Distribution of the sakhas (branches) of the Vedas
Suta said, “In the present Manvantara, in the first Dvapara-yuga, Vyasa has been treated to be the first Svayambhuva Manu. At the behest of lord Brahma, he divided the Vedas into different branches. In the second Dvapara, Vedavyasa had been the Prajapati.
In the third Dvapara, Sukra became Vyasa and in the fourth on, it was the turn of Brhaspati. In the fifth Dvapara-yuga, Savitr became Vyasa and in the sixth, Mrtyu was known as Vyasa.
In the seventh Dvapara, Indra became Vyasa, and in the eighth Dvapara Vasistha was Vyasa. In the ninth Dvapara, Sarasvata was Vyasa and in the tenth one, Tridhaman became Vyasa.
During the eleventh Dvapara, Rsabha was Vyasa, while Sutejas was Vyasa in the twelfth Dvapara. Dharma was Vyasa in the thirteenth Dvapara and in the fourteenth one, it was the turn of Sucaksus to be Vyasa. In the fifteenth Dvapara, Trayyaruni was Vyasa, and in the sixteenth, Dhananjaya was Vyasa. In the seventeenth Dvapara, Krtanjaya was Vyasa, and in the eighteenth Dvapara, Rtanjaya was Vyasa. Thereafter, Bharadvaja became the nineteenth Vyasa. After him Gautama became Vyasa. Vacas'ravas was the twenty first, after him the great Narayana became Vyasa in the twenty second Dvapara.
Tmabindu became Vyasa in the twenty-third yuga and in the twenty fourth yuga, Valmiki is said to be Vyasa. О Brahmanas, in the twenty fifth Dvapara, there emerged Shakti. Thereafter the son of Parasara became Vyasa in the twenty sixth Dvapara. During the twenty seventh Dvapara, Jatiikarna was declared to be Vyasa. The twenty eighth Vyasa was known as Krisnadvaipayana Vyasa. He displayed all the Vedas and Puranas in a proper form.
Krisnadvaipayana Vyasa, the son of Paras'ara, was a great Yogin. He himself is Hari and is known by the name of Krisnadvaipayana Vyasa. He, by adoring the three-eyed Shiva and due to his grace, divided the Vedas into various branches.
Thereafter, he imparted the knowledge of the Vedas to his four disciples, who were well- versed in the Vedic literature and were known as Jaimini, Sumantu, Vaisampayana, and Paila. The great sage then made me efficient, by teaching the Puranas to me. Paila, the great sage was accepted as a disciple who was trained in the Rgveda.
Vaisampayana became expert in the Yajurveda. Jaimini became expert in the Samaveda. Whereas Sumantu became the best spokesperson of the Atharvaveda. The responsibility of narrating the Itihasas and Puranas was entrusted to me.
Yajurveda was one only initially, which was divided into four parts. There are four sacrificial priests who are to perform the Yajnas thereby.
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О Best of the Brahmanas, it is the work of Adhvaryu to repeat the hymns of the Yajurveda, of the Hotr to recite the mantras of Rgveda The performance of Udgatr was associated with the hymns of the Samaveda and the performance of Brahma was associated with the Atharvaveda hymns.
Thereafter the lord Vyasa, extracting the rcas of Yajna, composed the Rgveda. Then extracting the hymns from the Yajur, Yajurveda itself was composed, while the Samaveda was composed with the Sdman hymns.
Initially, the Rgveda was divided into twentyone branches, while the Yajurveda was divided into a hundred branches. Thereafter, Vyasa who dwelt in the house of Kusa, distributed Samaveda into a thousand branches. Atharvaveda too was also distributed into nine branches. Besides this, Vyasa composed eighteen types of the Puranas. Thus in the ancient times, there had been a single Veda, which was subsequently divided into four parts.
Orhkara emerged from Brahman, it removes all the blemishes. Lord Vasudeva, who is the ancient one, can be known by means of the Vedas.
