Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एवम् उक्तो ददौ तस्मै यजूंषि भगवान् रविः अयातयामसंज्ञानि यानि वेत्ति न तद्गुरुः

Transliteration

evam ukto dadau tasmai yajūṃṣi bhagavān raviḥ ayātayāmasaṃjñāni yāni vetti na tadguruḥ

Translation

Thus addressed, the blessed Ravi bestowed upon him the Yajus formulas—those famed as the Ayātayāma recensions—which even his former teacher did not know.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• उक्तः: having been addressed
• उक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; रविः-विशेषण (‘addressed/asked’)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• यजूंषि: Yajus formulas
• यजूंषि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भगवान्: the blessed/lordly
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of रविः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (honorific)

• रविः: the Sun
• रविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अयातयामसंज्ञानि: known as ‘ayātayāma’ (unworn/uncorrupted)
• अयातयामसंज्ञानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयातयाम (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘अयातयामस्य संज्ञा येषाम्’ (having the designation ‘ayātayāma’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, बहुवचन; यजूंषि-विशेषण

• यानि: which
• यानि: Sambandha (Relative link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriya (Relative clause verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• तद्गुरुः: his teacher
• तद्गुरुः: Karta (Subject of वेत्ति in negated sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘तस्य गुरुः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The bestowal of Ayātayāma Yajus formulas by Sūrya to Yājñavalkya

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mantra-śakti is portrayed as a divine endowment: devatā-bestowed revelation can establish new śākhā authority within Vedic tradition.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat sacred texts and practices as living transmissions requiring purity, discipline, and responsible stewardship.

Vishishtadvaita: Revelation is personal and grace-given, yet ordered—knowledge descends through divinely governed channels rather than human autonomy alone.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Surya)
• Yajus (Yajurveda)
• Guru (teacher figure)

FAQs

What is the significance of Ayātayāma in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse highlights a distinguished body of Yajus-mantras called “Ayātayāma,” portrayed as exceptionally authoritative and subtle—so much so that their source is divine (Ravi) rather than merely scholastic transmission.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the transmission of Vedic knowledge here?

Parāśara frames Vedic knowledge as something that can be directly bestowed by a cosmic deity (the Sun), implying that sacred authority ultimately flows from the divine order rather than only from a human teacher-student lineage.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when the verse names Ravi, the Vishnu Purana’s theology treats such deities as operating within the Supreme’s cosmic governance—affirming that true scriptural potency and order are grounded in the higher sovereignty associated with Vishnu.