकप्रतिष्ठास्तु सर्वे राजर्षयो मताः ।। ६१.

Those established in the world of the gods are to be known as the auspicious devarshis; all those established in Indra's realm are considered royal sages.

अभिजात्या च तपसा मन्त्रव्याहरणैस्तथा। एवं ब्रह्मर्षयः प्रोक्ता दिव्या राजर्षयस्तु ये ।। ६१.

By noble birth, by austerity, and by the utterance of mantras, thus are proclaimed the brahmarshis; those who are divine are the royal sages.

देवर्षयस्तथान्ये च तेषां वक्ष्यामि लक्षणम्। भूतभव्यभवज्ञानं सत्याभिव्याहृतं तथा ।। ६१.

Now I will describe the characteristics of the devarshis and others among them: knowledge of past, future, and present, and the truthful utterance of speech.

सम्बुद्धास्तु स्वयं ये तु सम्बुद्धा ये च वै स्वयम्। तपसेह प्रसिद्धा ये गर्भेयैश्च प्रणोदितम् ।। ६१.

Those who are awakened in themselves, and those who are indeed self-awakened, who are renowned here for their austerity, and those inspired from the womb—