The glory of the same Supreme Purusa is sung in the Vedas. A person who is aware of the Veda-vidya, he is the master of the Vedas, and knows the supreme tattva. Lord Vasudeva is the supreme Brahman, the form of brilliance, blissful and happens to be the ultimate Reality, as has been brought out by the Vedas. The sages, well-versed in the Vedas, treat him to be the form of the Vedas, who could be known through the Vedas alone. He is the highest region. It is the Veda which should be well understood. Taking refuge in it, a person achieves salvation. Similarly the undecaying, indestructible omkara-tattva too has to be known thoroughly and is the form of the Vedas. The great sage Vyasa, the son of Paras'ara is particularly aware of this imperishable Veda, Orhkara the undecaying Veda, the knowable and the unknowable.
Chapter 53
Incarnations of Shiva
Stita said, “O Suvratas, the incarnations of Veda-vyasa during the Dvapara yuga have already been described, now you listen to the incarnations of Shiva Mahadeva in the age of Kali.
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During the Vaivasvata Manvantara, in the first Kaliyuga, the illustrious lord Shiva, incarnated as Sveta for the welfare of the Brahmanas. He emerged on the beautiful peak of the Himalaya mountain. He had many illustrious disciples and their disciples were also of immeasurable lustre.
Out of them, Sveta, Svetasikha, Svetasya, and Svetalohita were noble-souled Brahmanas, who were weli-versed in the Vedas.
Similarly, lord Shiva incarnated in the first seven Kaliyugas in the form of Sutara, Madana, Suhotra, Kankana, Lokaksi, Yoglndra and Jaigisavya.
Dadhivaha, was the eighth incarnation of Shiva, while Rsabha was his incarnation in the ninth Kaliyuga. Bhrgu appeared in the tenth Kaliyuga, while Ugra appeared in the eleventh Kaliyuga. Рига was the twelfth, while Bali was the thirteenth, Gautama, the fourteenth and Vedadarsin was the fifteenth incarnation of Shiva.
Gokarna, appeared in the sixteenth Kaliyuga, Guhavasa in the seventeenth, Sikhandadhrk, Yajamalin, Attahasa,'Daruka and Langalin were the other incarnations in succeeding Kaliyyugas.
Then there emerged on earth the incarnations of Shiva named, Mahayama, Muni, Sulin, Dindamundlsvara, Sahisnu, Somasarman, and Nakullsvara from the twenty second to twenty eighth Kaliyuga.
During the Vaivasvata Manvantara, lord Shiva, the holder of trident, had twenty-eight incarnations. During the last phase of Kaliyuga, lord incarnates in a holy place called Karyavatara, as Nakullsvara. He will have four great ascetics as his disciples in each of these incarnations. Each one of them shall have many sages as his disciples. They shall be delightful, control all the sense organs, and be devoted to the lord. I shall speak out the names of theses Yogins who were well-versed in Yogic practices.
Their manes are (Sveta, Svetasikha, Svetasya, Svetalohita) Dundubhi, Satariipa, Rclka, Ketuman, Vis'oka, Vikesa, Vis'akha, Sapanas'ana, Sumukha, Durmukha, Durdama, Duratikrama, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana, Dalabhya, MahayogI, Dharmatman, Sudhaman, Virajas, Sankhavani, Aja.
