Canto 12 - Chapter 6: (Pariksit attains the supreme goal and Janamejaya commences a snake-sacrifice;) Classification of the Vedas into so many Śākhās or schools ...

Discourse VI

(Parikṣit attains the supreme goal and Janamejaya commences a snake-sacrifice;) Classification of the Vedas into so many Śākhās or schools

Sūta began again : Having heard this discourse of the sage Śūka (the son of Vyāsa), who beheld the universe within himself and looked upon all with an equal eye, the said Parikṣit, who had been granted his life by the Lord, approached the soles of the sage's feet and with bent head and joined palms spoke thus. (1)

The king (Parikṣit) submitted : I stand accomplished of purpose and have been favoured by your gracious self in that I have been directly told of Śrī Hari, who has no beginning or end, as well as of the means of attaining Him. (2)
I do not consider it surprising that the grace of exalted souls, who have given their mind to Śrī Hari (the immortal Lord), descends on the ignorant creatures tormented by agonies. (3)
We have heard from you the compilation in the form of this Purāṇa, in which the most illustrious Lord has been described as a matter of fact. (4)
Lord ! I am afraid neither of Takṣaka nor of other agencies of death, since I have (now) entered the fearless and all-blissful state of oneness with Brahma (the Absolute) as shown by you. (5)
(Now) give me permission, O Brāhmaṇa sage! I shall control (all my senses including) speech and, having established my mind, which is free from (all) cravings, in (the thought of) Lord Viṣṇu (who is above sense-perception), give up the ghost. (6)
My ignorance (nescience) including its seed has been eradicated by firmness in Jñāna (the knowledge of truth) and Vijñāna (its Realization) since the supreme state of the Lord, which rids (one) of all fear, has been revealed (to me) by you. (7)

Sūta resumed: Thus addressed and worshipped by the king, the divine Śrī Śuka (son of Vedavyāsa) took leave of him and departed alongwith (other) ascetics. (8)
Uniting his mind by force of reason with the Self, the royal sage Parikṣit for his part contemplated on the Supreme Spirit, remaining breathless like (the trunk of) a tree. (9)
With (all) his doubts resolved, (nay,) identified with Brahma (the Absolute) and free from attachment, the great Yogi sat down on the bank of the (holy) Gaṅgā facing the north on blades of Kuśa grass, the ends of which pointed to the east. (10)

Directed by the infuriated son of a Brāhmaṇa and going to (see) the king with the intention of biting him to death, O Brāhmaṇas! Takṣaka met on the way (a Brāhmaṇa named) Kaśyapa. (11)
Having gratified Kaśyapa, who knew how to counteract the effect of poison, with gifts of money and sent him back, the serpent, who was capable of assuming any form at will, and came disguised as a Brāhmaṇa (approached and) bit the king. (12)
By the action of fire produced by the poison of the snake the body of the royal sage, who had become one with Brahma, was instantly reduced to ashes, while all men looked on. (13)
There arose a terrible outcry on earth as well as in the heavens and in all the quarters; while gods and demons as well as men and all others were really struck with wonder. (14)
Celestial kettle-drums sounded (of their own accord), Gandharvas and Apsarās (celestial musicians and dancing girls) sang praises; while gods sent down showers of flowers, raising shouts of applause. (15)

