Chapter 26 — Vedas Analyzed

Literal. Shri Guru describes the Vedas: even Bharadwaj, told by Brahma he could have all the Vedas, was given only three handfuls and could not master even those. Vyasa divided the Vedas among four disciples (Pail-Rigveda, Vaishampayan-Yajurveda, Jaimini-Samaveda, Sumantu-Atharvaveda). Each Veda has its specifications: Rigveda is 5-Ratni tall with Atri-Gotra and Brahma as God; Yajurveda is 5-Ratni and thin, Bharadwaj-Gotra; Samaveda 6-Ratni; Atharvaveda has 9 parts and 5 Kalpas. No one can know all four fully.

Symbolic. The complete corpus is incomprehensible to any single agent; what each tradition holds is one of four sub-corpora, mediated through one of four named transmission lines.

Structural. Four Vedas, each with attributes (height, gotra, deity, chhand, upaveda). The chapter is a compressed taxonomy.