Vayu Purana

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—

मन्त्रव्याहारिणो ये च ऐश्वर्यात्सर्वगाश्च ये। इत्येते ऋषिभिर्युक्ता देवद्विजनृपास्तु ये ।। ६१.

Those who utter mantras, those who are all-pervading by their power—these are the ones united with the sages, whether gods, twice-born, or kings.

एतान् भावानधीयाना ये चैते ऋषयो मताः। सप्तैते सप्तभिश्चैव गुणैः सप्तर्षयः स्मृताः ।। ६१.

Those who study these states, and those who are considered sages—these seven, endowed with seven qualities, are remembered as the Seven Sages.

दीर्घायुषो मन्त्रकृत ईश्वरा दिव्यचक्षुषः। बुद्धाः प्रत्यक्षधर्माणो गोत्रप्रवर्तकाश्च ये ।। ६१.

Long-lived, makers of mantras, lords, possessing divine vision, awakened, directly righteous, and founders of lineages—such are they.

षट्कर्माभिरता नित्यं शालिनो गृहमेधिनः। तुल्यैर्व्यवहरन्ति स्म अदृष्टैः कर्महेतुभिः ।। ६१.

Always devoted to the six duties, disciplined, householders, they dealt with equals, by unseen causes of action.

अग्राम्यैर्वर्त्तयन्ति स्म रसैश्चैव स्वयंकृतैः। कुटुम्बिन ऋद्विमन्तो बाह्यान्तरनिवासिनः ।। ६१.

They lived by pure means, with self-prepared foods and tastes; householders, possessing wealth, dwelling both outwardly and inwardly.

कृतादिषु युगाख्येषु सर्वेष्वेव पुनः पुनः। वर्णाश्रमव्यवस्थानं क्रियन्ते प्रथमन्तु वै ।। ६१.

In each of the ages called Krita and others, again and again, the arrangement of classes and stages of life is indeed established at the beginning.

प्राप्तै त्रेतायुगमुखे पुनः सप्तर्षयस्त्विह। प्रवर्त्तयन्ति ये वर्णानाश्रमांश्चैव सर्वशः। तेषामेवान्वये वीरा उत्पद्यन्ते पुनः पुनः ।। ६१.

When the Treta age arrives, again, here, the Seven Sages establish all the classes and stages of life; in their lineage, heroes are born again and again.

जायमाने पिता पुत्रे पुत्रः पितरि चैव हि। एवं समेत्याविच्छेदाद्वर्त्तयन्त्यायुगक्षयात्। अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि प्रोक्तानि गृहमेधिनाम् ।। ६१.

When a son is born, the father is in the son, and the son likewise in the father; thus, by unbroken succession, they continue until the end of the age; eighty-four thousand householders are declared.

अर्यम्णो दक्षिणा ये तु पितृयाणं समाश्रिताः। दाराग्निहोत्रिणस्ते वै ये प्रजाहेतवः स्मृताः ।। ६१.

Those who are associated with the southern path of Aryaman, who are considered the cause of progeny, are the wives of those who perform the Agnihotra sacrifice.

गृहमेधिनाञ्च संख्येयाः श्मशानान्याश्रयन्ति ते। अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि निहिता उत्तरायणे ।। ६१.

The cremation grounds that are to be counted for householders are eighty-four thousand in number, situated in the northern course.