Shloka 8
वेदव्यास-परम्परा तथा प्रणव-ब्रह्म-स्तुति
यस्मिन् मन्वन्तरे ये ये व्यासास् तांस् तान् निबोध मे यथा च भेदः शाखानां व्यासेन क्रियते मुने
yasmin manvantare ye ye vyāsās tāṃs tān nibodha me yathā ca bhedaḥ śākhānāṃ vyāsena kriyate mune
In each Manvantara, whoever the Vyāsas may be—learn of them from me, one by one; and, O sage, understand also how the Vyāsa brings about the differentiation of the Vedic branches (śākhās).
Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)
Speaker: Maitreya
Topic: Vyāsa succession in each Manvantara and the method of dividing the Vedic śākhās
Teaching: Historical
Quality: inquisitive and systematic
Creation Stage: Manvantara
Concept: Across Manvantaras, the Veda is preserved through appointed Vyāsas who systematize its branches for transmission.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Study and teach scripture with disciplined structure, adapting pedagogy without altering the essence.
Vishishtadvaita: Scriptural order (śāstra-vyavasthā) is a divine arrangement serving the world, implying an overseeing Lord who sustains revelation through time.
FAQs
This verse frames history as cyclical: in every Manvantara a Vyāsa appears to safeguard revelation by reorganizing Vedic knowledge for that age.
He signals that Vyāsa is the agent who differentiates and systematizes śākhās—an intentional structuring of the Veda to ensure continuity of learning and practice.
Even when not named directly, the Manvantara order and the recurring preservation of the Veda imply Vishnu’s sovereign governance of cosmic time and dharma through appointed sages like Vyāsa.