Chapter 6 - The branches of the Sāma and Atharva Vedas; The purāṇas

Parāśara:

Now hear of Vyāsa’s student Jaimini, Maitreya, who duly arranged the branches of the tree-like Sāma Veda. 1

Jaimini’s son was Sumantu and his son was Sukarman. These two wise men each mastered one compilation. 2

Sumantu’s son Sukarman created the Sāhasra Saṃhitā, a compilation with a thousand verses. This was taken up by his two disciples, both adherents of great vows: 3

Hiraṇyanābha Kausalya and Pauṣpiñji, best of brahmins. The latter had fifteen disciples known as the northern singers of the Sāma Veda. 4

The brilliant brahmins who received the fifteen compilations from Hiraṇyanābha are known by the wise as the eastern singers of that tradition. 5

Lokākṣi, Kuthumi, Kuṣīdin and Lāṅgali were Pauṣpiñji’s disciples. Their followers and their followers’ disciples further raised the number of compilations. 6

Hiraṇyanābha’s wise disciple, Kṛti by name, taught twenty-four compilations to his disciples. 7

They, too, split the Sāma Veda into many branches. I’ll now describe the compilations of the Atharva Veda. Sumantu was a brilliant sage. 8

He taught the Atharva Veda to his disciple Kabandha, who divided it in two and gave these to Devadarśa and Pathya. 9

Devadarśa’s disciples included Maudga, Brahmabali, Śaulkāyani and Pippalāda, best of sages. 10

Pathya had three disciples who also made compilations, brahmin: Jājali, Kumudādi, with Śaunaka as the third, brahmin. 11

Śaunaka split his part in two and gave half to Babhru, and the second he gave to his follower named Saindhava. 12

Mañjakeśa further divided the Veda he received from Saindhava into two. Sections dealing with astrology, rules governing the sacrifice, mantras, 13

With incantations as the fourth and spells for dispelling evil as the fifth—these are the major divisions of the Atharva Veda. 14

The purāṇas

Vyāsa, skilled in the import of the purāṇas, compiled these texts from myths and legends, verses and historical accounts. 15

The great sage then conferred this purāṇic compilation on his famous disciple, Romaharṣaṇa the bard. 16

Romaharṣaṇa had six disciples: Sumati, Agnivarcas, Mitrāyu, Śāṃśapāyana, Akṛtavraṇa and Sāvarṇi. 17

Akṛtavraṇa, scion of Kaśyapa, Sāvarṇi and Śāṃśapāyana were the creators of three root compilations, and Romaharṣaṇa’s was the fourth. 18

This, the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, is based on these four compilations, sage. 19

The first of all the purāṇas is said to be the Brahma, but eighteen are enumerated by experts in the field: 20

The Brahma, Padma, Viṣṇu, Śiva and the Bhāgavata. The Nārada is another, with the Mārkaṇḍeya as the seventh, 21

The Agni is eighth, Bhaviṣya the ninth, the tenth is the Brahmavaivarta and the Liṅga is eleventh. 22

The Varāha is the twelfth and the Skanda is thirteenth. The fourteenth is the Vāmana, and the Kūrma is the fifteenth. These are followed by the Matsya, Garuḍa and Brahmāṇḍa purāṇas. 23

The first creation of the world, the subsequent re-creations, the genealogies of the patriarchs, the Manvantaras and accounts of royal dynasties are found in all these texts. 24

The purāṇa that I’m teaching you, Maitreya, is known as the Viṣṇu and is listed after Padma. 25

Lord Viṣṇu is mentioned at every stage, including the creation, re-creation, genealogies, Manvantaras and the rest without exception, best of brahmins. 26

The four Vedas, the six Vedāṅgas, Mīmāṃsā, Nyāya, the purāṇas and Dharma Śāstras make up the fourteen branches of knowledge. 27

The Āyur, Dhanur and Gāndharva Vedas, with the Artha Śāstra as the fourth, make eighteen in all.^[1] 28

You should know that sages are of three descriptions: first are brahmin sages, then come divine sages and after them are royal seers. 29

Thus, I’ve described the branches of the Vedas and their subbranches, the creators of each and the reason they’re divided. 30

The same division into branches is carried out in every Manvantara. 31

As the primal Veda is eternal, these branches are merely differences in appearance, brahmin. 32

I’ve told you all you asked about the Vedas. What else shall I tell you now, Maitreya? 33

So ends Chapter Six in Book Three of the glorious Viṣṇu Purāṇa.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

The Vedāṅgas are supplements to the Vedas that cover phonetics, metre, grammar, vocabulary, astrology and recitation. Mīmāṃsā and Nyāya deal with critical investigation of the Vedas and with logic. The Dharma Śāstras are legal texts, while the last four treat health, archery, performative arts and governance, respectively.