PART III.

Section I.—Accounts of the several Manus and Manwantaras Shwarochisha the second Manu; the divinities, the Indra, the seven Rishis of his period and his sons. Similar details of Auttami, Tamasa, Raivata, Chakshusha, and Vaivaswata. The forms of Vishnu, as the preserver, in each Manwantara. The meaning of Vishnu.

Section II.—Of the seven future Manus and Manwantaras. Story of Sanjna and Chhaya, wives of the Sun. Savarni son of Chhaya the eighth Manu. His successors, with divinities, &c of their respective periods. Appearance of Vishnu in each of the four Yugas.

Section III.—Division of the Vedas into four portions, by a Vyasa in every Dwapara age. List of the twenty-eight Vyasas of the present Manwantara. Meaning of the word Brahmā.

Section IV.—Division of the Veda, in the last Dwapara age, by the Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana. Paila made reader of the Rich; Vaisampayana of the Yajush; Jaimani of the Saman and Sumantu of the Atharvan. Suta appointed to teach the historical poems. Origin of the four parts of the Veda. Sanhitas of the Rig Veda.

Section V.—Division of the Yajur-veda. Story of Yajnawalkya forced to give up what he has learned, picked up by others, forming the Taittiriya-yajush. Yajnawalkya worships the Sun who communicates to him the Vajasaneyi-yajush.

Section VI.—Divisions of the Sama-veda; of the Atharva-veda. Four Pauranik Sanhitas. Names of the eighteen Puranas. Branches of knowledge. Classes of Rishis.

Section VII.—By what means men are exempted from the authority of Yama, as narrated by Bhishma to Nakula. Dialogue between Yama and one of his attendants. Worshippers of Vishnu not subject to Yama. How they are to be known.

Section VIII.—How Vishnu is to be worshipped as related by Aurva to Sagara. Duties of the four castes, severally and in common; also in time of distress.

Section IX.—Duties of the religious student, householder, hermit and mendicant.

Section X.—Ceremonies to be observed at the birth and naming of a child. Of marrying or leading a religious life. Choice of a wife. Different modes of marrying.

Section XI.—Of the Sadacharas or perpetual obligation of a householder. Daily purifications, ablutions, libations, and oblations; hospitality; obsequial rites; ceremonies to be observed at meals, morning and evening worship, and on going to rest.

Section XII.—Miscellaneous obligations—purificatory, ceremonial and moral.

Section XIII.—Of Sraddhas, or rites in honour of ancestors, to be performed on occasions of rejoicing. Obsequial ceremonies. Of the Ekoddishta or monthly Srāddha, and the Sapindana or annual one. By whom to be performed.

Section XIV.—Of occasional Sraddhas, or obsequial ceremonies; when most efficacious, and at what places.

Section XV. What Brahmans are to be entertained at Sraddhas; Different prayers to be recited. Offerings of food to be presented to deceased ancestor.

Section XVI.—Things proper to be offered as food to deceased ancestors; prohibited things. Circumstances vetiating a Srāddha; how to be avoided. Song of the Pitris or progenitors, heard by Ikshwāku.

Section XVII.—Of heretics, or those who rejects the authority of the Vedas; their origin, as described by the Vasistha to Bhishma; the gods, defeated by the Daityas, praise Vishnu; an illusory being or Buddha, produced from his body.

Section XVIII.—Buddha goes to the earth and teaches the Daityas to contempt the Vedas; his sceptical doctrines; his prohibition of animal sacrifices. Meaning of the term Bauddha. Tainas and Bauddhas, their tenets. The Daityas loose their power and are overcome by the gods. Meaning of the term Nagna. Consequences of neglect of Duty. Story of Satadbanu and his wife Saivya. Communion with heretics to be shunned.