Markandeyapurana 45.26

45.26

sarvametanmahābhaga ! śrūyatāṃ me samādhinā /
yathāśrutaṃ mayā pūrvaṃ dakṣasya gadato mune //

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:
Formerly as soon as Brahmā, whose origin is inscrutable, came into being, this Purāṇa and the Vedas issued[4] from his mouths; and many paramarṣis composed the collections of the Purāṇas; and the Vedas were divided by them in a thousand ways. Righteousness and knowledge, passionlessness, and sovereignty—these four indeed were not perfected without instruction from him, the high-souled. His seven mind-born[5] ṛṣis took the Vedas from him, and his mind-born ancient munis took the Purāṇa. Cyawana took it from Bhṛgu, and he declared it to the brāhmans; and this purāṇa was repeated by the high-souled ṛṣis to Dakṣa; and then Dakṣa repeated it to me. I will now tell it to thee: it destroys strife and sin. Hear all this from me with composure, illustrious Muni, as I formerly heard it when Dakṣa related it.