{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/vp/vp078.htm","path":"hin/vp/vp078.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp078.htm","text":"The Vishnu Purana, translated by Horace Hayman Wilson, [1840]\nDivision of the Veda, in the last Dw\u00e1para age, by the Vy\u00e1sa Krish\u0144a Dwaip\u00e1yana. Paila made reader of the Rich; Vai\u015bamp\u00e1yana of the Yajush; Jaimini of the Shun; and Sumantu of the Atharvan. S\u00fata appointed to teach the historical poems. Origin of the four parts of the Veda. Sanhit\u00e1s of the Rig-veda.\nPAR\u00c1\u015aARA.--The original Veda, in four parts, consisted of one hundred thousand stanzas; and from it sacrifice of ten kinds 1, the accomplisher of all desires, proceeded. In the twenty-eighth Dw\u00e1para age my son Vy\u00e1sa separated the four portions of the Veda into four Vedas. In the same manner as the Vedas were arranged by him, as Vedavy\u00e1sa, so were they divided in former periods by all the preceding Vy\u00e1sas, and by myself: and the branches into which they were subdivided by him were the same into which they had been distributed in every aggregate of the four ages. Know, Maitreya, the Vy\u00e1sa called Krish\u0144a Dwaip\u00e1yana to be the deity N\u00e1r\u00e1ya\u0144a; for who else on this earth could have composed the Mah\u00e1bh\u00e1rata 2? Into what portions the Vedas were arranged by my magnanimous son, in the Dw\u00e1para age, you shall hear.\nWhen Vy\u00e1sa was enjoined by Brahm\u00e1 to arrange the Vedas in different books, he took four persons, well read in those works, as his disciples. He appointed Paila reader of the Rich 3; Vai\u015bamp\u00e1yana of\nthe Yajush; and Jaimini of the Soma-veda: and Sumantu, who was conversant with the Atharva-veda, was also the disciple of the learned Vy\u00e1sa. He also took S\u00fata, who was named Lomaharsha\u0144a, as his pupil in historical and legendary traditions 4.\nThere was but one Yajur-veda; but dividing this into four parts, Vy\u00e1sa instituted the sacrificial rite that is administered by four kinds of priests: in which it was the duty of the Adhwaryu to recite the prayers (Yajush) (or direct the ceremony); of the Hotri, to repeat the hymns (Richas); of the Udg\u00e1tri, to chaunt other hymns (S\u00e1ma); and of the Brahman, to pronounce the formul\u00e6 called Atharva. Then the Muni, having collected together the hymns called Richas, compiled the Rigveda; with the prayers and directions termed Yajushas he formed the Yajur-veda; with those called S\u00e1ma, S\u00e1ma-veda; and with the Atharvas he composed the rules of all the ceremonies suited to kings, and the function of the Brahman agreeably to practice 5.\nThis vast original tree of the Vedas, having been divided by him into four principal stems, soon branched out into an extensive forest. In the first place, Paila divided the Rig-veda, and gave the two Sanhit\u00e1s (or collections of hymns) to Indrapramati and to B\u00e1shkali. B\u00e1shkali 6 subdivided his Sanhit\u00e1 into four, which he gave to his disciples Baudhya, Agnim\u00e1t\u0301hara, Yajnawalka, and Par\u00e1\u015bara; and they taught these secondary shoots from the primitive branch. Indrapramati imparted his Sanhit\u00e1 to his son Ma\u0144d\u0301ukeya, and it thence descended through successive generations, as well as disciples 7. Vedamitra, called also \u015a\u00e1kalya, studied the same Sanhit\u00e1, but he divided it into five Sanhit\u00e1s, which he distributed amongst as many disciples, named severally Mudgala, Goswalu, V\u00e1tsya, \u015a\u00e1l\u00edya, and \u015ai\u015bira 8. S\u00e1kap\u00far\u0144i made a different division of the original Sanhit\u00e1 into three portions, and added a glossary (Nirukta), constituting a fourth 9. The three Sanhit\u00e1s were given to his three pupils, Krauncha,\n[paragraph continues] Vait\u00e1laki, and Val\u00e1ka; and a fourth, (thence named) Niruktakrit, had the glossary 10. In this way branch sprang from branch. Another B\u00e1shkali 11 composed three other Sanhit\u00e1s, which he taught to his disciples K\u00e1l\u00e1yani, G\u00e1rgya, and Kath\u00e1java 12. These are they by whom the principal divisions of the Rich have been promulgated 13.