Viṣṇupurāṇa (critical edition) · Chapter 3.3

jñātam etan mayā tvatto yathā sarvam idaṃ jagat
viṣṇur viṣṇau viṣṇutaś ca na paraṃ vidyate tataḥ //

etat tu śrotum icchāmi vyastā vedā mahātmanā
vedavyāsasvarūpeṇa yathā tena yuge yuge //

yasmin yasmin yuge vyāso yo ya āsīn mahāmune
taṃ tam ācakṣva bhagavañ śākhābhedāṃś ca me vada //

vedadrumasya maitreya śākhābhedaiḥ sahasraśaḥ
na śakyo vistaro vaktuṃ saṃkṣepeṇa śṛṇuṣva tam //

dvāpare dvāpare viṣṇur vyāsarūpī mahāmune
vedam ekaṃ sa bahudhā kurute jagato hitaḥ //

vīryaṃ tejo balaṃ cālpaṃ manuṣyāṇām avekṣya ca
hitāya sarvabhūtānāṃ vedabhedān karoti saḥ //

yayā sa kurute tanvā vedam ekaṃ pṛthak prabhuḥ
vedavyāsābhidhānā tu sā mūrtir madhuvidviṣaḥ //

yasmin manvantare ye ye vyāsās tāṃs tān nibodha me
yathā ca bhedaḥ śākhānāṃ vyāsena kriyate mune //

aṣṭāviṃśatikṛtvo vai vedo vyasto maharṣibhiḥ
vaivasvate 'ntare tasmin dvāpareṣu punaḥ punaḥ //

vedavyāsā vyatītā ye aṣṭāviṃśati sattama
caturdhā yaiḥ kṛto vedo dvāpareṣu punaḥ punaḥ //

dvāpare prathame vyastāḥ svayaṃ vedāḥ svayaṃbhuvā
dvitīye dvāpare caiva vedavyāsaḥ prajāpatiḥ //

tṛtīye cośanā vyāsaś caturthe ca bṛhaspatiḥ
savitā pañcame vyāso mṛtyuḥ ṣaṣṭhe smṛtaḥ prabhuḥ //

saptame ca tathaivendro vasiṣṭhaś cāṣṭame smṛtaḥ
sārasvataś ca navame tridhāmā daśame smṛtaḥ //

ekādaśe tu trivṛṣā bhāradvājas tataḥ param
trayodaśe cāntarikṣo varṇī cāpi caturdaśe //

trayyāruṇaḥ pañcadaśe ṣoḍaśe tu dhanaṃjayaḥ
kratuṃjayaḥ saptadaśe ṛṇajyo 'ṣṭādaśe smṛtaḥ //

tato vyāso bharadvājo bharadvājāt tu gautamaḥ
gautamād uttamo vyāso haryātmā yo 'bhidhīyate //

atha haryātmano venaḥ smṛto vājaśravās tu yaḥ
somaḥ śuṣmāyaṇas tasmāt tṛṇabindur iti smṛtaḥ //

ṛkṣo 'bhūd bhārgavas tasmād vālmīkir yo 'bhidhīyate
tasmād asmatpitā śaktir vyāsas tasmād ahaṃ mune //

jātukarṇo 'bhavan mattaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanas tataḥ
aṣṭāviṃśatir ity ete vedavyāsāḥ purātanāḥ //

eko vedaś caturdhā tu yaiḥ kṛto dvāparādiṣu //

bhaviṣye dvāpare cāpi drauṇir vyāso bhaviṣyati
vyatīte mama putre 'smin kṛṣṇadvaipāyane munau //

dhruvam ekākṣaraṃ brahma om ity evaṃ vyavasthitam
bṛhatvād bṛṃhaṇatvāc ca tad brahmety abhidhīyate //

praṇavāvasthitaṃ nityaṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svar itīryate
ṛgyajuḥsāmātharvāṇaṃ yat tasmai brahmaṇe namaḥ //

jagataḥ pralayotpattau yat tat kāraṇasaṃjñitam
mahataḥ paramaṃ guhyaṃ tasmai subrahmaṇe namaḥ //

agādhāpāram akṣayyaṃ jagatsaṃmohanālayam
saṃprakāśapravṛttibhyāṃ puruṣārthaprayojanam //

sāṃkhyajñānavatāṃ niṣṭhā gatiḥ śamadamātmanām
yat tad avyaktam amṛtaṃ pravṛttir brahma śāśvatam //

pradhānam ātmayoniś ca guhāsattvaṃ ca śabdyate
avibhāgaṃ tathā śukram akṣaraṃ bahudhātmakam //

paramabrahmaṇe tasmai nityam eva namo namaḥ
yad rūpaṃ vāsudevasya paramātmasvarūpiṇaḥ //

etad brahma tridhābhedam abhedam api sa prabhuḥ
sarvabhūteṣv abhedo 'sau bhidyate bhinnabuddhibhiḥ //

sa ṛṅmayaḥ sāmamayaḥ sarvātmā sa yajurmayaḥ
ṛgyajuḥsāmasārātmā sa evātmā śarīriṇām //

sa bhidyate vedamayaḥ sa vedaṃ karoti bhedair bahubhiḥ saśākham
śākhāpraṇetā sa samastaśākhā jñānasvarūpo bhagavān anantaḥ //