विष्णुपुराणम् — तृतीयांशे तृतीयोऽध्यायः

मैत्रेय उवाच ।

ज्ञातमेतन्मया त्वत्तो यथा सर्वमिदं जगत् ।
विष्णुर्विष्णो विष्णुतश्च न परं विद्यते ततः ॥

Summary AI Maitreya acknowledges that he has learned from Parāśara that this entire world is Lord Viṣṇu, exists within Viṣṇu, and originates from Him; there is nothing superior to Him.

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एतत्तु श्रोतुमिच्छामि व्यस्ता वेदा महात्मना ।
वेदव्यासस्वरूपेण यथा तेन युगेयुगे ॥

Summary AI Maitreya expresses his desire to hear how the Vedas were divided by the great soul in the form of Vedavyāsa during various ages.

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यस्मिन्यस्मिन्युगे व्यासो यो य आसीन्महामुने ।
तन्तमाचक्ष्व भगवञ्छाशाभेदांश्च मे वद ॥

Summary AI Maitreya requests the holy sage to identify the Vyāsa of each age and explain the different branches of the Vedas.

श्रीपराशर उवाच ।

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वेदद्रुमस्य मैत्रेय शाखाभेदाःसहस्रशः ।
न शक्तो विस्तराद्वक्तुं सेक्षेपेण शृणुष्व तम् ॥

Summary AI Parāśara explains that since the branches of the Vedic tree are thousands in number, he cannot describe them in detail and will instead provide a brief summary.

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द्वापरेद्वापरे विष्णुर्व्यासरूपी महामुने ।
वेदमेकं सुबहुधा कुरुते जगतो हितः ॥

Summary AI In every Dvāpara age, Lord Viṣṇu, acting for the welfare of the world, assumes the form of Vyāsa and divides the single Veda into many parts.

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वीर्यं तेजो बलं चाल्पं मनुष्याणामवेक्ष्य च ।
हिताय सर्वभूतानां वेदभेदान्करोति सः ॥

Summary AI Observing the diminished vigor, brilliance, and strength of human beings, the Lord divides the Vedas for the benefit of all living creatures.

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ययासौ कुरुते तन्वा वेदमेकं पृथक्प्रभुः ।
वेदव्यासाभिधाना तु सा च मूर्तिर्मध्रुद्विषः ॥

Summary AI The specific form assumed by the Lord (the slayer of Madhu) to divide the single Veda into parts is known by the name Vedavyāsa.

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यस्मिन्मन्वंरते व्यासा येये स्युस्तान्निबोध मे ।
यथा च भेदः शाखानां व्यासेन क्रियते मुने ॥

Summary AI Parāśara invites Maitreya to learn about the various Vyāsas who appear in this Manvantara and how the division of Vedic branches is performed by them.

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अष्टविंशतिकृत्वो वै वेदो व्यस्तो सहर्षिभिः ।
वैवस्वतेन्तरे तस्मिन्द्वापरेषु पुनः पुनः ॥

Summary AI During the various Dvāpara ages of the current Vaivasvata Manvantara, the Veda has been divided twenty-eight times by great sages.

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वेदव्यासा व्यतीता ये ह्यष्टर्विशति सत्तम ।
चतुर्धा यैः कृतो वेदो द्वापरेषु पुनः पुनः ॥

Summary AI O virtuous one, there have been twenty-eight Vedavyāsas who have passed, each of whom divided the Veda into four parts during successive Dvāpara ages.

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द्वापरे प्रथमे व्यस्तःस्वयं वेदः स्वयंभुवा ।
द्वितीये द्वापरे चैव वेदव्यासः प्रजापति ॥

Summary AI In the first Dvāpara age, Svayambhū (Brahmā) himself divided the Veda; in the second age, Prajāpati served as the Vedavyāsa.

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तृतीये चोशना व्यासश्चतुर्थे च बृहस्पतिः ।
सविता पञ्चमे व्यासः षष्ठे मृत्युः स्मृतः प्रभुः ॥

Summary AI In the third age, Uśanas was Vyāsa; in the fourth, Bṛhaspati; in the fifth, Savitṛ; and in the sixth, the powerful Mṛtyu is remembered as Vyāsa.

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सप्तमे च तथैवेन्द्रो वसिष्ठश्चाष्टमे स्मृतः ।
सारस्वतश्च नवमे त्रिधामा दशमे स्मृतः ॥

Summary AI Indra held the position in the seventh age, followed by Vasiṣṭha in the eighth, Sārasvata in the ninth, and Tridhāman in the tenth.

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एकादशे तु त्रिशिखो भरद्वाजस्ततः परः ।
त्रयोदशे चान्तरिक्षो वर्णी चापि चतुर्दशे ॥

Summary AI Triśikha was the eleventh Vyāsa, followed by Bharadvāja in the twelfth, Antarikṣa in the thirteenth, and Varṇin in the fourteenth.

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त्रय्यारुणः पञ्चदशे षोडशे तु धनञ्जयः ।
क्रतुञ्जयः सप्तदशे तदूर्ध्वं च जयःस्मृतः ॥

Summary AI Trayyāruṇa was the fifteenth, Dhanañjaya the sixteenth, Kratuñjaya the seventeenth, and Jaya is remembered as the eighteenth.