\n275:1 According to the Grihya portion of the S\u00e1ma-veda, there are five great sacrificial ceremonies; 1. Agnihotra, burnt-offerings, or libations of clarified butter on sacred fire; 2. Der\u015bapaur\u0144am\u00e1sa, sacrifices at new and full moon; 3. Ch\u00e1turmasya, sacrifices every four months; 4. Pa\u015bu-yajna or A\u015bwamedha, sacrifice of a horse or animal; and 5. Soma-yajna, offerings and libations of the juice of the acid asclepias. These, again, are either Pr\u00e1krita, 'simple,' or Vaikrita, 'modified;' and being thus doubled, constitute ten.\n275:2 The composition of the Mah\u00e1bh\u00e1rata is always ascribed to the Vy\u00e1sa named Krish\u0144a Dwaip\u00e1yana, the cotemporary of the events there described. The allusion in the text establishes the priority of the poem to the Vish\u0144u Pur\u00e1\u0144a.\n275:3 Or rather, 'he took Paila as teacher.' The expression is, Rigveda \u015br\u00e1vakam Pailam jagr\u00e1ha. \u015ar\u00e1vaka means properly 'he who causes to hear,' 'a lecturer,' 'a preacher;' although, as in the case of its applicability to the laity of the Buddhists and Jainas, it p. 276 denotes a disciple. The commentator however observes, that the text is sometimes read 'one who had gone through the Rig-veda.' So in the preceding verse it is said, 'he took four persons, well read in the Vedas, as his disciples,' and again it is said, 'Sumantu, conversant with the Atharva-veda, was his disciple.' It is clear, therefore, that the Vedas were known, as distinct works, before Krish\u0144a Dwaip\u00e1yana; and it is difficult to understand how he earned his title of arranger, or Vy\u00e1sa: at any rate, in undertaking to give order to the prayers and hymns of which the Vedas consist, Paila and the others were rather his coadjutors than disciples; and it seems probable that the tradition records the first establishment of a school, of which the Vy\u00e1sa was the head, and the other persons named were the teachers.\n276:4 The Itih\u00e1sa and Pur\u00e1\u0144as; understanding by the former, legendary and traditional narratives. It is usually supposed that by the Itih\u00e1sa the Mah\u00e1bh\u00e1rata is especially meant; but although this poem is ascribed to Krish\u0144a Dwaip\u00e1yana, the recitation of it is not attributed to his pupil, Roma or Loma-harsha\u0144a: it was first narrated by Vai\u015bamp\u00e1yana, and after him by Sauti, the son of Lomaharsha\u0144a.\n276:5 From this account, which is repeated in the V\u00e1yu P., it appears that the original Veda was the Yajush, or in other words was a miscellaneous body of precepts, formul\u00e6, prayers, and hymns, for sacrificial ceremonies; Yajush being derived by the grammarians from Yaj, 'to worship.' The derivation of the V\u00e1yu Pur\u00e1\u0144a, however, is from Yuj, 'to join,' 'to employ;' the formul\u00e6 being those especially applied to sacrificial rites, or set apart for that purpose from the general collection: p. 277 ### again, ### The commentator on the text however, citing the former of these passages from the V\u00e1yu, reads it, confining the derivation to Yaj, 'to worship.' The concluding passage, relating to the Atharvan, refers, in regard to regal ceremonies, to those of expiation, \u015a\u00e1nti, &c. The function of the Brahman is not explained; but from the preceding specification of the four orders of priests who repeat at sacrifices portions of the several Vedas, it relates to the office of the one that is termed specifically the Brahman: so the V\u00e1yu has 'He constituted the function of the Brahman at sacrifices with the Atharva-veda.'\n277:6 Both in our text and in that of the V\u00e1yu this name occurs both B\u00e1shkala and B\u00e1shkali. Mr. Colebrooke writes it B\u00e1hkala and B\u00e1hkali. As. Res. VIII. 374.