Kurma Purana · Chapter 1.50

iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pūrvavibhāge ekonapañcāśo 'dhyāyaḥ
sūta uvāca
asmin manvantare pūrvaṃ vartamāne mahān vibhuḥ /
dvāpare prathame vyāso manuḥ svāyaṃbhuvo mataḥ

bibheda bahudhā vedaṃ niyogād brahmaṇaḥ prabhoḥ /
dvitīye dvāpare caiva vedavyāsaḥ prajāpatiḥ

tṛtīye cośanā vyāsaścaturthe syād bṛhaspatiḥ /
savitā pañcame vyāsaḥ ṣaṣṭhe mṛtyuḥ prakīrtitaḥ

saptame ca tathaivendro vasiṣṭhaścāṣṭame mataḥ /
sārasvataśca navame tridhāmā daśame smṛtaḥ

ekādaśe tu trivṛṣaḥ śatatejāstataḥ paraḥ /
trayodaśe tathā dharmastarakṣustu caturdaśe

tryāruṇirvai pañcadaśe ṣoḍaśe tu dhanañjayaḥ /
kṛtañjayaḥ saptadaśe hyaṣṭādaśe ṛtañjayaḥ

tato vyāso bharadvājastasmādūrdhvaṃ tu gautamaḥ /
rājaśravāścaikaviṃśastasmācchuṣmāyaṇaḥ paraḥ

tṛṇabindustrayoviṃśe vālmīkistatparaḥ smṛtaḥ /
pañcaviśe tathā śaktiḥ ṣaḍviṃśe tu parāśaraḥ

saptaviṃśe tathā vyāso jātūkarṇo mahāmuniḥ /
aṣṭāviṃśe punaḥ prāpte hyasmin vai dvāpare dvijāḥ /
parāśarasuto vyāsaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyano 'bhavat

sa eva sarvavedānāṃ purāṇānāṃ pradarśakaḥ /
pārāśaryo mahāyogī kṛṣṇadvaipāyano hariḥ

ārādhya devamīśānaṃ dṛṣṭvā sāmbaṃ trilocanam /
tatprasādādasau vyāsaṃ vedānāmakarot prabhuḥ

atha śiṣyān prijagrāha caturo vedapāragān /
jaiminiṃ ca sumantuṃ ca vaiśampāyanameva ca /
pailaṃ teṣāṃ caturthaṃ ca pañcamaṃ māṃ mahāmuniḥ

ṛgvedaśrāvakaṃ pailaṃ jagrāha sa mahāmuniḥ /
yajurvedapravaktāraṃ vaiśampāyanameva ca

jaiminiṃ sāmavedasya śrāvakaṃ sonvapadyata /
tathaivātharvavedasya sumantumṛṣisattamam /
itihāsapurāṇāni pravaktuṃ māmayojayat

eka āsīdyajurvedastaṃ caturdhā vyakalpayat /
cāturhetramabhūd yasmiṃstena yajñamathākarot

ādhvaryavaṃ yajurbhiḥ syādṛgbhirhetraṃ dvijottamāḥ /
audgātraṃ sāmabhiścakre brahmatvaṃ cāpyatharvabhiḥ

tataḥ sa ṛca uddhṛtya ṛgvedaṃ kṛtavān prabhuḥ /
yajūṃṣi ca yajurvedaṃ sāmavedaṃ ca sāmabhiḥ

ekaviṃśatibhedena ṛgvedaṃ kṛtavān purā /
śākhānāṃ tu śatenaiva yajurvedamathākarot

sāmavedaṃ sahastreṇa śākhānāṃ prabibheda saḥ /
atharvāṇamatho vedaṃ bibheda navakena tu

bhedairaṣṭādaśairvyāsaḥ purāṇaṃ kṛtavān prabhuḥ /
so 'yamekaścatuṣpādo vedaḥ pūrvaṃ purātanāt

oṅkāro brahmaṇo jātaḥ sarvadoṣaviśodhanaḥ /
vedavedyo hi bhagavān vāsudevaḥ sanātanaḥ

sa gīyate paro vede yo vedainaṃ sa vedavit /
etat parataraṃ brahma jyotirānandamuttamam

vedavākyoditaṃ tattvaṃ vāsudevaḥ paraṃ padam /
vedavedyamimaṃ vetti vedaṃ vedaparo muniḥ

avedaṃ paramaṃ vetti vedaniṣṭhaḥ sadeśvaraḥ /
sa vedavedyo bhagavān vedamūrtirmaheśvaraḥ /
sa eva vedo vedyaśca tamevāśritya mucyate

ityedakṣaraṃ vedyamoṅkāraṃ vedamavyayam /
avedaṃ ca vijānāti pārāśaryo mahāmuniḥ