Shloka 18
Mohinī-prashna
The Question about Mohinī
वेदाः प्रतिष्ठिताः सर्वे पुराणेष्वेव सर्वदा । बिभेत्यल्पश्रुताद्वेदो मामयं प्रहरिष्यति ॥ १८ ॥
vedāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ sarve purāṇeṣveva sarvadā | bibhetyalpaśrutādvedo māmayaṃ prahariṣyati || 18 ||
Alle Veden sind immerdar fest in den Purāṇa gegründet. Der Veda fürchtet den wenig Gebildeten und denkt: „Dieser wird mich schlagen (mich missbrauchen).“
Narada (teaching in the Uttara-Bhaga discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It asserts that Purāṇas preserve and communicate Vedic truth in an accessible way, while warning that partial study can lead to distortion of sacred knowledge.
By grounding Vedic meaning in Purāṇic narration, it supports Bhakti-oriented understanding—devotees learn Vedic dharma through Purāṇic stories and teachings without misreading technical passages.
It implies the need for disciplined śāstra-study—supported by Vedāṅgas like Vyākaraṇa (grammar) and Nirukta (etymology)—so Vedic statements are not misinterpreted by alpaśruta (insufficiently trained readers).