\n277:7 The V\u00e1yu supplies the detail. Ma\u0144d\u0301ukeya, or, as one copy writes, M\u00e1rka\u0144d\u0301eya, taught the Sanhit\u00e1 to his son Satya\u015bravas; he to his son Satyahita; and he to his son Satya\u015br\u00ed. The latter had three pupils, \u015a\u00e1kalya, also called Devamitra (sic in MS.), Rath\u00e1ntara, and another B\u00e1shkali, called also Bharadw\u00e1ja. The V\u00e1yu has a legend of \u015a\u00e1kalya's death, in consequence of his being defeated by Y\u00e1jnavalkya in a disputation at a sacrifice celebrated by Janaka.\n277:8 These names in the V\u00e1yu are Mudgala, Golaka, Kh\u00e1liya, M\u00e1tsya, \u015aai\u015bireya.\n277:9 The commentator, who is here followed by Mr. Colebrooke, states that he was a pupil of Indrapramati; but from the V\u00e1yu it appears that \u015a\u00e1kap\u00far\u0144i was another name of Rath\u00e1ntara, the pupil of Satya\u015br\u00ed, the author of three Sanhit\u00e1s and a Nirukta, or glossary; whence Mr. Colebrooke supposes him the same with Y\u00e1ska. As. Res. VIII. 375. It is highly probable that the text of the V\u00e1yu may be made to correct that of the Vish\u0144u in this place, which is inaccurate, notwithstanding the copies agree: they read, ###. p. 278 Here \u015a\u00e1kap\u00far\u0144ir-atha-itaram is the necessary construction; but quere if it should not be \u015a\u00e1kap\u00far\u0144i Rath\u00e1ntara. The parallel passage in the V\u00e1yu is, ###. Now in describing the pupils of Satya\u015br\u00ed, Rath\u00e1ntara was named clearly enough: ###. In another passage it would seem to be implied that this B\u00e1shkali was the author of the Sanhit\u00e1s, and Rath\u00e1ntara of the Nirukta only: ###. However this may be, his being the author of the Nirukta identifies him with \u015a\u00e1kap\u00far\u0144i, and makes it likely that the two names should come in juxta-position in our text, as well as in the V\u00e1yu. It must be admitted, however, that there are some rather inexplicable repetitions in the part of the V\u00e1yu where this account occurs, although two copies agree in the reading. That a portion of the Vedas goes by the name of Rathantara we have seen (p. 42); but as far as is yet known, the name is confined to different prayers or hymns of the Uhya G\u00e1na of the S\u00e1ma-veda. The text of the Vish\u0144u also admits of a different explanation regarding the work of \u015a\u00e1kap\u00far\u0144i, and instead of a threefold division of the original, the passage may mean that he composed a third Sanhit\u00e1. So Mr. Colebrooke says \"the Vish\u0144u P. omits the \u015a\u00e1kh\u00e1s of A\u015bwal\u00e1yana and S\u00e1nkhy\u00e1yana, and intimates that \u015a\u00e1kap\u00far\u0144i gave the third varied edition from that of Indrapramati.\" The V\u00e1yu, however, is clear in ascribing three Sanhit\u00e1s or \u015a\u00e1kh\u00e1s to \u015a\u00e1kap\u00far\u0144i.\n278:10 In the V\u00e1yu the four pupils of S\u00e1kap\u00far\u0144i are called Kenava, D\u00e1laki, \u015aataval\u00e1ka, and Naigama.\n278:11 This B\u00e1shkali may either be, according to the commentator, the pupil of Paila, who, in addition to the four Sanhit\u00e1s previously noticed, compiled three others; or he may be another B\u00e1shkali, a fellow-pupil of \u015a\u00e1kap\u00farni. The V\u00e1yu makes him a disciple of Satya\u015br\u00ed, the fellow-pupil of \u015a\u00e1kalya and Rath\u00e1ntara, and adds the name or title Bh\u00e1radw\u00e1ja.\n278:12 In the V\u00e1yu they are called Nand\u00e1yan\u00edya, Pannag\u00e1ri, and \u00c1rjjava.\n278:13 Both the Vish\u0144u and V\u00e1yu Pur\u00e1\u0144as omit two other principal divisions of the Rich, those of A\u015bwal\u00e1yana and S\u00e1nkhy\u00e1yana or the Kau\u015b\u00edtak\u00ed. As. Res. VIII. 375. There is no specification of the aggregate number of Sanhit\u00e1s of the Rich in our text, or in the V\u00e1yu; but they describe eighteen, including the Nirukta; or as Mr. Colebrooke states, sixteen (As. Res. VIII. 374); that is, omitting the two portions of the original, as divided by Paila. The K\u00farma Pur\u00e1\u0144a states the number at twenty-one; but treatises on the study of the Vedas reduce the \u015a\u00e1kh\u00e1s of the Rich to five.","title":"The Vishnu Purana: Book III: Chapter IV","type":"page"}