Sarasvata, Mogha, Dhanavaha, Suvahana, Kapila, Asuri, Vodhu, Pancas'ikha, Parasara, Garga, Bhargava, Aiigiras, Balabandhu, Niramitra, Ketusmga, who were all well versed in performing lapas. Besides them, the other disciples were known as Lambodara, Lamba, Vikrosa, Lambaka, Suka, Sarvajna, Samabuddhi, Sadhya and Asadhya, Sudhaman, Kasyapa, Vasistha, Varijas, Atri, Ugra, Sravana, Suvaidyaka, Kuni, Kunibahu, Kusarlra, Kunetra, Kasyapa, Usanas, Cyavana, Brhaspati, Uccasya, Vamadeva, Mahakala, Mahanlla, Vajasravas, Sukes'a, Syavas'va, SupathIshvara, Hiranyanabha, Kausilya, Akaksu, Kuthubhidha, Sumantavarcas, Vidvan, Kabandha, Kus'i- kandhara, Plaksa, Darvayani, Ketuman, Gautama, BhallacI, Madhupinga, Tapodhana, Svetaketu, Usidha, Brhadraksa, Devala, Kavi, Salahotra, Agnivesya, Yuvanasva, Saradvasu, Chagala, Kundakama, Kunta, Pravahaka, Uluka, Vidyuta, Sadraka, Asvalayana, Aksapada, Kumara, Uluka, Vasuvahana, Kunika, Garga, Mitraka and Ruru.
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These are treated to be the noble-souled Yogic disciples in different incarnations. They were spotless, ever engrossed in the Brahman and were quite learned.
They incarnated on earth for the welfare of the Brahmanas, and for the establishment of the Vedas, at the behest of the Yogesvara Shiva.
Such of the Brahmanas who remember them, offer ,'their salutation to them besides the oblations, adoring them at the same time, they surely attain Brahmavidya (the lore of Brahman).
I have exhaustively spoken about Vaivasvata Manvantara. This would be followed by Savama and Daksasavarna.
Thereafter Brahmasavama would be the tenth, Dharmasavarna, the eleventh. The twelfth shall be the Rudrasavama, and Raucya shall be the thirteenth one.
Bhautya shall be the fourteenth Savama. Thus, the future Manvantaras have been enumerated in serial order. I have narrated the first half of the Purana, relating to the stories of the past, present and future, which had been spoken by Narayana himself.
A person will narrate the same, or shall listen to it, or shall recite the same to the best of the Brahmanas, he shall be relieved of all the sins and shall be adored in the Brahmaloka.
Offering his salutation to lord Purushottama, taking a bath in the sacred river, one should recite it in a temple. With devotion he should bow down to Narayana, the Supreme Person. Salutation to lord Visnu, who is the lord of gods, the supreme soul, Paramapurusa and controller of all.
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Thus ends the Purva-bhaga of Kurma-Purana
Kurma-Purana
Uttara-bhaga
Chapter 1
Ishvara-Glta
The Rishis said, “O Lord, you have described the creation of Svayambhuva Manu, appropriately, besides the extent of the Cosmic Egg, and expansion of the Manvantara.
There, you have said that the Lord of lords, the divine person should be adored by the people of all casts who are endowed with righteousness and are always engeged in the path of knowlegde and Yoga. In addition to the above, you have also highlighted, the excellent knowledge which has Brahman is its only object and which removes the all miseries of this world. By all these issues, we can attain that Supreme Brahman.
О Lord, you are Narayana yourself, and you have received the supreme knowledge from Krisna Dvaipayana Vyasa. Therefore we intend to ask you something more.”
Listening to the words of the sages, the Suta, Uttara-bhaga well-versed in Puranas then started narrating the knowledge, which he achieved from Krisna Dvaipayana.
Не said, “О Sages, in the meantime, Krisna Dvaipayana Vyasa, himself reached at the place, where the yajna was being performed. He was well-vefsed in the Vedas and had the lustre of the black clouds with lotus-like eyes. Finding the arrival of the great sage, all the ascetics, offered their salutation to him. Looking at him, Lomaharsana, prostrated before him on the ground and offered his salutation to him, lowering his head, with folded hands and then he sat before him on earth.
Then Sanaka and other Brahmanas enquired from the sage, his welfare, and moving closer to him, they arranged for a proper seat for him.
Thereafter, Vyasa- the son of Parasara, said to them, “Are you facing any difficulty in carrying out your studies and the tapas etc. Thereafter the sage Suta, bowing in reverence to his preceptor, said to him, “You kindly speak out the knowledge of Brahman for the benefit of the sages.
