reat puissance, he was fully
conversant with the past, the present, and the future. Firm in the
observance of vows, he was truthful in speech.[1911] Unto that Rishi who,
after birth, had bowed his head unto Narayana, the latter, who was the
original Creator of all the deities and possessed of a nature that was
immutable, said those words: 'Thou shouldst devote thy attention to the
distribution of the Vedas, O foremost of all persons endued with
intelligence.[1912] Do thou, therefore, O ascetic, accomplish what I
command thee.'--In obedience to this command of the Supreme Lord from
whose Speech the Rishi Apantaratamas sprang into existence, the latter,
in the Kalpa named after the Self-born Manu, distributed and arranged the
Vedas. For that act of the Rishi, the illustrious Hari became gratified
with him, as also for his well-performed penances, his vows and
observances, and his restraint of the senses or passions. Addressing
him, Narayana said,--'At each Manwantara, O son, thou wilt act in this
way with respect to the Vedas. Thou shalt, in consequence of this act of
thine, be immutable, O regenerate one, and incapable of being transcended
by any one. When the Kali age will set in, certain princes of Bharata's
line, to be called by the name of Kauravas, will take their birth from
thee. They will be celebrated over the Earth as high-souled princes
ruling over powerful kingdoms. Born of thee, dissensions will break out
among them ending in their destruction at one another's hands excepting
yourself. O foremost of regenerate persons,[1913] in that age also,
endued with austere penances, thou wilt distribute the Vedas into diverse
classes. Indeed, in that dark age, thy complexion will become dark. Thou
shalt cause diverse kinds of duties to flow and diverse kinds of
knowledge also. Although endued with austere penances, yet thou shalt
never be able to free thyself from desire and attachment to the world.
Thy son, however, will be freed from every attachment like unto the
Supreme Soul, through the grace of Madhava. It will not be otherwise. He
whom learned Brahmanas call the mind-born son of the Grandsire, viz.,
Vasishtha endued with great intelligence and like unto an ocean of
penances, and whose splendour transcends that of the Sun himself, will be
the progenitor of a race in which a great Rishi of the name of Parasara,
possessed of mighty energy and prowess, will take his birth. That
foremost of persons, that ocean of Vedas,