Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सवनो द्युतिमान् भव्यो वसुर् मेधातिथिस् तथा ज्योतिष्मान् सप्तमः सत्यस् तत्रैते च महर्षयः

Transliteration

savano dyutimān bhavyo vasur medhātithis tathā jyotiṣmān saptamaḥ satyas tatraite ca maharṣayaḥ

Translation

Savana, Dyutimān, Bhavya, Vasu, and Medhātithi; Jyotiṣmān as the seventh, and Satya—these are the great Ṛṣis established there, in that Manvantara.

Word by Word

• सवनः: Savana
• सवनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (ऋषि-नाम), प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्युतिमान्: Dyutimān
• द्युतिमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्युतिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (ऋषि-नाम), प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त

• भव्यः: Bhavya
• भव्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (ऋषि-नाम), प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वसुः: Vasu
• वसुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (ऋषि-नाम), प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मेधातिथिः: Medhātithi
• मेधातिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधा-अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक; मेधा + अतिथि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (ऋषि-नाम), प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मेधायाः अतिथिः)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (also/likewise)

• ज्योतिष्मान्: Jyotiṣmān
• ज्योतिष्मान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिष्मत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (ऋषि-नाम), प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त

• सप्तमः: seventh
• सप्तमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सप्तन्-क्रमवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• सत्यः: Satya
• सत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (ऋषि-नाम), प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśādhi karaṇa (Place adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ऋषि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान्तः ऋषयः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Saptarṣi roster for the ninth Manvantara

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Daksha-savarni (9th)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Each Manvantara is sustained by a specific council of great ṛṣis who preserve revelation, ritual order, and dharma across ages.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Seek guidance from authentic teacher-lineages and cultivate a ‘ṛṣi-like’ life of truthfulness, study, and restraint.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s governance includes a living network of enlightened beings; plurality of sages serves the one divine purpose, supporting organic unity (śarīra-śarīrī-bhāva).

Characters & Entities

• Savana
• Dyutimān
• Bhavya
• Vasu
• Medhātithi
• Jyotiṣmān
• Satya
• Maharshis
• Saptarshi

FAQs

What is the significance of the Saptarshi list in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse preserves the Manvantara-specific roster of great Ṛṣis, marking how Vedic guardianship and dharma-administration are renewed in each cosmic cycle.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Manvantara framework here?

By enumerating the presiding sages for the period, Parāśara situates history within a recurring cosmic order where offices (like the Saptarshi) change with each Manvantara.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Manvantara structure and its appointed sages are understood as operating under Vishnu’s supreme governance of time, order, and dharma.