Shloka 9

Devanagari script

जैमिनिं सामवेदस्य तथैवाथर्ववेदवित् सुमन्तुस् तस्य शिष्यो ऽभूद् वेदव्यासस्य धीमतः

Transliteration

jaiminiṃ sāmavedasya tathaivātharvavedavit sumantus tasya śiṣyo 'bhūd vedavyāsasya dhīmataḥ

Translation

The wise Veda‑Vyāsa appointed Jaimini as master of the Sāma‑Veda; likewise Sumantu, knower of the Atharva‑Veda, became his disciple.

Word by Word

• जैमिनिम्: Jaimini
• जैमिनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जैमिनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• सामवेदस्य: of the Sāmaveda
• सामवेदस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामवेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (साम्नां वेदः), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/तुल्यत्व (thus, likewise)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed/just)

• अथर्ववेदवित्: knower of the Atharvaveda
• अथर्ववेदवित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अथर्ववेद + विद् (कृदन्त: क्विप्/वित्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अथर्ववेदं वेत्ति), ‘वित्’ (ज्ञाता) कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ (अग्रम् वाक्ये)

• सुमन्तुः: Sumantu
• सुमन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• शिष्यः: disciple
• शिष्यः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/प्रत्ययार्थ (predicate noun)

• अभूत्: became/was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वेदव्यासस्य: of Vedavyāsa
• वेदव्यासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदानां व्यासः), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• धीमतः: wise, intelligent
• धीमतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषण (वेदव्यासस्य)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Appointment of Sāma and Atharva custodians among Vyāsa’s disciples

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Different Vedic branches flourish through specialization under realized teachers while remaining unified in intent.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Honor both specialization and unity: master your discipline while recognizing the shared spiritual telos of all śāstras.

Vishishtadvaita: Many śākhās, one Lord—diverse revelations converge upon the same Nārāyaṇa-centered purport (tātparya).

Characters & Entities

• Veda-Vyāsa
• Jaimini
• Sumantu
• Sāma Veda
• Atharva Veda

FAQs

What is the significance of Jaimini in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse places Jaimini in the Vedic succession as the authority entrusted with the Sāma Veda, showing how Vyāsa ensured the preservation and orderly transmission of śruti.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the preservation of the Vedas here?

Parāśara describes a structured disciplic chain: Vyāsa assigns specific Vedic branches to qualified disciples, safeguarding the integrity of revelation through lineage rather than chance.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇic frame treats the Vedas and their transmission as part of dharma that upholds cosmic sovereignty—ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the sustaining Supreme Reality.