Shloka 24
वेदव्यासः, चातुर्होत्रम्, ऋग्वेदशाखाः
Vyāsa’s Veda-division and Ṛgveda lineages
क्रौञ्चो वैतालकिस् तद्वद् बलाकश् च महामुनिः निरुक्तश् च चतुर्थो ऽभूद् वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः
krauñco vaitālakis tadvad balākaś ca mahāmuniḥ niruktaś ca caturtho 'bhūd vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ
Krauñca, and likewise Vaitālaki; and Balāka, that great sage—Nirukta was the fourth among them, a master who had crossed to the far shore of the Veda and all its auxiliary sciences.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Enumerating the teachers and recensions that secure śruti and its meaning
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: The world’s order is upheld as sacred knowledge is preserved, ultimately under Viṣṇu’s sovereign governance as inner ruler of dharma.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Honor and support authentic teachers and institutions that preserve wisdom; align learning with devotion and ethical living.
Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin governance: Viṣṇu sustains cosmic order through the maintenance of śruti and dharma while remaining the transcendent Lord.
Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Antaryamin: Yes
FAQs
The verse highlights a sage described as vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ—fully accomplished in the Veda and its auxiliary sciences—showing that Vedic meaning, practice, and continuity depend on disciplined interpretive traditions, not merely recitation.
By listing specific rishis and their attainments, Parāśara frames Vedic preservation as a lineage-based transmission in each age, where qualified seers safeguard pronunciation, meaning, and application of the scriptures.
Even when the verse names human sages, the Purāṇic frame treats their learning and authority as functioning within Viṣṇu’s overarching governance—Vedic order and dharma endure because the Supreme Reality sustains the world through such instruments.