{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/db/bk01ch03.htm","path":"hin/db/bk01ch03.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk01ch03.htm","text":"THE FIRST BOOK\nChapter III\nOn praising the Pur\u00e2nas and on each Vy\u00e2sa of every Dv\u00e2para Yuga\n1-11. S\u00fbta said :-- \u201cO best of the Munis! I am now telling you the names of the Pur\u00e2nas, etc., exactly as 1 have heard from Veda Vy\u00e2sa, the son of Satyavati; listen.\nThe Pur\u00e2na beginning with \"ma\" are two in number; those beginning with \u201cbha\u201d are two; those beginning with \u201cbra\" are three; those beginning with \"va\u201d are four; those beginning respectively with \u201cA\u201d, \u201cna\u201d, \u201cpa\u201d, \u201cLing\u201d, \u201cga\u201d, \u201ck\u00fb\u201d and \u201cSka\u201d are one each and \u201cma\u201d means Matsya Pur\u00e2na, M\u00e2rkandeya Pur\u00e2na; \u201cBha\u201d signifies Bhavisya, Bh\u00e2gavat Pur\u00e2nas; \u201cBra\u201d signifies Brahm\u00e2, Brahm\u00e2nda and Brahm\u00e2vaivarta Pur\u00e2nas; \u201cva\u201d signifies V\u00e2man, Vayu, Visnu and Varaha Pur\u00e2nas; \u201cA\u201d signifies Agni Pur\u00e2na; \u201cNa\u201d signifies Narada Pur\u00e2na; \u201cPa\u201d signifies Padma Pur\u00e2na; \u201cLing\u201d signifies Linga Pur\u00e2nam; \u201cGa\u201d signifies Govinda Pur\u00e2nam; K\u00fb signifies Kurma Pur\u00e2na and \u201cSka\u201d signifies Skanda Pur\u00e2nam. These are the eighteen Pur\u00e2nas. O Saunaka! In the Matsya Pur\u00e2na there are fourteen thousand slokas; in the wonderfully varied Markandeya Pur\u00e2nam there are nine thousand slokas. In the Bhavisya Pur\u00e2na fourteen thousand and five hundred slokas are counted by the Munis, the seers of truth. In the holy Bh\u00e2gavata there are eighteen thousand S\u2019lokas; in the Brahm\u00e2 Pur\u00e2na there are Ajuta (ten thousand) S\u2019lokas. In the Brahm\u00e2nda Pur\u00e2na there are twelve thousand one hundred S\u2019lokas; in the Brahm\u00e2 Vaivarta Pur\u00e2nam there are eighteen thousand S\u2019lokas. In the Vaman Pur\u00e2na there are Ajuta (ten thousand) S\u2019lokas; in the Vayu Pur\u00e2nam there are twenty-four thousand and six hundred S\u2019lokas; in the greatly wonderful Visnu Pur\u00e2na there are twenty-three thousand S\u2019lokas; in the Agni Pur\u00e2nam there are sixteen thousand S\u2019lokas; in the Brihat Narada Pur\u00e2nam, there are twenty-five thousand S\u2019lokas, in the big Padma Pur\u00e2na there are fifty-five thousand s'lokas; in the voluminous Linga Pur\u00e2na eleven thousand s\u2019lokas exist; in the Garuda Pur\u00e2nam spoken by Hari nineteen thousand s'lokas exist; iu the Kurma Pur\u00e2na, seventeen thousand s'lokas exist and in the greatly wonderful Skanda Pur\u00e2na there are eighty-one thousand s'lokas, O sinless Risis! Thus I have described\nto you the names of all the Pur\u00e2nas and the number of verses contained in them. Now hear about the Upa Pur\u00e2nas.\n12-17. The first is the Upapur\u00e2na narrated by Sanat Kum\u00e2ra; next comes Narasimha Pur\u00e2na; then Naradiya Pur\u00e2na, S\u2019iva Pur\u00e2na, Pur\u00e2na narrated by Durvasa, Kapila Pur\u00e2na, Manava Pur\u00e2na, Aus\u2019anasa Pur\u00e2na, Varuna Pur\u00e2na. Kalika Pur\u00e2na, Samva Pur\u00e2na, Nandi Kes\u2019wara Pur\u00e2na, Saura Pur\u00e2na, Pur\u00e2na spoken by Par\u00e2s\u2019ara, \u00c2ditya Pur\u00e2na, Mahesvara Pur\u00e2na, Bh\u00e2gavata and Vasistha Pur\u00e2na. These Upa Pur\u00e2nas are described by the Mahatmas.\nAfter compiling the eighteen Pur\u00e2nas, Veda Vy\u00e2sa, the son of Satyavati composed Mahabharata, that has no rival, out of these Pur\u00e2nas.