Enraged to hear of his father having been consumed by Takṣaka, Janamejaya with the help of Brāhmaṇa priests started in the course of a sacrifice offering snakes in the prescribed manner into the sacrificial fire. (16)
Agitated with fear to see great serpents burning in blazing fire at the snake-sacrifice, Takṣaka sought (the presence of) Indra for protection. (17)
Not seeing Takṣaka there, King Janamejaya (son of Parikṣit) inquired of the Brāhmaṇas as to why Takṣaka, the vilest of all snakes, was not being burnt. (18)
(They replied,) "Indra, O ruler of kings, protects him as the latter has sought him for protection. The snake has been held back by Indra, hence he does not fall into the fire." (19)
Hearing this, Janamejaya (son of Parikṣit), highly intelligent as he was, said to the priests, "Why should Takṣaka not be invoked by you, O Brāhmaṇas, alongwith Indra to fall into the sacrificial fire?" (20)
Hearing this the Brāhmaṇas invoked (the presence of) Takṣaka alongwith Indra in the sacrifice thus: "Takṣaka! soon fall down here with Indra, who has the (forty-nine) Maruts (wind-gods) for his followers." (21)
Indra alongwith his aerial car, Takṣaka and all, was made to move from his abode by the maledictions uttered by the Brāhmaṇas and felt greatly agitated in mind. (22)
Bṛhaspati, the son of Aṅgirā, expostulated (thus) with the said king (Janamejaya) when he saw Indra falling from the heavens alongwith Takṣaka and the celestial car:—(23)
"This king of serpents cannot be killed by you, O ruler of men; for he has drunk of nectar and is therefore unquestionably immortal and immune from old age. (24)
Life and death of a living being as well as its existence in the other world is determined by its own doing, O king! None else can bring happiness or misery to another than the latter's own doing. (25)
When a living being meets (its) death through the medium of a snake, thief, fire or lightning, or through hunger, thirst, disease and the like, O protector of men, it (only) reaps thereby the fruit of such Karma as has begun to bear fruit. (26)
Therefore, let this sacrifice, actuated as it is by a malevolent purpose, O king! be stopped, as serpents burnt through it were (all) innocent. (But you too are not to blame; for) as a matter of fact, it is the fruit of one's own (past) doings that is reaped by living beings." (27)

Sūta resumed : Thus advised, King Janamejaya said "Amen !" (Nay.,) respecting the remonstrance of the great sage, he desisted from the snake-sacrifice, and (duly) worshipped Bṛhaspati (the master of eloquence). (28)
Such is the well-known, though inconceivable, great Māyā (enchanting potency) of Lord Viṣṇu. Due to this Māyā, which cannot be (easily) set aside, living beings, that are His (own) particles, fall foul of their fellow-beings under the force of passions (such as anger, which are the outcome of the three Guṇas). (29)
Māyā, which repeatedly flashes on the mind through the notion, 'A is a wily man', does not boldly reveal itself in God when (the nature of) the Self is being inquired into by the exponents of the Self (but is shown to exist somehow like one in great fear without discharging its function of enchanting others). (Nay.) in relation to Him there is no room for wordy warfare of various description originating from Māyā nor does the mind with its functions of ideation and doubt operate with regard to Him. (30)
In relation to Him there does not exist any Karma (belonging to the category of virtue or sin) with factors responsible for it nor the fruit (in the shape of joy or sorrow) to be attained through both nor the ego, the adjunct of a Jiva, accompanied by the three above-named (viz., Karma, the factors responsible for it and the fruit of it). Such is the nature of God, who is neither capable of being opposed by nor of opposing anyone. (Therefore) renouncing the ego etc., (which are like so many waves of Māyā), a sage should himself specifically revel in the Self. (31)
Yogis who have given up (false) identification with the body and the feeling of meum with regard to those connected with it and are exclusively devoted to God, and who are (therefore) keen to reject everything other than God as "not that", "not that", declare the aforesaid to be the supreme essence of the all-pervading Lord. (Nay.) it has been concluded to be such by those who, having embraced it with their heart (through meditation), have been able to control their mind, senses and body. (32)
They (alone) are able to attain this supreme state of Lord Viṣṇu, who are free from the evil notion of 'I' and 'mine' with regard to their body and home (etc., respectively). (33)
One should put up with abusive words, and show disrespect to none, nor should one enter into hostility with anyone for the sake of this (perishable) body. (34)
Salutation to the illustrious Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa of infinite intelligence, through meditation on whose lotus feet I learnt this compilation (in the form of Śrīmad Bhāgavata) ! (35)

