Shloka 1
यजुर्वेदशाखाः, याज्ञवल्क्य–वैशम्पायनसंवादः, सूर्यस्तुतिः
Yajurveda branches and Yājñavalkya’s solar revelation
यजुर्वेदतरोः शाखाः सप्तविंशन् महामतिः वैशम्पायननामासौ व्यासशिष्यश् चकार वै
yajurvedataroḥ śākhāḥ saptaviṃśan mahāmatiḥ vaiśampāyananāmāsau vyāsaśiṣyaś cakāra vai
From the great tree of the Yajurveda, the wise Vaiśampāyana—disciple of Vyāsa—indeed brought forth twenty-seven sacred branches.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Vedic transmission and the branching of the Yajurveda through Vyasa’s disciple Vaiśampāyana
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Śruti is preserved through disciplined guru-śiṣya paramparā, where each branch is safeguarded by competent transmitters.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Seek authentic teachers, study with rigor, and transmit learning responsibly without distortion.
Vishishtadvaita: Knowledge of Brahman (Nārāyaṇa) is mediated through sanctioned śāstra and living tradition, not private invention.
FAQs
This verse frames Vedic knowledge as a living tradition: Vaiśampāyana multiplies the Yajurveda into 27 śākhās so that dharma and ritual order can be preserved and taught through many disciplic lineages.
By presenting a guru–śiṣya chain—Vyāsa to Vaiśampāyana—Parāśara emphasizes that revelation is safeguarded through authorized transmission, not merely through texts, sustaining the cosmic and social order.
Even when not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s framework treats the Veda and its preservation as part of Vishnu’s governance of dharma—sacred knowledge continuing through time is a sign of the Supreme Reality’s sustaining power.