\n18-24. At every Manvantara, in each Dv\u00e2para Yuga, Veda Vy\u00e2sa expounds the Pur\u00e2nas duly to preserve the religion. Veda Vy\u00e2sa is no other person than Visnu Himself; He, in the form of Veda Vy\u00e2sa, divides the (one) Veda into four parts, in every Dv\u00e2para Yuga, for the good of the world. The Brahm\u00e2nas of the Kali age are shortlived and their intellect (Buddhi) is not sharp; they cannot realise the meaning after studying the Vedas; knowing this in every Dv\u00e2para Yuga Bhagav\u00e2n expounds the holy Pur\u00e2na Samhitas. The more so because women, S\u2019udras, and the lower Dvijas are not entitled to hear the Vedas; for their good, the Pur\u00e2nas have been composed. Tne present auspicious Manvantara is Vaivasvata; it is the seventh in due order; and the son of Satyavati, the best of the knowers of Dharma, is the Veda Vy\u00e2sa of the 28th Dv\u00e2para Yuga of this seventh Manvantara. He is my Guru; in the next Dv\u00e2para, Yuga Asvatthama, the son of Drona will be the Veda Vy\u00e2sa. Twenty-seven Veda Vy\u00e2sas had expired and they duly compiled each their own Pur\u00e2na Samhitas in their own Dv\u00e2para Yugas.\n25-35. The Risis said :-- \u201cO highly fortunate S\u00fbta! kindly describe to us the names of the previous Veda Vy\u00e2sas, the reciters of the Pur\u00e2nas in the Dv\u00e2para Yugas.\nS\u00fbta said :-- In the first Dv\u00e2para, Brahm\u00e2 Himself divided the Vedas; in the second Dv\u00e2para, the first Prajapati Vy\u00e2sa did the same; so S\u2019akra, in the third, Brihaspati, in the fourth, Surya in the fifth; Yama, in the sixth, Indra, in the seventh, Vasistha, in the eighth; Sarasvata Risi in the ninth, Tridhama, in the tenth; Trivrisa, in the eleventh, Bharadv\u00e2ja, in the twelfth; Antariksa, in the thirteenth; Dharma, in the fourteenth; Evaruni in the fifteenth; Dhananjaya, in the sixteenth; Medhatithi in tba seventeenth; Vrati, in the eighteenth; Atri, in the nineteenth; Gautama in the twentieth, Uttama, whose soul was fixed on Hari, in the twenty-first, V\u00e2jasrav\u00e2 Vena, in the twenty second; his family descendant Soma\niu the twenty-third; Trinavindu, in the twenty-fourth; Bh\u00e2rgava, in the twenty-fifth; Sakti, in the twenty-sixth, J\u00e2t\u00fbkarnya in the twenty-seventh and Krisna Dvaip\u00e2yana became the twenty-eighth Veda Vy\u00e2s in the Dv\u00e2para Yugas. Thus I have spoken of the 28 Veda Vy\u00e2sas, as I heard. 1 have heard the holy S\u2019rimad Bh\u00e2gavat from the month of Krisna Dvaipayana. This removes all troubles, yields all desires, and gives Moksa and is full of the meanings of the Vedas. This treatise contains the essence of all the S\u2019astras and is dear always to the Mamuksas (those who want Moksa or liberation).\n36-43. O best Munis! Thus, compiling the Pur\u00e2nas Veda Vy\u00e2sa thought this Pur\u00e2na to be the best; so (without teaching it to other persons) he settled that his own son the high-sould S\u2019uka Deva born of the dry woods used for kindling fire (excited by attrition), having no passion for the worldly things, would be the fit student to be taught this Pur\u00e2na and therefore taught him; at that time I was a fellow student along with S\u2019aka Deva and I heard every thing from the mouth of Vy\u00e2sa Deva and realised th\u00ab secret meanings thereof. This has happened through the grace of the merciful Guru Veda Vy\u00e2sa.\nHere ends the Third Chapter of S\u2019rimad Devi Bh\u00e2gavatam on praising the Pur\u00e2nas and on each Vy\u00e2sa of every Dv\u00e2para Yuga.","title":"The Devi Bhagavatam: The First Book: Chapter 3","type":"page"}