Shloka 21

वेदव्यासः, चातुर्होत्रम्, ऋग्वेदशाखाः

Vyāsa’s Veda-division and Ṛgveda lineages

Devanagari script

वेदमित्रस् तु शाकल्यः संहितां ताम् अधीतवान् चकार संहिताः पञ्च शिष्येभ्यः प्रददौ च ताः

Transliteration

vedamitras tu śākalyaḥ saṃhitāṃ tām adhītavān cakāra saṃhitāḥ pañca śiṣyebhyaḥ pradadau ca tāḥ

Translation

But Vedamitra Śākalya, having thoroughly mastered that Saṃhitā, arranged it into five Saṃhitās and bestowed those five upon his disciples.

Word by Word

• वेदमित्रः: Vedamitra
• वेदमित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘वेदस्य मित्रम्’ (नाम)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle)

• शाकल्यः: Śākalya
• शाकल्यः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपनाम/गोत्रनाम

• संहिताम्: the saṃhitā
• संहिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object-determiner/कर्म-निर्देशक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संहिताम् इति विशेष्यस्य सर्वनाम

• अधीतवान्: having studied / who had studied
• अधीतवान्: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + इ (धातु) → अधी- (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्तवतु (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘अधीतः’ = ‘studied/learnt’

• चकार: made / composed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• संहिताः: saṃhitās (collections)
• संहिताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karma (Object-quantifier/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्यावाचक-अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; द्वितीया-बहुवचनविशेषण (saṃhitāḥ)

• शिष्येभ्यः: to (his) disciples
• शिष्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• प्रददौ: gave / handed over
• प्रददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/and conjunction)

• ताः: those (them)
• ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; संहिताः इति विशेष्यस्य सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Further subdivision and stabilization of the Vedic corpus through scholarly arrangement and dissemination

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True mastery of śruti expresses itself in responsible organization and generous transmission to disciples, ensuring continuity of dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Deepen competence, then systematize and share knowledge ethically—teach, mentor, and preserve sources accurately.

Vishishtadvaita: Strengthens the Vishishtadvaita reliance on well-preserved śruti/śāstra as the basis for knowing Nārāyaṇa and practicing bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Vedamitra
• Śākalya
• Saṃhitā
• Śiṣyas (disciples)
• Vedic tradition (Śruti)

FAQs

What is the significance of dividing a Saṃhitā into multiple collections in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights how Vedic knowledge is preserved and made teachable through structured compilation and distribution to disciples, ensuring continuity across generations.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the continuity of Vedic learning?

By describing named transmitters who study, reorganize, and pass the Saṃhitās to students—showing an unbroken teacher-disciple lineage rather than a static text.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework treats the orderly preservation of the Veda as part of the cosmic order upheld under Vishnu’s supreme governance.