Yājnawalka said:—Salutation unto the sun who is the gate of final emancipation, the spring of bright radiance, the three-fold source of splendour as the Rig, the Yajur and the Sama-Vedas. Salutation unto him, who is the Agnishome [242] sacrifice, the cause of the universe and who is charged with radiant heat and the Sushumna ray. Salutation unto him, who is identical with the idea of time and all its divisions of hours, minutes and seconds, who is the visible form of Vishnu, as the impersonation of the mystic Om. Salutation unto him, who is gratification, who nourishes the moon with his rays and feeds the manes and the gods with nectar and ambrosia; salutation unto the sun, who in the form of three seasons distributes and absorbs the water in the time of the rains, of cold and heat. Salutation unto Vaivaswata, who, alone as the lord of the world, dispels darkness and who is clothed with the quality of goodness. Salutation unto him, until whose rising people cannot perform religious ceremonies, water does not purify and who is the source of all religious rites. Salutation onto him who is the centre and source of purification. Glory to Savitri, to Surya, to Bhaskara, Vaivaswata, to Aditya, to the first-born of the celestials and demons. Salutation unto him who is the eye of the universe borne in a golden car whose banners scatter ambrosia.
| [241] | That is performing the expiatory rites for their master. |
| [242] | Therein another reading Agnisoma Bhutaya which professor Wilson has adopted i.e., who as fire and the moon. |
Parāçara said:—Being thus eulogised by Yājnawalka the sun assumed the form of a horse and said—"Ask of me what you desire". Having bowed unto him Yājnawalka said—"Confer upon me a knowledge of those texts of Yajush which even my preceptor does not know".
Being thus addressed, the sun gave to him the texts of Yajush called Ayatayama which Vaisampayana even did not know. Because these texts were imparted by the sun in the form of a horse, the Brahmins who study this portion are called Vajis (horses). Fifteen branches of this school originated from Kanwa and other pupils of Yājnawalka.
SECTION VI.
Parāçara said:—Hear O Maitreya, how Jaimini, the pupil of Vyāsa, divided the branches of Sama-Veda. The son of Jarmini was Sumanta whose son was Sukarman. They both studied the same Sanhita under Jaimini. The latter composed Sahasra Sanhita which he gave to his two pupils named Hiranyanabha, otherwise named Kausalya and Paushyinji. Fifteen pupils of the latter composed as many Sanhitas and they were called the northern chanters of Sāman. Hiranyanabha had as many disciples who were called the eastern chanters of Sāman. Lokakshmi, Kuthami, Kushidi and Langali were the pupils of Paushyinji; and by them and their disciples many other branches were made. There was another learned disciple of Hiranyanābha by name Kriti who gave twenty-four Sanhitas to as many pupils; who again divided Sama-Veda into various branches.
I will now give you an account of the various branches of Atharva-Veda. The highly illustrious ascetic Sumanta taught this Veda to his pupil Kabandha who divided it into two and gave them to Devadersa and Pathya. The disciples of Devadersa were Mandga, Brahmabali, Saulkāyani and Pippalāda. Pathya had three disciples, Jājali, Kumudādi and Saunaka to whom were severally given three Sanhitās. Saunaka divided his Sanhitā into two and gave them to his disciples Babhru and Saindhavāyan and from them originated two schools the Saindhavas and Munjakesas. The Sanhitās of the Atharva-Veda are divided into five Kalpas or ceremonials; namely Nakshatra Kalpa or rules for worshipping the planets; the Vaitāna Kalpa or rules for oblations; the Sanhitā Kalpa or rules for sacrifices; the Angirasa Kalpa or incantations and prayers for the destruction of enemies; the Sānti Kalpa—or prayers for averting evil.
The glorious Veda-Vyāsa, conversant with the knowledge of Purānas, composed a Paurānik Sanhitā consisting of historical and legendary traditions, prayers and hymns and sacred chronology. He had a distinguished pupil Suta, who was otherwise named Romaharshana, to whom he gave the Purānas. Suta had six disciples, Sumati, Agnivarchas, Mitrayu, Sānsapāyana, Akritavrana, who is otherwise called Kāsyapa and Sāverni. The last three composed three principal Sanhitas and Romaharsana himself compiled a fourth, which is named (after him) Romaharshanika. The substance of these four Sanhitas is embodied in this Vishnu-Purāna.
Brāhma is the first of all the Purānas. Those who are conversant with the knowledge of Purānas enumerate them as eighteen—Brāhma, Padma, Vaishnava, Saiva, Bhāgvata, Nāradya, Mārkandeya, Ageney, Bhavishyat, Brahmā Vaivartta, Lainga, Varāha, Skanda, Vāmana, Kaurmma, Matsya, Gārura, Brahmānda, The creation of the universe and its successive generations, the genealogies of patriarchs and kings, the Manwantaras, and the royal dynasties are described in the Purānas. The Purāna, which I have described to you, O Maitreya, is Vaishnava and is next to Padma. And in every part, in the creation of universe and the successive generations, in the description of the genealogies of the patriarchs it has declared the glory of the great Vishnu. There are fourteen principal kinds of knowledge—namely, the four Vedas, the six Angas, [243] the Mimānsa (theology,) Nyāya (logic,) Dharma (the institutes of law) and the Purānas. And they are enumerated as eighteen with the addition of these four—Aur-Veda, medical science taught by Dhunwantari; Dhanur-veda, the science of archery, taught by Bhrigu; Ghāndharba-Veda, the art of music, dancing &c. of which the Muni Bharata was the author; and the Artha Sastram or the science of Government, taught by Vrihaspati.