Shloka 24

मानवसर्गः, चातुर्वर्ण्य-गुणकर्म, यज्ञ-प्रतिपादनम्, आश्रमधर्म-फल, नरकवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

व्रीहयः सयवा माषा गोधूमा अणवस् तिलाः प्रियंगुसप्तमा ह्य् एता अष्टमास् तु कुलत्थकाः

Transliteration

vrīhayaḥ sayavā māṣā godhūmā aṇavas tilāḥ priyaṃgusaptamā hy etā aṣṭamās tu kulatthakāḥ

Translation

Rice, barley, māṣa (black gram), wheat, aṇu (panic-seed), and sesame are declared in order; the seventh is priyaṅgu, and the eighth is kulattha. In creation these are counted as the principal kinds, and by the grace of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu the world is sustained through them.

Word by Word

• व्रीहयः: rice grains
• व्रीहयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रीहि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सयवाः: (rice) with barley
• सयवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + यव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; सहार्थक-तत्पुरुष (‘यवैः सह’ = with barley)

• माषाः: black gram
• माषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गोधूमाः: wheat
• गोधूमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोधूम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अणवः: aṇava-grain
• अणवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणु/अणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रियंगु-सप्तमाः: with priyaṅgu as the seventh
• प्रियंगु-सप्तमाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रियङ्गु (प्रातिपदिक) + सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थ (‘सप्तमाः’ = seventh; ‘प्रियङ्गु’ as item marking the 7th)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात — particle (emphasis)

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समूह-निर्देशे), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Nominative, Plural (referring to the listed items)

• अष्टमाः: the eighth
• अष्टमाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (ordinal ‘eighth’)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेष/विरोध — particle

• कुलत्थकाः: horse-gram
• कुलत्थकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलत्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Which principal grains and pulses are foremost among those brought forth, and how do they sustain the ordered world under the Supreme?

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The staples that sustain society are to be understood as arising within creation and functioning under the Supreme Lord’s ordering power, inviting gratitude and offering.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Sanctify daily eating by offering food first (naivedya/thanksgiving), cultivate gratitude, and support others through annadāna.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord as jagat-kāraṇa whose governance pervades ordinary sustenance; the world’s real goods become avenues of devotion rather than obstacles to liberation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Jagat Karana: Yes

FAQs

What is the significance of listing grains in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows creation as an ordered cosmos: even everyday sustenance (grains and pulses) is presented as part of a structured, intelligible world that ultimately depends on the Supreme Lord’s governance.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic order in this chapter?

Parāśara teaches by classification—naming kinds and ranks—so Maitreya understands that creation (sarga) is not random but arranged into recognizable groups that support life and dharma.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though the verse is a material catalogue, its placement in the creation account implies that all categories of nourishment and livelihood arise within Vishnu’s sovereign order, reinforcing him as the sustaining ground of the world.