Shloka 1
सामवेद–अथर्ववेदशाखाः, पुराणसंहिता, अष्टादशपुराणानि, विद्यास्थानानि
Sāma/Atharvan branches, Purāṇa compendium, 18 Purāṇas, knowledge taxonomy
सामवेदतरोः शाखा व्यासशिष्यः स जैमिनिः क्रमेण येन मैत्रेय बिभेद शृणु तन् मम
sāmavedataroḥ śākhā vyāsaśiṣyaḥ sa jaiminiḥ krameṇa yena maitreya bibheda śṛṇu tan mama
Hear from me, O Maitreya: how Jaimini, the disciple of Vyāsa, in due succession divided the branches of the Sāma Veda, that great tree of sacred song.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Vedic transmission and the systematic division of the Sāma Veda by Vyāsa’s disciple Jaimini
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Śruti is preserved through disciplined paramparā, where authoritative seers organize and transmit Vedic knowledge without loss.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Seek learning through authentic lineages and structured study, valuing fidelity to sources over novelty.
Vishishtadvaita: Reverence to śruti as the primary pramāṇa for knowing the supreme (Nārāyaṇa) aligns with Viśiṣṭādvaita’s scriptural foundation.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse frames the preservation of śruti through organized recensions, showing how Vedic knowledge is maintained across ages via authoritative lineages.
Parāśara presents a sequential, lineage-based account: Vyāsa teaches, and his disciple Jaimini then arranges the Sāma Veda into branches to ensure accurate continuity.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework treats cosmic order—including Vedic preservation and dharma—as sustained under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty.