Shloka 2
सामवेद–अथर्ववेदशाखाः, पुराणसंहिता, अष्टादशपुराणानि, विद्यास्थानानि
Sāma/Atharvan branches, Purāṇa compendium, 18 Purāṇas, knowledge taxonomy
सुमन्तुस् तस्य पुत्रो ऽभूत् सुकर्मास्याप्य् अभूत् सुतः अधीतवन्ताव् एकैकां संहितां तौ महामुनी
sumantus tasya putro 'bhūt sukarmāsyāpy abhūt sutaḥ adhītavantāv ekaikāṃ saṃhitāṃ tau mahāmunī
Sumantu became his son, and Sukarmā became the son of Sumantu. Those two great sages each fully mastered a single Saṃhitā, preserving its living stream through study and transmission.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Continuation of the Sāma Veda lineage after Jaimini and how Saṃhitās were mastered and preserved
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Learning becomes living tradition when each qualified teacher fully masters and transmits a complete Saṃhitā with accuracy.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Commit to depth over breadth: master one discipline thoroughly and pass it on responsibly.
Vishishtadvaita: Scriptural fidelity safeguards the truths about the Lord that ground devotion and right conduct.
Dharma Exemplar: Śruti-niṣṭhā (steadfast fidelity to Vedic learning)
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse highlights how the Veda is preserved through specific lineages—each great sage mastering and safeguarding a particular Saṃhitā—ensuring continuity of dharma across time.
Through a genealogical narration: Parāśara traces teachers and disciples, showing that disciplined study (adhyayana) and orderly succession maintain the Vedic tradition.
Even in a verse about human teachers, the Purāṇic frame implies Vishnu’s sovereignty: the cosmic order includes the protection of śruti, sustained through divinely aligned sages and their lineages.