हिरणयनाभात् तावत्यः संहिता यैर्द्रिजोत्तमैः । गृहीतास्तेऽपि चोच्यन्ते पण्डितैः प्राच्यसामगाः
O best of the twice-born, the Saṃhitās received by those noble Brahmins from Hiraṇyanābha are also called the eastern singers of Sāma by the learned.
लोकाक्षिः कुथमिश्चैव कुसीदिर्लाङ्गलिस्तथा । पौष्पिञ्जिशिष्यास्तद्भदैः संहिता बहूलीकृताः
Lokākṣi, Kuthumi, Kusīdi, and Laṅgali—these disciples of Pauṣpiñji, together with others, multiplied the Saṃhitās greatly.
हिरण्यनाभशिष्यश्च चतुर्विशंतिसंहिताः । प्रोवाच कृतिनामासौ शिष्येभ्यः स महामतिः
Hiraṇyanābha’s disciple, that wise one, taught twenty-four Saṃhitās to his students, who were men of accomplishment.
तैश्वापि सामवेदोऽसौ शाखाभिकर्बहुलीकृतः । अथर्वणामथो वक्ष्ये संहितानां समुज्वयम्
By them also, the Sāma Veda became abundant in branches; now I shall speak of the collection of the Atharva Veda.
शिष्यमध्यापयामास कबन्धं सोऽपि तं द्रिधा । कृता तु देवदर्शाय तथा पथ्याय दत्तवान्
He taught his disciple Kabandha, who firmly transmitted it; and it was given to Devadarśa and likewise to Pathya.
अथर्ववेदं स मुनिः सुमन्तुरमितद्युतिः । देवदर्शस्य शिष्यास्तु मौदगो ब्रह्मबलिस्तथा । शौक्यायनिः पिप्पलादस्तथान्यो मुनिसत्तमः
That sage Sumantu, radiant in wisdom, taught the Atharva Veda; Devadarśa’s disciples were Maudaga, Brahmabali, Śaukyāyani, Pippalāda, and another eminent sage.
पथ्यस्यापि त्रयः शिष्याः कूता यैर्द्रिज! संहिताः । तजाजालिः कुमुदादिश्व तृतीयः शौनको द्रिज
O Brahmin, Pathya also had three disciples by whom the Saṃhitās were divided: Jājāli, Kumuda, and the third was Śaunaka.
शौनकस्तु द्रिधा कृत्वा ददावेकन्तु बभ्रवे । द्रितीयां संहिता प्रादात् सौन्धवायनसंज्ञिने
Śaunaka, having firmly established it, gave one Saṃhitā to Babhrava, and the second Saṃhitā to one named Saundhavāyana.
सैन्धवा मूञ्जिकेशाश्व द्रिधा भिन्नास्त्रिधा पुनः । नक्षत्रकल्पो वेदानां संहितानां तथैव च
The Saindhava and Mūñjikeśa further divided the established Saṃhitā into three; likewise, the Nakṣatrakalpa and other Saṃhitās of the Vedas.
चतुर्थः स्यादाङ्गिरसः शान्तिकल्पश्व पञ्चमः श्रेष्ठास्त्वथर्वणामेते संहितानां विकल्पकाः
The fourth is Āṅgirasa, and the fifth is Śāntikalpa; these are the foremost among the Atharvaṇa, the arrangers of the Saṃhitās.
आख्यानेश्चाप्युपाख्यानैर्गाथाभिः कल्पसिद्धिभिः । पुराणसंहितां चक्र पुराणार्थविशारदः
By narratives, sub-narratives, songs, and ritual instructions, the one skilled in the meanings of the Purāṇas composed the Purāṇa Saṃhitā.
प्रख्यातो व्यासशिष्योऽभूत् सूतो वै रोमहर्षणः । पुराणसंहितां तस्मै ददौ व्यासो महामुनिः
The renowned disciple of Vyāsa was Sūta Romaharṣaṇa; to him, the great sage Vyāsa gave the Purāṇa Saṃhitā.
सुमतिश्चाग्रिवर्जाश्च मित्रायुः शांशपायनः । अकृतव्रणः सावर्णिः षट् शिष्यास्तस्य चाभवन्
Sumati, Agrivarja, Mitrayu, Shamsapayana, Akritavrana, and Savarni—these six became his disciples.
काश्यपः संहिताकर्ता सावर्णिः शाशपायनः । रोमहर्षणिका चान्या तिसृणां मूलसंहिताः
Kashyapa composed the Samhita; Savarni and Shashapayana as well. Romaharshana made another; these are the root Samhitas of the three.
