Shloka 18

वेदव्यास-परम्परा तथा प्रणव-ब्रह्म-स्तुति

Devanagari script

ऋक्षो ऽभूद् भार्गवस् तस्माद् वाल्मीकिर् यो ऽभिधीयते तस्माद् अस्मत्पिता शक्तिर् व्यासस् तस्माद् अहं मुने

Transliteration

ṛkṣo 'bhūd bhārgavas tasmād vālmīkir yo 'bhidhīyate tasmād asmatpitā śaktir vyāsas tasmād ahaṃ mune

Translation

From Bhārgava arose Ṛkṣa; from him came the sage renowned as Vālmīki. From Vālmīki was born our father Śakti; from Śakti came Vyāsa; and from Vyāsa, O sage, I was born.

Word by Word

• ऋक्षः: Ṛkṣa (a person named Ṛkṣa)
• ऋक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अभूत्: became/was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• भार्गवः: Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• भार्गवः: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from him/therefrom
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाल्मीकिः: Vālmīki
• वाल्मीकिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाल्मीकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अभिधीयते: is called/is named
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• तस्मात्: from him/therefrom
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्मत्पिता: our father
• अस्मत्पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): अस्माकं पिता

• शक्तिः: Śakti (name)
• शक्तिः: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from him/therefrom
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (continuing the genealogical narration to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Enumeration of Vyāsa-successions/ṛṣi-paramparā connected with Veda-arrangement across ages

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sacred knowledge is preserved through an unbroken succession of seers, establishing authority (prāmāṇya) via paramparā.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Approach scriptural study through a reliable teaching lineage and with humility toward transmitted wisdom.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms śāstra as a trustworthy means of knowing the Supreme and dharma through guru–paramparā rather than private invention.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārgava
• Ṛkṣa
• Vālmīki
• Śakti
• Vyāsa
• Parāśara

FAQs

What is the significance of listing rishi lineages in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse anchors the Purana’s authority in a recognized chain of sages, showing how sacred knowledge is preserved and transmitted through an authenticated lineage.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the flow of tradition in this passage?

By naming successive teachers and ancestors—up to Vyāsa and then himself—Parāśara presents the teaching as inherited, continuous, and rooted in established seer families.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this genealogical context?

Even when the verse is genealogical, the Vishnu Purana frames lineage as part of cosmic order (dharma) upheld by Vishnu, with sages serving as instruments for preserving Vishnu-centered revelation.