Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.4110

c9.4110

3) Parts of the Vedas. Mahāviṣṇu incarnated as Vyāsa in Dvāpara Yuga and divided the Vedas. The first Veda consisted of four pādas and a hundred thousand granthas. Vyāsa divided it into four parts known as, Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda. The sage and seer Vyāsa thus created by Ṛg, "Hautra" (a collection of lyrics in praise of different Gods, to be recited by the priest styled the 'hotṛ'), by Yajus "Adhvaryava", (a book of sacrificial prayer, of prose formulas to be uttered by the 'Adhvaryu' priest, who performed the manual work involved in a sacrifice), by Sāman, "Audgātra", (Songs meant to be sung at the Soma sacrifice by a special class of priests 'Udgātṛ') and by Atharva "Brahmatva", (a collection of songs, spells and incantations, for the healing of disease, the restoration of harmony, the exorcism of evil spirits and to celebrate the power and omniscience of God) and established them separately. Paila, a scholar in Ṛgveda, and a disciple of Vyāsa, gave the original Veda to Indrapramiti and its Saṃhitās (collections) to Bāṣkala as gifts. Bāṣkala divided the Saṃhitā into four, and gave each of them to Baudhya and others. Yajurveda was divided into twentyfour branches. They were composed by Vaiśampāyana of extraordinary intelligence, a disciple of Vyāsa. Kāṇḍas (Chapters) such as Vājasaneya etc. were composed later by hermits such as Yājñavalkya and others in the form of Smṛtis (tradition, as handing down only the tradition derived from ancient sages, to whom the Vedas were 'revealed'). Jaimini the disciple of Vyāsa, divided Sāmaveda into different branches. Sumantu and Sukarmā compiled separate Saṃhitās (collections) from them. Sukarmā composed thousand Saṃhitās. Sumantu the disciple of Vyāsa took the Atharvaveda and taught it to thousands of Paippalāda disciples. By the blessings of Vyāsa, Sūta made the Purāṇa Saṃhitā (the collection of Purāṇas). (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 150).