These Rishis are of peaceful temperament and are devoted to dharma. Therefore, you can enlighten us on the tattvas. The divine knowledge which had so kindly been imparted to me by you in earlier times, and which had been imparted by lord Visnu in the form of Kurma, to sages in earlier times, the same may kindly the narrated to us.
Listening to the words of Suta, Vyasa the son of Satyavatl, bowed his head before Rudra Mahadeva, and spoke the pleasing words.
Vyasa said, I shall repeat the same words, which in the earlier times, were spoken by lord Mahadeva, at the request of the great Yogins, like Sanatkumara and others.
The sages like Sanatkumara, Sanaka, Sunandana, Angira, Rudra, Bhrgu, Kumada, Kapila, Garga, Vamadeva, Sukra, Vasistha and all other discipline sages, consulting among themselves, had performed the great penance at Badrikasrama.
Then they saw the great Yogin Narayana, the son of sage Dharma, who was beyond the beginning or the end alongwith Nara.
The Yogins who had been filled with the devotion, offered prayer to him, the best among knowers of Yoga, with various hymns taken from all Vedas, offering their salutation to Narayana.
Becoming aware of the desire of the sages, the omniscient lord spoke in deep voice, “what for are you performing the tapas?
The Yogins with delightful hearts, then spoke to lord Narayana, thus, “All these sages, who speak on Brahman, have arrived here being Samnyasis to take refuge in you. О Lord, since you are the best of all.
You are well aware of the excellent secret knowledge. You are yourself the sage Narayana- the ancient and unmanifest person. Expect you, О Paramesvara, there is none else, who is well-versed in the knowledge. Therefore, you alone are in a position to remove our doubts.
Who is the cause of this entire world? Who always moves in this world? Who are you? What is salvation? What is the motive behind the world? Who is the lord of the universe?
Who is the one who visualise all? What is the Brahman beyond him? You kindly get us the answers for all?”
Thus speaking, the sages started staring at lord Narayana, who had established himself in his true form and was looking spotless and was furnished with a helo of brilliant lustre. His chest bore the mark of Srivatsa, the splendour of which resembled the molten gold.
He held the conch, wheel, club and the bow as his attributes. He was accompanied by Lakshmi and the lustre emerging out of his body made Nara, invisible.
In the meantime, Mahes'vara, with his head adorned with the crescent moon, also emerged on the scene.
Looking at Parames'vara-Shiva, the lord of the universe, having three eyes, with crescent moon over the head, the sages with delightful hearts praised him.
They said, “O Ishvara, О Mahadeva, victory to you, О Shiva- the lord of the creatures, victory to you. Victory to Isana; victory to you being adorable by tapas.
О Lord with thousand forms, О Universal soul, О operator of the machine of the univers, victory to you. О Infinite one, you create, preserve and destroy the universe, victory to you.
О Lord with a thousand feet, О Is'ana, О Sambhu, adorable by the great Yogins, victory to you. Victory to the lord of Ambika, salutation to you, О Lord Paramesvara.”
After having been thus adored, lord Ishvara, who is graceful on his devotees, embraced lord Hrslkes'a, spoke in a deep voice, “O lotus-eyed one, what for have these ascetics the spokespersons on Brahman, have arrived here? О Acyuta, what for do you need me?”
On hearing these words, the delightful lord Janardana spoke to lord Mahadeva.
“O Lord, the ascetics and the sages have been freed from the sins. You happen to be the refuge for Yogins desirous for your perfect vision and adore you.
In case, you are pleased with these Rishis then you kindly bestow your divine knowledge on them in my presence. О Shiva, only you are well aware about yourself and there is none else who knows you better.”
Thus speaking, lord, Janardana, looked at the bull-bannered lord Shiva, displaying his excellence in the yogic practices and spoke to the sages.
“All of you, yourself feel graceful by having an audience with the trident bearer Shiva, the great god.
You can now have a chance to look at Shiva - the lord of gods, yourself, who is now present before you.”
Hearing the words of lord Visnu, Sanatkumara and other sages, offered their salutation to him and asked him.