Śaunaka submitted : Into how many schools were the Vedas divided by Paila and other great souls, teachers of the Vedas and pupils of Vedavyāsa ? (Pray) relate this to us. (36)

Sūta replied : From the cavity in the heart of Brahmā (the creator), who occupies the highest position (in the universe), while his mind was composed (through meditation), O Śaunaka ! there arose a sound, which can be distinctly perceived (by all) through control of the function of hearing (by closing one's ears), and by focussing one's mind on which, O Brahmana sage, Yogis shake off the impurities of the mind—occasioned by the Adhibhuta (the body), Adhyātma (the organs of action) and Adhidaiva (the senses of perception)—and attain Liberation (cessation of birth and death). (37-38)
From that sound emanated (the sacred syllable) OM—consisting of three parts ( A, U, M),—whose origin is unmanifest, (nay,) which flashes (in the heart) by itself. It is this syllable which reveals (the true nature of) the almighty and infinite Supreme Spirit—that hears this unmanifest (inarticulate humming) sound (even) when the sense of hearing has ceased to function (due to the ears having been shut) and whose cognition is intact (even) when all the senses are inoperative (as in sound sleep or Samādhi)—by which (sacred syllable) speech (in the form of the Vedas) is manifested and which owes its manifestation in the cavity of the heart to the (Supreme) Spirit. (39-40)
That syllable (again) is directly expressive of its origin, the infinite Supreme Spirit; it is the hidden meaning of all Mantras (sacred texts), the eternal seed of the Vedas (being no other than Brahma itself). (41)

The syllable (OM), O jewel of the Bhṛgus ! comprised three letter-sounds— अ, उ, and घ, which (severally) hold (in the form of a seed) sets of three entities (viz.,) the (three) Guṇas (modes of Prakṛti—Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), the (three) names (Ṛk. Yajus and Sāma), the (three) substances (spheres, viz., Bhūḥ—the terrestrial globe, Bhuvah—the aerial region and Swah—heaven) and the (three) states of consciousness (viz., wakefulness, dream and sound sleep). (42)
Out of the aforesaid (three letters) the almighty Brahmā (the birthless creator) evolved the alphabet, comprising Antaḥsthas (semi-vowels), Uṣmas (aspirants), Swaras (vowels), Sparśas (sibilants) and the short, long and prolated measures of sounds. (43)
With this alphabet the (mighty) Brahmā gave expression through his four mouths to the four Vedas—alongwith the (three) Vyāḥrtis (Bhūḥ, Bhuvah and Swah) and OM (prefixed to the Gāyatri-Mantra while reciting it)—with the intention of pointing out the duties of the four priests (officiating at a sacrifice, viz., Hotā, Adhwaryu, Udgātā and Brahmā). (44)
He then taught them to his (mind-born) sons (Marīci and others), who were (all) Brāhmaṇa sages and (accordingly) expert in reciting the Vedas (with proper intonation etc.). The latter in their turn proved to be the promulgators of righteousness and taught the Vedas to their sons (Kaśyapa and others). (45)
Received from generation to generation in the course of the four Yugas by the pupils of the various sages—pupils who observed the vow of (lifelong) celibacy (in order to retain them in their memory)—the aforesaid Vedas were later on divided by great seers (into Saṃhitās, Brāhmaṇas and so on) at the end of the Dvāpara age (lit., the period preceded by the Dvāpara age). (46)
Perceiving the men to be shortlived, deficient in energy and dull-witted due to the action of Time (in the form of unrighteousness prevailing in it), the Brāhmaṇa seers rearranged the Vedas as directed by the immortal Lord residing in their heart. (47)

