Shloka 19
वेदव्यासः, चातुर्होत्रम्, ऋग्वेदशाखाः
Vyāsa’s Veda-division and Ṛgveda lineages
इन्द्रप्रमतिर् एकां तु संहितां स्वसुतं ततः माण्डुकेयं महात्मानं मैत्रेयाध्यापयत् तदा
indrapramatir ekāṃ tu saṃhitāṃ svasutaṃ tataḥ māṇḍukeyaṃ mahātmānaṃ maitreyādhyāpayat tadā
Then Indrapramati transmitted one recension of the Saṃhitā to his own son; and at that time he instructed the great-souled Mānḍūkeya, who in turn taught it to Maitreya.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How Maitreya is connected to the Vedic transmission lineage (who taught whom)
Teaching: Historical
Quality: revealing
Concept: Spiritual and scriptural authority is authenticated by transparent teacher–student succession, culminating here in Maitreya’s reception of the tradition.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Seek learning under accountable teachers; honor sources and lineages when teaching others.
Vishishtadvaita: Supports the Vishishtadvaita emphasis on śāstra-guru paramparā as the means to know the personal Supreme (Viṣṇu) truly.
FAQs
This verse emphasizes textual authority by showing an unbroken chain of transmission—one recognized recension is handed down through named teachers until it reaches Maitreya.
By narrating who taught whom, Parāśara anchors the Purāṇa in a living oral tradition, presenting the teaching as received and faithfully conveyed rather than newly invented.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the verse supports a Vaishnava view of cosmic order: sacred knowledge about the Supreme Reality is safeguarded through disciplined lineage so dharma and right understanding endure across ages.