चतुष्टयेनाप्येतेन संहितानामिदं मुने । आद्यं सर्वपुराणानां पुराणं ब्राह्ममुच्यते
By means of this fourfold division, O sage, the first Purana among all Puranas is called the Brahma Purana.
अष्टादश पुराणानि पुराणज्ञाः प्रचक्षते । ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवञ्च शैवं भागवतं तथा
The knowers of the Puranas declare that there are eighteen Puranas: Brahma, Padma, Vaishnava, Shaiva, and Bhagavata as well.
अथान्यन्नारदीयञ्च मार्कण्डेयञ्च सप्तमम् । आग्नेयमष्टमञ्चैव भविष्यं नवमं तथा
Next is Naradiya, then Markandeya as the seventh; Agneya as the eighth, and Bhavishya as the ninth.
दशमं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं लैङ्गमेकादशं स्मृतम् । वाराहं द्वादशञ्चैव स्कान्दञ्चात्र त्रयोदशम्
The tenth is Brahmavaivarta, the eleventh is known as Linga; Varaha is the twelfth, and Skanda is counted as the thirteenth.
चतुर्दशं वामनञ्च कौर्मं पञ्चदशं स्मृतम् । मात्स्यञ्च गारुड़ञ्चैव ब्रह्माण्डञ्च ततः परम
The fourteenth is Vamana, Kurma is remembered as the fifteenth; Matsya, Garuda, and then Brahmanda are the highest.
तथा चोपपुराणानि मुनिभिः कथितानि च । महापुराणान्येतानि ह्मष्टादश महामुने
Likewise, the sages have spoken of the Upapuranas; these eighteen are the Mahapuranas, O great sage.
सर्गश्च प्रतिसर्गश्च वंशो मन्वन्तराणि च । सर्वेष्वेतेषु कथ्यन्ते वंशामनुचरितञ्च यत्
Creation, dissolution, genealogies, and the cycles of Manus—all these are described in each, along with the deeds of the dynasties.
यदेतत् तव मैत्रेय! पुराणां कथ्यते मया। एतदू वैष्णवसंज्ञ वै पाह्मस्य समनन्तरम्
Whatever, O Maitreya, I have narrated to you about the Puranas, this is called the Vaishnava, following the Padma.
सर्गे च प्रतिसर्गे च वंशमन्वन्तरादिषु । कथ्यते भगवान् विष्णुरशेषेष्वेव सत्तम
In creation, dissolution, genealogies, and cycles of Manus, the blessed Vishnu is described in all, O noble one.
अह्गानि चतुरो वेदा मीमांसा न्यायविस्तरः । पुराणां धर्मशास्त्रञ्च विद्या ह्म ताश्चतुर्दश
The four Vedas, their limbs, Mimamsa, the expanse of Nyaya, the Puranas, and the Dharma Shastras—these fourteen are the sciences.
आयुर्वेदो धनुर्वेदो गान्धर्वश्चैव ते त्रयः । अर्थशास्त्र चतुर्थन्तु विद्या ह्मष्टादशैव ताः
Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, and Gandharva—these three; Artha Shastra is the fourth, making eighteen sciences in total.
ज्ञेया ब्रह्मर्षयः पूर्व तेभ्यो देवर्षयः पुनः । राजर्षयः पुनस्तेभ्य ऋषिप्रकृतयस्त्रयः
The Brahmarshis are to be known as the first; from them came the Devarshis, then the Rajarshis, and from them three types of Rishi lineages.
इति शाखाः प्रसंख्याताः शाखाभदास्तथैव च । कर्तारश्चैव शाखानां बेदहेतुस्तथोदितः
Thus the branches have been enumerated, along with their sub-branches; the creators of the branches and the causes of their divisions have also been stated.
सर्वमन्वन्तरेष्वेव शाखाभेदाः समाः समृताः । प्राजापत्या श्रुतिनित्या तद्रिकल्पास्त्विमे द्रिज
In every Manvantara, the divisions of branches are considered equal; the Prājāpatya tradition and the eternal Vedas—these are the threefold arrangements, O twice-born.
एतत् तवोदितं सर्वं यत् पृष्टोऽहमिह त्वया । मैत्रेय! वेदसम्बद्ध किमन्यत् तथामि ते
All this has been told to you as you asked me here, O Maitreya; what else related to the Vedas would you like to hear?
यथावत् कथित सर्वं यत् पृष्टोऽसि मया द्रिज । श्रोतुम्च्छाम्यहं त्वेकं तदू भवान् प्रब्रवीतु मे
Everything you asked has been explained as it is, O twice-born; I wish to hear one thing from you—please tell it to me.