Reading section 2

Section XIII.—Legend of Bharata. Bharata abdicates his throne and becomes an ascetic; cherishes a fawn, and becomes so much attached to it as to neglect his devotions; he dies; his successive births; works in the fields and is pressed as a palanquin-bearer for the Raja of Sauvira; rebuked for his awkwardness; his reply; dialogue between him and the king.

Section XIV.—Dialogue continued, Bharata expounds the nature of existence, the end of life, and the identification of individual with universal spirit.

Section XV.—Bharata relates the story of Ribhu and Nidagha, the latter, the pupil of the former, becomes a prince, and is visited by his preceptor, who explains to him the principles unity and departs.

Section XVI.—Ribhu returns to his disciple, and perfects him in divine knowledge. The same recommended to the Rajah by Bharata, who thereupon obtains final liberation. Consequences of hearing this legend.

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.

PART IV.

Section I.—Dynasties of kings. Origin of the Solar dynasty from Brahmā. Sons of the Manu Vaivaswata. Transformation of Illa or Sudyumna. Descendants of the sons of Vaivaswata; those of Nedishta. Greatness of Marutha, kings of Vaisali. Descendants of Saryati. Legend of Raivata; his daughter Revati married to Baloram.

Section II.—Dispersion of Revata's descendants; those of Drisha; those of Nabhaga. Birth of Ikshwaku, the son of Vaivaswata; his sons. Line of Vikukshi. Legend of Kakutstha; of Dhundhumara; of Yuvanāswa; of Mandhatri; his daughter married to Sauvari.

Section III.—Shaubhri and his wives adopt an ascetic life, Descendant of Mandhatri. Legend of Narmāda and Purukutsa. Legend of Trisanku, Bahu driven from his kingdom by the Haihayas and Talajanghas. Birth of Sagara; he conquers the barbarians, imposes upon them distinguishing usage, and excludes them from offerings to fire and the study of Vedas.

Section IV.—The progeny of Sagara; their wickedness; he performs an Aswamedha; the horse stolen by Kapila; found by Sagara's sons who are all destroyed by the sage; the horse recovered by Ansumat; his descendants. Legend the Mitrasaha or Kalmashapada the son of Sudasa. Legend of Khatwanga. Birth of Rāma and other sons of Dasaratha. Epitome of the history of Rāma; his descendant and those of his brothers. Line of Kusha. Vrihadbala, the last, killed in the great war.

Section V.—Kings of Mithila. Legend of Nimi, the son of Ikshwaku. Birth of Janaka. Sacrifice of Siradhwaja. Origin of Sitā. Descendant of Kusadhwaja. Krita the last of Maithila princes.

Section VI.—Kings of the lunar dynasty. Origin of Soma or the moon; he carries off Tara, the wife of Vrihaspati; war between the gods and Asuras in consequence; appeared by Brahmā, Birth of Budha; marred to Illa, daughter of Vaivaswata. Legend of his son Pururavas, and the nymph Urvashi; the former institutes offerings with fire; ascends to the sphere of the Gandharvas.

Section VII.—Sons of Pururavas. Descendants of Amavasu. Indro born as Gadhi. Legend of Richika and Satyavati; Birth of Jatnadagna and Viswamitra. Parasurama the son of the former. Sunahseplas and others the sons of Viswamitra forming the Kausika race.

Section VIII.—Sons of Ayus. Line of Kshatravriddha, or Kings of Kashi. Former birth of Dhawntari. Various names of Pratarddana. Greatness of Alarka.

Section IX—Descendants of Raji, son of Ayas, Indra resigns his throne to him; claimed after his death by his sons, who appostatise from the religion of the Vedas, and are destroyed by the Indra. Descendants of Pratikshatra, son of Kshatravriddha.

Section X.—The sons of Nahusha. The sons of Yayati; he is cursed by Sukra; wishes his sons exchange their vigour for his infirmities. Puru alone consents. Yayati restores him his youth; divides the earth amongst his sons under the supremacy of Puru.

Section XI.—The Yadava race, or descendants of Yadu. Karttavirja obtains a boon from Dattatreya; takes Ravana prisoner; is killed by Parasurama; his descendant.

Section XII.—Descendants of Kroshtri; Jyamaghas connubial affection for his wife Saivya, their descendants kings of Vidharbha and Chedi.

