चाक्षुषाश्च पवित्राश्च कनिष्ठा भ्राजिकास्तथा । वाचवृद्धश्च वै देवाःसप्तर्षीनपि मे शृणु ॥ ३,२.
The Cākṣuṣas, the Pavitras, the Kaniṣṭhas, the Bhrājikas, and Vācavṛddha—these are the gods; now hear from me the seven sages.
अग्निबाहुः शुचिः शुक्रो मागधोग्नीध्र एव च । युक्तस्तथा जितश्चान्यो मनुपुत्रानतः शृणु ॥ ३,२.
Agnibāhu, Śuci, Śukra, Māgadha, Ognīdhra, Yukta, and Jita—these are others; now hear of the sons of Manu.
ऊरुगंभीरबुद्ध्याद्या मनोस्तस्य सुता नृपाः । कथिता मुनिशार्दुल पालयिष्यन्ति ये महीम् ॥ ३,२.
Ūruga, Gambhīra, Buddhi, and others—these are the sons of that Manu, O best of sages, who will rule the earth as has been described.
चतुर्युगान्ते वेदानां जायते किल विप्लवः । प्रवर्तयन्ति तानेत्य भुवं सप्तर्षयो दिवः ॥ ३,२.
At the end of the four ages, there is said to be a confusion of the Vedas; then, the seven sages descend from heaven to earth and set them in motion again.
कृतेकृते स्मृतेर्विप्र प्रणेता जायते मनुः । देवा यज्ञभुजस्ते तु यावन्मन्वन्तरं तु तत् ॥ ३,२.
At the beginning of each cycle, O sage, Manu is born as the promulgator of sacred law; the gods who partake of sacrifice remain as long as that Manvantara lasts.
भवन्ति ये मनोः पुत्रा यावन्मन्वंरतं तु तैः । तदन्वयोद्भवैश्चैव तावद्भूः परीपाल्यते ॥ ३,२.
As long as the sons of Manu and their descendants endure, so long is the earth protected by them throughout the Manvantara.
मनुःसप्तर्षयो देवा भूपालाश्च मनोः सुताः । मन्वन्तरे भवन्त्येते शक्रश्चैवाधिकारिमः ॥ ३,२.
Manu, the seven sages, the gods, the kings—who are the sons of Manu—all these exist in a Manvantara, and Indra is the chief among them.
चतुर्दशभिरेतैस्तु गतैर्मन्वन्तरैर्द्विज । सहस्रयुगपर्यतः कल्पो निःशेष उच्यते ॥ ३,२.
With the passing of these fourteen Manvantaras, O twice-born, a complete Kalpa, equal to a thousand ages, is said to be completed.
तावत्प्रमाणा च निशा ततो भवति सत्तम । ब्रह्मरूपधरः शेते शेषाहावंबुसंप्लवे ॥ ३,२.
Of that same measure is the night, O best of men; then, assuming the form of Brahmā, he sleeps, called Śeṣa, in the flood of waters.
त्रैलोक्यमखिलं ग्रस्त्वा भगवानादिकृद्विभुः । स्वमायासंस्थितो विप्र सर्वभूतो जनार्दनः ॥ ३,२.
Having swallowed the entire three worlds, the blessed, all-creating Lord, abiding in his own Māyā, Janārdana, the source of all beings, remains.
ततः प्रबुद्धो भगवान् यथा पूर्वं तथा पुनः । सृष्टिं करोत्यव्ययात्मा कल्पेकल्पे रजोगुणः ॥ ३,२.
Then, when the Blessed Lord awakens, just as before, so again, the imperishable one, endowed with the quality of passion, creates the world in each Kalpa.
मनवो भूभुजःसेंद्रा देवाःसप्तर्षयस्तथा । सात्त्विकोंशः स्थितिकरो जगतो द्विजसत्तम ॥ ३,२.
The Manus, the rulers of the earth, the Indras, the gods, the seven sages—these, O best of twice-born, are the sattvic portions that maintain the world.
चदुर्युगोप्यसौ विष्णुः स्थितिव्यापारलक्षमः । युगव्यवस्थां कुरुते तथा मैत्रेय तच्छृणु ॥ ३,२.
That very Viṣṇu, whose activity is the preservation of the world, establishes the order of the four ages; listen to that, O Maitreya.
कृते युगे परं ज्ञानं कपिलादिस्वरूपधृक् । ददाति सर्वभूतात्मा सर्वभूतहिते रतः ॥ ३,२.
In the Kṛta age, assuming the form of Kapila and others, the soul of all beings, devoted to the welfare of all, bestows supreme knowledge.