Descended from (the loins of) the sage Parāśara through Satyavati in the form of Vedavyāsa (representing a ray of Sattva, forming part of Māyā, the divine potency) as prayed to by Brahmā, Śaṅkara and other guardians of the spheres, for the vindication of righteousness, O Brāhmaṇa sage, in the current Manvantara too, The almighty Lord, the Life-giver of the universe, divided the Veda, O highly blessed one ! into four parts. (48-49)
Picking out and classifying in four (distinct) groups the multitudes of Mantras belonging to the categories of Ṛk, Atharva, Yajus and Sāma, (even) as various kinds of gems are assorted into so many groups, the said Maharṣi compiled four Saṃhitās or collections out of those Mantras. (50)
Summoning in his presence four (of his foremost) pupils (Paila and others), the powerful Vyāsa of mighty intellect imparted one of those collections to each, O Śaunaka ! (51)
He taught, they say, the very first Saṃhitā under the name of Bahvṛca-Saṃhitā (because consisting of a collection of Ṛks or psalms) to Paila and the body of sacred texts in prose, recited during sacrifices and bearing the name of Nigada (prose), to another named Vaiśampāyana. (52)
(Even) so he taught the body of Sāmas or songs, going by the name of Chandoga-Saṃhitā (because sung in various metres) to Jaimini and (the fourth called) Atharvāṅgirasi, to his (fourth) pupil Sumantu. (53)
The sage Paila taught his own (Bahvṛcha-) Saṃhitā (in two parts) one each to Indrapramiti and Bāṣkala; the latter too divided his branch into four parts and taught (one each), O scion of Bhrgu, to the disciples Bodhya, Yājñavalkya, Parāśara and Agnimitra. Indrapramiti, a man of selfcontrol, taught his collection to the learned sage Māṇḍūkeya; and his pupil was Devamitra, who (in his turn) imparted its knowledge to the sages Saubhari and others. (54-56)
Māṇḍūkeya's son was Śākalya, who for his part divided his collection into five branches and taught them to (his pupils) Vātsya, Mudgala, Śāliya, Gokhalya and Śiśira. (57)
The sage Jātukarnya, another pupil of Śākalya, imparted the knowledge of his own collection (in three parts), as well as of its Nirukta (explanation of obscure words), to his (four) pupils, Balāka, Paija, Vaitāla and Viraja. (58)
Bāṣkala's son, Bāṣkali, made out of all the (aforesaid) branches the collection bearing the name of Vālakhilya-Saṃhitā. (His pupils) Bālāyani, Bhajya and Kāsāra (learnt and) memorized it. (59)
By these Brāhmaṇa sages were (learnt and) preserved the Saṃhitās forming part of Ṛgveda. Hearing of the classification of these Mantras of the Veda one is completely absolved from all sins. (60)

As is well-known, some pupils of Vaiśampāyana were known as Carakādhwaryus because they went through on behalf of their teacher a course of penance to expiate the sin of Brahmanicide. (61)
(Thereupon) Yājñavalkya, another disciple of Vaiśampāyana, submitted (to his preceptor), "Oh, of what account, venerable sir, will be the reward obtained through the penance of these pupils (of yours) of poor strength ! I shall undergo a course of penance very difficult to practise." (62)
Offended, when addressed thus, the preceptor retorted, "Get away (from here). I have nothing more to do with you, a pupil contemning Brāhmaṇas. Give up at once all that you have learnt from me." (63)
Vomiting the portions of Yajurveda (which he had learnt from his preceptor), Yājñavalkya, son of Devarāta, too immediately left the place. Sages beheld those portions of Yajurveda and, greatly enamoured of them, assumed the form of partridges and picked them up. (Thenceforward) that most attractive branch of Yajurveda came to be known by the name of Taittiriya (connected with partridges). (64-65)
Seeking to obtain additional Śrutis not known even to his preceptor, Yājñavalkya, O Brāhmaṇa sage, thereupon duly extolled the Sun-god, the Master of the Vedas (as follows). (66)

