Shloka 22
माषा मुद्गा मसूराश् च निष्पावाः सकुलत्थकाः आढक्यश् चणकाश् चैव शणाः सप्तदश स्मृताः
māṣā mudgā masūrāś ca niṣpāvāḥ sakulatthakāḥ āḍhakyaś caṇakāś caiva śaṇāḥ saptadaśa smṛtāḥ
Black gram (māṣa), green gram (mudga), and lentils (masūra); flat beans (niṣpāva) and kulattha; pigeon-pea (āḍhakī), chickpea (caṇaka), and śaṇa seed (hemp/flax): these are remembered in tradition as the seventeen varieties of pulses and seeds.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Which pulses and seeds are enumerated among sustaining plant kinds?
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: authoritative
Creation Stage: Secondary
Concept: The tradition’s careful enumeration of food varieties underscores dharmic stewardship of resources that uphold communal life.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice mindful diet and responsible cultivation—support biodiversity and share staples through annadāna and community care.
Vishishtadvaita: Diversity within creation is not illusory but a meaningful plurality within the single divine order, serving the needs of embodied jīvas.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse shows dharma operating at the practical level: even everyday foods are categorized and remembered as smṛti-guided norms, aligning personal conduct with the broader order upheld under Vishnu’s sovereignty.
Parāśara presents a traditional enumeration—naming specific pulses and seeds—indicating that dharma is preserved through received lists and classifications, not merely abstract principles.
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework treats dharma (including regulated diet) as part of the sustaining order of the world—ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the Supreme Reality who maintains cosmic and social stability.