Shloka 16
Mohinī-prashna
The Question about Mohinī
स्मृतिर्वेदः क्रियावेदः पुराणेषु प्रतिष्ठितः । पुराणपुंरुषाज्जातं यथेदं जगदद्भुतम् ॥ १६ ॥
smṛtirvedaḥ kriyāvedaḥ purāṇeṣu pratiṣṭhitaḥ | purāṇapuṃruṣājjātaṃ yathedaṃ jagadadbhutam || 16 ||
Smṛti, die Veda und die Kriyā-Veda — die Veda des rituellen Handelns — sind fest in den Purāṇas verankert; und aus dem Purāṇa-Puruṣa, der kosmischen Person, die als Purāṇa Gestalt annimmt, geht dieses wunderbare Universum hervor.
Sage Narada (teaching within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It declares the Purāṇas as a living repository where Veda (revelation), Smṛti (applied dharma), and kriyā (ritual discipline) are integrated, and it elevates the Purāṇa itself as a cosmic principle (Purāṇa-Puruṣa) from which the world’s order is understood.
By grounding sacred practice in the Purāṇas, it supports Purāṇic bhakti as Veda-aligned: devotion is not separate from scriptural authority but is nourished through Purāṇic teaching that unites knowledge, conduct, and worship.
The verse points to kriyā-veda—practical ritual procedure—implying the Purāṇas preserve applied śāstric guidance (vidhi) for dharma and worship, aligned with Vedic ritual frameworks.