Section XIII.—Sons of Satawata. Bhoja princes of Mrittiktavati. Surja the friend of Satrajit; appears to him in a bodily from; gives him the Syamantaka gem; its brilliance and marvellous properties. Satrajit gives it to Prasena, who is killed by a lion; the lion killed by the bear Jambavat. Krishna suspects of killing Prasena, goes to look for him in the forests; traces the bear to his cave, fights with him for the jewel; the contest prolonged, supposed by his companions to be slain; he overthrows Jambavat, then marries his daughter Jāmbavati, returns with her and the jewel to Dwārakā and restores the jewel to Satrajit, and marries his daughter Satyabhāmā. Satrajit murdered by Sataddhanwan; avenged by Krishna. Quarrel between Krishna and Balarāma. Akrura possessed of the jewel; leaves Dwārakā. Public calamities. Meeting of the Yādavas. Story of Akrura's birth; is invited to return; accused by Krishna of having the Syamantaka jewel; produces it in full assembly; it remains in his charge; Krishna acquitted of having purloined it.

Section XIV.—Descendants of Sini, of Anamitra, of Swaphalka and Chittra, of Andhaka. The children of Devaka, and Ugrasena. The descendants of Bhajamana. Children of Sura; his son Vasudeva; his daughter Pritha married to Pandu; her children, Yudhishthira and his brothers; also Karna by Aditya. The sons of Pandu by Madri. Husbands and children of Sura's other daughter. Previous births of Sisupala.

Section XV.—Explanation of the reason why Sisupal in his previous births as Hiranyakashipu and Ravana was not identified with Vishnu on being slain by him, and was so identified when killed as Sisupala. The wives of Vasudeva; his children; Balarāma and Krishna his sons by Devaki both apparently of Rohini and Yasoda. The wives and children of Krishna. Multitude of the descendants of Yadu.

Section XVI.—Descendants of Turvasu.

Section XVII.—Descendants of Druhyu.

Section XVIII.—Descendants of Anu. Countries and towns named after some of them, as Anga, Banga and others.

Section XIX.—Descendants of Puru. Birth of Bharata, the son of Dushyanta; his sons killed; adopts Bharadwaja or Vitatha. Hastin, founder of Hastināpur. Sons of Ajamidha, and the races derived from them, as Panchalas, etc. Kripa and Kripi found by Santanu. Descendants of Ritsha, the son of Ajamidha, Kurukshetra named from Kuru. Jarasandha and other kings of Magadha.

Section XX.—Descendants of Kuru. Devapi abdicates the throne; assumed by Santanu; he is confirmed by the Brahmans; Bhishma his son by Ganga; his other sons. Birth of Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura. The hundred sons of Dhritarashtra. The five sons of Pandu; married to Draupadi; their prosperity. Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna, the reigning king.

Section XXI.—Future Kings. Descendants of Parikshit, ending with Kshemaka.

Section XXII.—Future kings of the family of Ikshwaku, ending with Sumitra.

Section XXIII.—Future kings of Magadha, Descendants of Vrihadratha.

Section XXIV.—Future kings of Magadha. Five Princes of the line of Pradyota. Ten Saisunagas. Nine Nandas. Ten Mauryas. Ten Sungas. Four Kanwas. Thirty Andhrabhrityas. Kings of various tribes and castes, and periods of their rule. Ascendancy of barbarians. Different races in different regions. Period of universal iniquity, and decay. Coming of Vishnu as Kalki, Destruction of the wicked and restoration of the practices of the Vedas. End of the Kali, and return of the Krita age. Duration of the Kali. Verses chanted by earth, and communicated by Asita to Tanaka. End of the fourth book.

PART V:

Section I.—The death of Kansa announced. Earth, oppressed by the Daityas, applies to the gods. They accompany her to Vishnu who promises to give her relief. Kansa imprisons Vasudeva and Devaki. Vishnu's instructions to Yoganidra.

Section II.—The conception of Devaki; her appearance; she is praised by the gods.

Section III.—Birth of Krishna, conveyed by Vasudeva to Mathura and exchanged with the new-born daughter of Yasoda. Kansa attempts to destroy the latter, who becomes Yoganidra.

Section IV.—Kansa addresses his friends, announces their danger and orders male children to be put to death.

Section V.—Nanda returns with the infants Krishna and Balarāma to Gokula. Putaua killed by the former. Prayers of Nanda and Yasoda.

Section VI.—Krishna overturns a wagon; casts down two trees. The Gopis depart to Vrindavana. Sports of the boys. Description of the season of the rains.

Section VII.—Krishna combats the serpent Kaliya; alarm of his parents and companions; he overcomes the serpent, and is propitiated by him; commands him to depart from the Yamuna river to the ocean.

Section VIII.—The Demon Dhenuka destroyed by Rāma.

Section IX.—Sports of the boys in the forest. Prahlamba the Asura comes amongst them; is destroyed by Rāma, at the command of Krishna.

Section X.—Description of autumn. Krishna dissuades Nanda from worshipping Indra; recommends him and the Gopas to worship cattle and the mountains.

Section XI.—Indra offended by the loss of his offerings causes heavy rains to deluge Gokula. Krishna holds up the mountain Gobardhana to shelter the cowherds and their cattle.