Viṣṇupurāṇa (critical edition) · Chapter 3.4

ādyo vedaś catuṣpādaḥ śatasāhasrasaṃmitaḥ
tato daśaguṇaḥ kṛtsno yajño 'yaṃ sarvakāmadhuk //

tato 'tra matsuto vyāso 'ṣṭāviṃśatitame 'ntare
vedam ekaṃ catuṣpādaṃ caturdhā vyabhajat prabhuḥ //

yathā tu tena vai vyastā vedavyāsena dhīmatā
vedās tathā samastais tair vyastā vyāsais tathā mayā //

tad anenaiva vedānāṃ śākhābhedān dvijottama
caturyugeṣu racitān samasteṣv avadhāraya //

kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṃ vyāsaṃ viddhi nārāyaṇaṃ prabhum
ko 'nyo hi bhuvi maitreya mahābhāratakṛd bhavet //

tena vyastā yathā vedā matputreṇa mahātmanā
dvāpare hy atra maitreya tan me śṛṇu yathārthataḥ //

brahmaṇā codito vyāso vedān vyastuṃ pracakrame
atha śiṣyān sa jagrāha caturo vedapāragān //

ṛgvedaśrāvakaṃ pailaṃ jagrāha sa mahāmuniḥ
vaiśampāyananāmānaṃ yajurvedasya cāgrahīt //

jaiminiṃ sāmavedasya tathaivātharvavedavit
sumantus tasya śiṣyo 'bhūd vedavyāsasya dhīmataḥ //

romaharṣaṇanāmānaṃ mahābuddhiṃ mahāmuniḥ
sūtaṃ jagrāha śiṣyaṃ sa itihāsapurāṇayoḥ //

ārṣādi bahudhā sthānaṃ devarṣiracitāśrayam //

itihāsam iti proktaṃ sthaviṣṭhādbhutakarmayuk //

eka āsīd yajurvedas taṃ caturdhā vyakalpayat
cāturhotram abhūd yasmiṃs tena yajñam athākarot //

ādhvaryavaṃ yajurbhis tu ṛgbhir hotraṃ tathā muniḥ
audgātraṃ sāmabhiś cakre brahmatvaṃ cāpy atharvabhiḥ //

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

rājñas tv atharvavedena sarvakarmāṇi sa prabhuḥ
kārayām āsa maitreya brahmatvaṃ ca yathāsthitiḥ //

so 'yam eko mahāveda tarus tena pṛthakkṛtaḥ
caturdhā tu tato jātaṃ vedapādapakānanam //

bibheda prathamaṃ vipra paila ṛgvedapādapam
indrapramataye prādād bāṣkalāya ca saṃhite //

caturdhā sa bibhedātha bāṣkalo nijasaṃhitām
baudhyādibhyo dadau tās tu śiṣyebhyaḥ sa mahāmatiḥ //

baudhyāgnimāṭharau tadvad yājñavalkyaparāśarau
pratiśākhās tu śākhāyās tasyās te jagṛhur mune //

indrapramatir ekāṃ tu saṃhitāṃ svasutaṃ tataḥ
māṇḍukeyaṃ mahātmānaṃ maitreyādhyāpayat tadā //

tasya śiṣyapraśiṣyebhyaḥ putraśiṣyān kramād yayau //

vedamitras tu śākalyaḥ saṃhitāṃ tām adhītavān
cakāra saṃhitāḥ pañca śiṣyebhyaḥ pradadau ca tāḥ //

tasya śiṣyās tu ye pañca teṣāṃ nāmāni me śṛṇu
mudgalo gālavaś caiva vātsyaḥ śālīya eva ca
śiśiraḥ pañcamaś cāsīt maitreya sumahāmuniḥ //

etāni pañcanāmāni saṃhitāyāḥ samāśritāḥ //

saṃhitātritayaṃ cakre śākapūṇir athetaraḥ
niruktam akarot tadvac caturthaṃ munisattama //

krauñco vaitālakis tadvad balākaś ca mahāmuniḥ
niruktaś ca caturtho 'bhūd vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ //

ity etāḥ pratiśākhābhyo 'py anuśākhā dvijottama
bāṣkalaś cāparās tisraḥ saṃhitāḥ kṛtavān dvija
śiṣyaḥ kālāyanir gārgyas tṛtīyaś ca tathā javaḥ //

ity ete bahvṛcāḥ proktāḥ saṃhitā yaiḥ pravartitāḥ //