O Maitreya, listen as I recount the sacred story of how the wisdom of the Vedas and Purāṇas was handed down through the ages. Yājñavalkya, renowned for his devotion to supreme purity, sought the formulas of the Yajur Veda. With a concentrated mind, he worshipped the Sun, offering heartfelt salutations to Savitṛ, the supporter and liberator of pure radiance, who embodies the essence of the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas. Yājñavalkya honored the Sun as Agni and Soma, the very cause of the universe, and as Bhāskara, the bearer of supreme brilliance and the great rays of Sūṣumna. He bowed to the one whose essence is the knowledge of time—kalās, kāṣṭhās, and nimeṣas—and who is to be meditated upon as the form of Viṣṇu, the embodiment of the supreme imperishable. Yājñavalkya praised the Sun, who nourishes the hosts of gods with fierce rays and the ancestors with nectar, whose self is satisfaction. He saluted the lord who creates and destroys snow, water, heat, and rain—Sūrya, the creator, who is the form of past, present, and future. Yājñavalkya revered the one who dispels darkness, awakens the world, and upholds the abode of existence—Vivasvat. He acknowledged that no one is fit for righteous acts, nor is water a cause of purity, when the Sun has not risen. When the world is touched by the Sun's rays, it becomes fit for action; thus Yājñavalkya saluted the pure self, the cause of purity. He offered salutations to Savitṛ, Sūrya, Bhāskara, Vivasvat, Āditya the primal being, and the foremost of the gods. He bowed to the Sun, whose golden chariot is borne by rays carrying nectar, who is the eye that illuminates the worlds. Pleased by these hymns and others, the Sun appeared before Yājñavalkya in the form of a horse and said, "Choose whatever you desire." Yājñavalkya, bowing deeply, requested, "Grant me those Yajur Veda formulas which are not with my teacher." The blessed Sun granted him these formulas, known as the Ayātayāma, which his teacher did not know. From this, O best of the twice-born, the Yajur Veda mantras studied by Brahmins were taught by Vājina, from whom the Sun-horsed tradition arose. There are fifteen branches of the Vājinas, including Kāṇva and others, initiated by Yājñavalkya, and they are well known. Now hear of the succession of the Sāma Veda. Jaimini, the disciple of Vyāsa, divided the tree of the Sāma Veda in succession. Sumantu and Sukarmā, both sons of Jaimini, each studied one Saṃhitā. Sukarmā, the son of Sumantu, created a thousand divisions of the Saṃhitā, which were received by two wise disciples: Hiraṇyanābha of the Kauśalya lineage and Pauṣpiñji. The northern singers of Sāma are remembered as fifteen from them. The Saṃhitās received by noble Brahmins from Hiraṇyanābha are called the eastern singers of Sāma. Lokākṣi, Kuthumi, Kusīdi, Laṅgali, and others, disciples of Pauṣpiñji, multiplied the Saṃhitās greatly. Hiraṇyanābha’s disciple, a wise one, taught twenty-four Saṃhitās to accomplished students, and thus the Sāma Veda became abundant in branches. Let me now speak of the Atharva Veda. Sumantu taught his disciple Kabandha, who firmly transmitted it to Devadarśa and Pathya. Devadarśa’s disciples were Maudaga, Brahmabali, Śaukyāyani, Pippalāda, and another eminent sage. Pathya also had three disciples—Jājāli, Kumuda, and Śaunaka—who divided the Saṃhitās. Śaunaka, having firmly established it, gave one Saṃhitā to Babhrava and another to Saundhavāyana. Saindhava and Mūñjikeśa further divided the established Saṃhitā into three, along with the Nakṣatrakalpa and other Saṃhitās. Among the Atharvaṇa, the fourth is Āṅgirasa and the fifth is Śāntikalpa; these are the foremost arrangers of the Saṃhitās. By narratives, sub-narratives, songs, and ritual instructions, the one skilled in the meanings of the Purāṇas composed the Purāṇa Saṃhitā. The renowned disciple of Vyāsa was Sūta Romaharṣaṇa, to whom Vyāsa gave the Purāṇa Saṃhitā. Six became his disciples: Sumati, Agrivarja, Mitrayu, Shamsapayana, Akritavrana, and Savarni. Kaśyapa composed one Saṃhitā, Savarni and Shashapayana another, and Romaharṣaṇa made a third; these are the root Saṃhitās of the three. Through this fourfold division, O sage, the first Purāṇa among all Purāṇas is called the Brahma Purāṇa. The knowers of the Purāṇas declare that there are eighteen Mahāpurāṇas: Brahma, Padma, Vaishnava, Shaiva, and Bhagavata; Naradiya, Markandeya, Agneya, Bhavishya, Brahmavaivarta, Linga, Varaha, Skanda, Vamana, Kurma, Matsya, Garuda, and Brahmanda. Likewise, sages have spoken of the Upapurāṇas; but these eighteen are the Mahāpurāṇas, O great sage. Thus, the sacred traditions of the Vedas and Purāṇas have been preserved and handed down by the wise, for the benefit of all.