Shloka 19

वेदव्यास-परम्परा तथा प्रणव-ब्रह्म-स्तुति

Devanagari script

जातुकर्णो ऽभवन् मत्तः कृष्णद्वैपायनस् ततः अष्टाविंशतिर् इत्य् एते वेदव्यासाः पुरातनाः

Transliteration

jātukarṇo 'bhavan mattaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanas tataḥ aṣṭāviṃśatir ity ete vedavyāsāḥ purātanāḥ

Translation

From me arose Jātukarṇa; and after him came Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa). Thus, these are remembered as twenty-eight ancient Vyāsas, the venerable arrangers of the Veda from age to age.

Word by Word

• जातुकर्णः: Jātukarṇa
• जातुकर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातुकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• मत्तः: from me
• मत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृष्णद्वैपायनः: Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• कृष्णद्वैपायनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वैपायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: कृष्णः द्वैपायनः (name)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (adverb: 'then/thereafter')

• अष्टाविंशतिः: twenty-eight
• अष्टाविंशतिः: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टाविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्या (numeral)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-suchaka (Quotative/इत्यर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

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

• वेदव्यासाः: Veda-compilers (Vyāsas)
• वेदव्यासाः: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वेदानां व्यासाः (arrangers of the Veda)

• पुरातनाः: ancient
• पुरातनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in dialogue with Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Vyāsa-figures recur age after age to arrange the Veda

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Vedic preservation is periodic: enlightened arrangers (Vyāsas) arise in cycles to sustain revelation for each age’s capacity.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat scriptural transmission as a living stewardship—support learning, teaching, and careful preservation rather than assuming knowledge persists automatically.

Vishishtadvaita: Supports the idea of the Lord’s providential governance of śāstra-history through empowered seers (śakti-āveśa) for the good of souls.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Dharma Exemplar: Śāstra-rakṣaṇa (preservation of Veda)

Characters & Entities

• Jātukarṇa
• Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vedavyāsa)
• Veda
• Vedavyāsa (office/title)

FAQs

What is the significance of the twenty-eight Vyāsas in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Vyāsa as a recurring role: across ages, multiple Vyāsas arise to reorganize and safeguard the Veda so dharma and right knowledge remain accessible as time declines.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the succession of Vyāsas?

Parāśara presents a sequential lineage—naming Jātukarṇa and then Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana—culminating in a total count of twenty-eight ancient Vyāsas, emphasizing continuity rather than a single historical compiler.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named directly, the ordered reappearance of Vyāsas reflects Vaishnava cosmology: the Supreme Reality sustains the world through time by ensuring the Veda is preserved and re-presented for each age.