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ततो व्यासो भरद्वाजो भरद्वाजाच्च गौतमः ।
गौतमादुत्तरो व्यासो हर्यात्मा योभिधीयते ॥

Summary AI The nineteenth was Bharadvāja, succeeded by Gautama as the twentieth, and then Haryātman served as the next Vyāsa.

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अथ हर्यात्मनोन्ते च स्मृतो वाजश्रवामुनिः ।
सोमशुष्कायणस्तस्मात्तृणबिन्दुरिति स्मृतः ॥

Summary AI After Haryātman, the sage Vājaśravas is remembered, followed by Somaśuṣkāyaṇa and then Tṛṇabindu.

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ऋक्षोभूद्भार्गवस्तस्माद्वाल्मीकिर्योभिधीयते ।
तस्मादस्मत्पिता शक्तिर्व्यासस्तस्मादहं मुने ॥

Summary AI Next was the descendant of Bhṛgu named Ṛkṣa, also called Vālmīki; following him was Śakti, and then Parāśara himself acted as Vyāsa.

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जातुकर्णोभवन्मत्तः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्ततः ।
अष्टविंशतिरित्येते वेदव्यासाः पुरातनाः ॥

Summary AI After Parāśara came Jātūkarṇa, and then Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana. These are the twenty-eight ancient Vedavyāsas.

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एको वेदश्चतुर्धा तु ।
तैः कृतो द्वापरादिषु ॥

Summary AI By these designated sages, the single original Veda was divided into four distinct parts during the various Dvāpara ages.

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भविष्ये द्वापरे चापि द्रौणिर्व्यासो भविष्यति ।
व्यतीते मम पुत्रेस्मिन्कृष्णद्वैपायने मुने ॥

Summary AI O Sage! When my son Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana has passed away, in the future Dvāpara age, the son of Droṇa (Drauṇi) will also become the Vyāsa.

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ध्रुवमेकाक्षरं ब्रह्म ओमित्येव व्यवस्थितम् ।
बृहत्वाद्बृंहणत्वाच्च तद्ब्रह्योत्यभिधीयते ॥

Summary AI The eternal monosyllable Brahman is established as Om. It is called Brahman because of its vastness and its power to cause expansion.

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प्रणवावस्थितं नित्यं भूर्भुवःस्वरितीर्यते ।
ऋग्यजुःसामाथर्वाणो यत्तस्मै ब्रह्मणे नमः ॥

Summary AI Salutations to that Brahman who resides eternally in the Praṇava, is expressed as Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, and Svaḥ, and is the essence of the Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva Vedas.

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जगतः प्रलयोत्पत्त्योर्यत्तत्कारणसंज्ञितम् ।
महतः परमं गुह्यं तस्मै सुब्रह्मणे नमः ॥

Summary AI Salutations to that auspicious Brahman, who is designated as the cause of the world's dissolution and creation, and who is the supreme secret, even greater than the great.

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अगाधापारमक्षय्यं जगत्संमोहनालयम् ।
स्वप्रकाशप्रवृत्तिभ्यां पुरुषार्थप्रयोजनम् ॥

Summary AI Brahman is unfathomable, boundless, and imperishable, the abode of the world's delusion, yet through its own light and activity, it serves as the ultimate purpose of human existence.

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संख्यज्ञानवतां निष्ठा गतिः शमदमात्मनाम् ।
यत्तदव्यक्तममृतं प्रवृत्तिर्ब्रह्म शाश्वतम् ॥

Summary AI Brahman is the ultimate goal for those with the knowledge of Sāṃkhya and the final refuge for those who have mastered self-control and tranquility. It is unmanifest, immortal, active, and eternal.

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प्रधानमात्मयोनिश्च गुहासंस्थं च शब्द्यते ।
अविभागं तथा शुक्रमक्षयं बहुधात्मकम् ॥

Summary AI It is described as the primary source, self-born, and residing in the secret cave of the heart. It is indivisible, pure, imperishable, and manifests in many forms.

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परमब्रह्मणे तस्मै नित्यमेव नमोनमः ।
यद्रूपं वासुदेवस्य परमात्मस्वरूपिणः ॥

Summary AI Constant salutations to that Supreme Brahman, which is the very form of Vāsudeva, the manifestation of the Supreme Self.

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एतद्ब्रह्म त्रिधा भेदमभेदमपि स प्रभुः ।
सर्वभेदेष्वभेदोसौभिद्यते भिन्नबुद्धिभिः ॥

Summary AI That Lord is this Brahman, which is threefold yet non-dual. Although he remains undivided amidst all distinctions, he is perceived as divided by those with fragmented intellects.

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स ऋङ्मयःसाममयः सर्वात्मा स यजुर्मयः ।
ऋग्यजुःसामसारात्मा स एवात्मा शरीरिणाम् ॥

Summary AI He consists of the Ṛg, Sāma, and Yajur Vedas, being the soul of all. He, the essence of the three Vedas, is indeed the soul of all embodied beings.

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स भिद्यते वेदमयःस्ववेदं
करोति भेदैर्बहुभिः सशाखम् ।
शाखाप्रणेता स समस्तशाखा-
ज्ञानस्वरूपो भगवानसंगः ॥

Summary AI Composed of the Vedas, he divides himself, arranging his own Veda into many branches. He is the author of these branches, the personification of all branch-knowledge, the unattached Supreme Lord.

इति क्षिविष्णुमहापुराणे तृतीयांशे तृतीयो ऽध्यायः ।

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