will be renovated, and, like the various fruits of the earth, succeed each
other in the due order of their seasons. Thus continueth perpetually to
revolve in the world, without beginning and without end, this wheel which
causeth the destruction of all things.

The generation of Devas, in brief, was thirty-three thousand, thirty-three
hundred and thirty-three. The sons of Div were Brihadbhanu, Chakshus, Atma
Vibhavasu, Savita, Richika, Arka, Bhanu, Asavaha, and Ravi. Of these
Vivaswans of old, Mahya was the youngest whose son was Deva-vrata. The
latter had for his son, Su-vrata who, we learn, had three sons,--Dasa-
jyoti, Sata-jyoti, and Sahasra-jyoti, each of them producing numerous
offspring. The illustrious Dasa-jyoti had ten thousand, Sata-jyoti ten
times that number, and Sahasra-jyoti ten times the number of Sata-jyoti's
offspring. From these are descended the family of the Kurus, of the Yadus,
and of Bharata; the family of Yayati and of Ikshwaku; also of all the
Rajarshis. Numerous also were the generations produced, and very abundant
were the creatures and their places of abode. The mystery which is
threefold--the Vedas, Yoga, and Vijnana Dharma, Artha, and Kama--also
various books upon the subject of Dharma, Artha, and Kama; also rules for
the conduct of mankind; also histories and discourses with various srutis;
all of which having been seen by the Rishi Vyasa are here in due order
mentioned as a specimen of the book.

The Rishi Vyasa published this mass of knowledge in both a detailed and an
abridged form. It is the wish of the learned in the world to possess the
details and the abridgement. Some read the Bharata beginning with the
initial mantra (invocation), others with the story of Astika, others with
Uparichara, while some Brahmanas study the whole. Men of learning display
their various knowledge of the institutes in commenting on the composition.
Some are skilful in explaining it, while others, in remembering its