चक्रवर्तिस्वरूपेण त्रेतायामपि स प्रभूः । दुष्टानां निग्रह कुर्वन्परिपाति जगत्त्रयम् ॥ ३,२.
Even in the Treta age, he, the Lord, protects the three worlds in the form of a universal emperor, subduing the wicked.
वेदमेकं चतुर्भेदं कृत्वा शाखाशतैर्विभुः । करोति बहुलं भूयो वेदव्यासस्वरूपधृक् ॥ ३,२.
The mighty one, assuming the form of Vyasa, divides the single Veda into four, and further multiplies it into hundreds of branches.
वेदांस्तु द्वापरे व्यस्य कलेरन्ते पुनर्हरिः । कल्किस्वरूपी दुर्वृत्तन्मार्गे स्थापयति प्रभुः ॥ ३,२.
In Dvapara, having distributed the Vedas, at the end of Kali, Hari, in the form of Kalki, establishes the path for those of bad conduct.
एवमेतज्जगत्सर्वं शश्वत्पाति करोति च । हन्ति चान्तेष्वनन्तात्मा नास्त्यस्मव्द्यतिरेकि यत् ॥ ३,२.
Thus, the infinite Self eternally protects, creates, and destroys all this world; nothing surpasses him.
भूतं भव्यं भविष्यं च सर्वभूतान्महात्मनः । तदत्रान्यत्र वा विप्र सद्भावः कथितस्तव ॥ ३,२.
O sage, the existence of all beings—past, present, and future—of the great soul has been described to you here and elsewhere.
मन्वन्तराण्यशेषाणि कथितानि मया तवा । मन्वन्तराधिपांश्चैव किमन्यत्कथयामि ते ॥ ३,२.
I have told you of all the Manvantaras and their rulers; what else shall I relate to you?
मैत्रेय उवाच। ज्ञातमेतन्मया त्वत्तो यथा सर्वमिदं जगत् । विष्णुर्विष्णौ विष्णुतश्च न परं विद्यते ततः
Maitreya said: I have learned from you how all this world is Vishnu, in Vishnu, and from Vishnu; nothing exists beyond him.
एतत्तु श्रोतुमिच्छामि व्यस्ता वेदा महात्मना । वेदव्यासस्वरूपेण यथा तेन युगेयुगे
I wish to hear how the great soul, in the form of Vyasa, divides the Vedas in every age.
यस्मिन्यस्मिन्युगे व्यासो यो य आसीन्महामुने । तंतमाचक्ष्व भगवञ्छाखाभेदांश्च मे वद
In each age, who was Vyasa, O great sage? Tell me about each, and also about the divisions of the branches.
श्रीपराशर उवाच । वेदद्रु मस्य मैत्रेय शाखाभेदास्सहस्रशः । न शक्तो विस्तराद्वक्तुं संक्षेपेण शृणुष्व तम्
Śrī Parāśara said: O Maitreya, the divisions of the Veda and its branches are countless; I am unable to describe them in detail, so listen to them in brief.
द्वापरेद्वापरे विष्णुर्व्यासरूपी महामुने । वेदमेकं सुबहुधा कुरुते जगतो हितः
In every Dvapara, O great sage, Vishnu, in the form of Vyasa, divides the single Veda into many for the welfare of the world.
वीर्यं तेजो बलं चाल्पं मनुष्याणामवेक्ष्य च । हिताय सर्वभूतानां वेदभेदान्करोति सः
Observing the diminished strength, energy, and power of humans, he divides the Vedas for the benefit of all beings.
ययासौ कुरुते तन्वा वेदमेकं पृथक्प्रभुः । वेदव्यासाभिधाना तु सा च मूर्तिर्मधुद्विषः
By whatever body he divides the single Veda separately, that form of the enemy of Madhu is called Vedavyasa.
यस्मिन्मन्वंतरे व्यासा येये स्युस्तान्निबोध मे । यथा च भेदश्शाखानां व्यासेन क्रियते मुने
In whichever Manvantara the Vyasas are, learn from me who they are, and how the divisions of the branches are made by Vyasa, O sage.
अष्टविंशतिकृत्वो वै वेदो व्यस्तो सहर्षिभिः । वैवस्वतेंतरे तस्मिन्द्वापरेषु पुनःपुनः
The Veda has been divided twenty-eight times by sages in the Dvapara ages of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, again and again.
वेदव्यासा व्यतीता ये ह्यष्टाविंशति सत्तम । चतुर्धा यैः कृतो वेदो द्वापरेषु पुनःपुनः
O noble one, the twenty-eight past Vedavyasas, by whom the Veda was divided into four in each Dvapara, are as follows.