Yājñavalkya prayed : Hail to the almighty Sun-god, denoted by the sacred syllable OM! Dwelling as the very Soul of the universe in the heart of multitudes of created beings—falling under four categories (viz., mammals, oviparous creatures, the sweet-born and those sprouting from the soil), from Brahmā down to a clump of grass—and outside too as (the wheel of) Time revolving in the form of years made up of (minute) parts like an instant, a moment and the twinkling of an eye, yet unlimited by any condition, like the sky, You maintain the progress of the world all alone by sucking (in the hot season) and releasing the moisture (during the monsoon). (This passage explains the meaning of the first foot of the Gāyatri-Mantra.) (67)
We duly and devoutly contemplate on that well-known orb of Your venerable Self, O Jewel among the gods, which is burning over there, O Father (of the universe), who burn away all the sins and miseries (resulting from them) as well as their seed (viz., ignorance) of those who wait upon You (with prayers etc.) in the manner prescribed by the Vedas thrice everyday (morning and evening as well as at midday). (This passage explains the meaning of the second foot of the Gāyatri-Mantra. (68)
As the Inner Controller of the multitudes of immobile and mobile creatures in this (visible) universe, which, as is well-known, constitute Your own bodies, You being their very Self, You direct their mind, senses and vital airs, which are (all) material (and therefore inert). (This explains the meaning of the third and last foot of the Gāyatri-Mantra.) (69)
Seeing this world swallowed by the diabolical python bearing the name of darkness and wearing a most dreadful aspect, and (therefore) lying unconscious as though dead, You a lone rouse it by Your mere glance out of compassion, supremely compassionate as You are, and direct it thrice everyday to the adoration of the Supreme Spirit, leading to the highest good under the name of their own sacred duty. Like a king You go about instilling fear in (the heart of) the wicked and waited upon at every point by the guardians of the quarters with offerings of water and lotus buds in their joined palms. (70-71)
Obviously for the same reason, O Lord, do I resort to Your lotus-feet, bowed to by those (Indra and others) adored in all the three worlds, desirous as I am of receiving knowledge of the portions of Yajurveda (hitherto) unknown by anyone else. That is all. (72)

Sūta continued : Extolled thus, the celebrated and glorious Sun-god felt (highly) propitiated and, assuming the form of a horse, taught the sage such portions of the Yajurveda as were (hitherto) unknown to anyone else. (73)
Out of the countless Mantras of Yajurveda (revealed to him by the Sun-god) the powerful Yājñavalkya compiled (as many as) fifteen Śākhās known by the name of Vājasanī. Sages Kaṇva, Mādhyandina and others learnt them. (74)
Sage Sumantu was the son of Jaimini, the chanter of Sāmaveda (as taught to him by Vedavyāsa—vide verse 53 above) and Sunvān was the son of Sumantu. Jaimini taught one collection to each of them. Then Sukarmā another Brāhmaṇa pupil of Jaimini, who had a mighty intellect, divided the tree of Sāmaveda into a thousand collections of psalms. (75-76)
Hiranyanābha of Koṣala, and Pauṣyañji, the two pupils of Sukarmā; and a third pupil, Avantya (by name), the foremost of the knowers of Brahma, learnt them. (77)
Pauṣyañji and Avantya as well as Hiranyanābha had, it is said, five hundred pupils, who hailed from the north (and learnt as many Śākhās of Sāmaveda). (Yet) antiquarians call them Prācyas (perhaps construing this word in the sense of the ancient and not in the sense of easterners). (78)
Laugākṣi, Māngali, Kulya, Kusida and Kukṣi, (other) pupils of Pauṣyañji, learnt a hundred collections each. (79)
Kṛta, another pupil of Hiraṇyanābha, taught twenty-four collections to his (own) pupils; while Āvantya, (who was) a man of self-control, taught the rest to his. (80)

Thus ends the six discourse entitled "The classification of the Vedas into (so many) Śākhās schools", in Book Twelve of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahārīsa-Sarhhitā.