At the same time a spotless, divine and auspicious asana (seat) which was beyond imagination, descended there for the use of lord Shiva through the sky.
The divine seat was occupied by lord Visnu and Shiva both. At that point of time, the resplendence of lord Mahesvara, pervaded the entire universe.
Thereafter, the Rishis - the spokespersons on Brahman, getting seated over the spotless seat, looked at lord Shiva, the god of gods.
They found Shiva, the lord of the living beings. There was everything there, because the universe is not separate from him.
The Rishis found both Shiva and Vasudeva, seated together. Then at the request of the sages, lord Shiva said about excellent Yoga of Atman after glancing at lotus-eyed lord.
О sinless sages, you should listen with peaceful mind, the spotless knowledge of Ishvara, which I proclaim to all of you.
Ghapter 2
Ishvara Gita
Ishvara said, “This is my secret knowledge which is eternal and is not to be exposed practically. This knowledge is infact beyond the reach of the gods and the humans even after their making enormous efforts to achieve the same.”
О Brahmana, by taking refuge under this knowledge, excellent Brahmanas, the exponent of Brahman, after achieving the position of Brahman, never have to return to the earth.
This knowledge is the most secret of all the secrets, which should be protected making all the efforts. I am going to explain the same before the exponents of Brahman like you.
The soul is spotless, pure, subtle and eternal. It pervades everywhere. This is the form of Cit and is beyond darkness and pervades in the internal parts of the universe. It is conceived to be Purusa, Prana, Mahesvara, Kala, the invisible as well as the Vedas, as per the claim of the srutis.
The world emerges out of the same and then is absolved into the same. The illusory one, having been entangled with his own illusion assumes several bodies or forms.
Ishvara has neither any intercourse with the world, nor does he conforms to the form of the world. He is neither the earth, nor water, nor lustre, nor wind and nor the sky. He is neither prana, nor invisible, nor the sound, nor the touch. He is neither the form, the rasa or the fragrance. He is the performer and is beyond description.
О Best of the Brahmanas, the hands, the feet, and other elements are of no consequence. He is neither the creator, the consumer, Prakrti nor the Purusa. As a matter of fact, Caitanya (consciousness) or the Atman is neither Maya nor the Panca-prana (Vital Breath). As the relation between the light and the darkness cannot be created, similarly, from the form of Paramdrtha, Prapahca (confusion) and Purusa are separate. Similarly the soul, getting polluted, becomes blemished.
It cannot be redeemed in hundreds of years. The liberated sages visualize that their Atman is intrinsically free of aberrations.
The soul is unblemished without struggle, blissful and eternal. “I am the creator, I am comfortable or suffering, well-built or lean and thin,” the feelings of this type are implanted on the Atman by the people. The people well- versed in the Vedas, visualise that the soul is the witness, beyond the range of Prakrti.
Therefore the world is the cause of ignorance for all the living beings. When the supreme, self-luminous, omnipresent Purusa, knowingly or unknowingly, is united with the Prakrti, then because of the ignorance caused by the arrogance one starts believing himself to be the creator. But the excellent sages, well realise the form of the invisible soul.
The spokespersons on Brahman, believe Pradhana-Purusa as the cause of the universe, only with him the spotless soul has an intercourse. But the essence of the undecaying Brahman remains unknown to them. They infact visualise non-soul in the soul, which cause the sufferings and misery.
The defects like the malice and attachments, are caused by confusion. Their actions are grave blemishes, which cause the merits as well as the sins.
Because of the bodies having been controlled by him (the supreme soul) all of them emerge from the same. The secret soul, which is eternal, all pervading, is unblemished and alone, concealed within, with the strength of his Maya, he gets established, and not by nature. Therefore the Rishis, term it as non-duality in Paramartha.
The difference arises from the nature of the invisible one, while the Maya is established in the soul. As the sky does not become dirty due to contact with the smoke, similarly, the feelings emerging from the inner sense-organ or mind cannot vitiate the soul.
As the crystal stone gets resplendent with its own lustre without any conditioning cause, similarly, the spotless soul, without attributes, is self illumining. The learned people, take this world to be the form of knowledge alone.
Others, having an evil eye, find it materialistic alone. Ordinarily, the soul or spirit is by nature steady, devoid of Gunas, omnipresent and of the nature of consciousness.
Since the crystal stone in conjunction with the rattikd (Abrus precatorius) looks red,- similarly, the supreme Purusa, sometimes appears materialistic (in the form of the objects or Gunas). Therefore the soul is undecaying, pure, eternal, all pervading and beyond destruction.
The researchers should meditate upon the soul, adore it and listen about the same, when the mind is surrounded by consciousness from all the sides, then the faithfull Yogin achieves the divine knowledge automatically.
When the performer, visualises all the bhutas enshrined in his own body, then he achieves Brahmatva. When a Yogin, getting established in a samadhi, becomes ignorant about the bhutas around him, and is mentally united with the supreme soul, then he achieves the position of absolute.
When his heart is freed from all the desires, then he achieves immortality and attains welfare (moksa).
When a person visualises the separation of all the bhutas, in one, then he achieves the all pervading Brahman.
But when he visualises the soul as the subtle truth, then for him the entire world looks illusory and he gets redeemed.
With the knowledge of Brahman, which is the sole remedy for the birth, old age, sufferings and the ailments, he is turned into Shiva.
As small rivulets and rivers are united in the ocean, (making their individual entity to disappear), similarly, the soul, after uniting with the spotless, undecaying Brahman, becomes universal.
Therefore perfect knowledge alone exists. Neither the universe nor its existence is real. Perfect knowledge is enveloped by ignorance in this world, thereby the world gets deluded.
Brahman is spotless, subtle, without substitute and everlasting. Beyond him is all ignorance or darkness. Because of this he has been termed as Vijnana1.
I have thus narrated to you the best of the Sarhkhya philosophy, which is the essence of all Vedanta. To concentrate oneself on the same is called Yoga.
Yoga gives rise to jndna (knowledge) and one gets devoted to Yoga by jncina. There is nothing beyond the reach of a person who possesses the knowledge of yogic practices as well as thejпапа.
That what is achieved by the Yogins, the same is followed by those learned in the Samkhya philosophy. There remains nothing unaccomplishable to one endowed with both Yoga and Knowledge.
O Brahmanas, the Yogins, who are attracted towards the enjoyments, and the people with evil wisdom also follow the same path.
A person, who is well-versed in the jnmmYoga, achieves the divine, spotless, fortunes (prosperity and glory).
I happen to be the invisible soul, which has been called in the Vedas as the illusory one, Parames'vara, universal soul, having faces allround, the universal form, the essence of all, the fragrance of all, eternal, whose hands and feet are spread everywhere. I am the eternal soul who lives in the minds of all.
I move swiftly, even without hands and feet. I dwell in the hearts of all. I can see everything, even without the eyes and also listen to everything even without the ears.
Everyone is known to me but no one knows me. Those well-versed in the tattvas call me one and grand Purusa.
The best of fortunes of the Nirguna form and the pure soul, can be visualised by the Rishis, with deep and subtle sight.
Even the gods who are under the influence of my illusion are unable to known about the same, which I am going to speak out. You should listen to the same attentively.
1. Perfect Knowledge.
I am not praiseworthy for all and by nature, I am away from Maya. But still I influence the same. The cause for the same is well known to the learned people.
Because of this, the Yogins, well-versed in the taitvas (Reality), entering my secret personality, achieves the Sayujya-moksa1.
Those who overcome my universal-form Maya, they achieve spotless redemption along with me.
Thereafter, they cannot be reborn in hundreds and crores of Kalpas. О Yogis, this all happens with my grace. This is the discipline of the Vedas.
Therefore spokespersons on Brahman should bestow the perfect knowledge of Samkhya-Yoga to their sons, disciples and other Yogins.
Chapter 3
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