Shloka 17
वेदव्यास-परम्परा तथा प्रणव-ब्रह्म-स्तुति
अथ हर्यात्मनो वेनः स्मृतो वाजश्रवास् तु यः सोमः शुष्मायणस् तस्मात् तृणबिन्दुर् इति स्मृतः
atha haryātmano venaḥ smṛto vājaśravās tu yaḥ somaḥ śuṣmāyaṇas tasmāt tṛṇabindur iti smṛtaḥ
Now, from Haryātmā is remembered Vena; and from Vena, Vājaśravas—also known as Soma, the son of Śuṣmāyaṇa. From him arose the one famed as Tṛṇabindu.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Continuation of sage/royal genealogical succession connected to cosmic order and traditional remembrance (smṛti)
Teaching: Genealogical
Quality: systematic
Key Kings: Haryātmā, Vena, Vājaśravas (Soma), Śuṣmāyaṇa, Tṛṇabindu
Vishnu Form: Hari
FAQs
This verse exemplifies how the Vishnu Purana treats lineage as sacred history—mapping the flow of dharma, authority, and cultural memory through named ancestors.
He presents them as received tradition—using terms like “smṛtaḥ” (“is remembered/recorded”)—signaling an authoritative chain of remembrance rather than a speculative account.
Even in seemingly historical lists, the Purana frames kings and sages as operating within Vishnu’s cosmic order—so genealogy becomes a record of how sovereignty and dharma unfold under the Supreme Reality.