Shloka 21

सामवेद–अथर्ववेदशाखाः, पुराणसंहिता, अष्टादशपुराणानि, विद्यास्थानानि

Sāma/Atharvan branches, Purāṇa compendium, 18 Purāṇas, knowledge taxonomy

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च शैवं भागवतं तथा तथान्यं नारदीयं च मार्कण्डेयं च सप्तमम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṃ pādmaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ ca śaivaṃ bhāgavataṃ tathā tathānyaṃ nāradīyaṃ ca mārkaṇḍeyaṃ ca saptamam

Translation

The Brāhma, the Pādma, the Vaiṣṇava, and the Śaiva; likewise the Bhāgavata; and then the Nāradiya and the Mārkaṇḍeya—these are counted as the seventh set.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मम्: the Brāhma (Purāṇa)
• ब्राह्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेष्य-पुराणनाम (title)

• पाद्मम्: the Pādma (Purāṇa)
• पाद्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पुराणनाम

• वैष्णवम्: the Vaiṣṇava (Purāṇa)
• वैष्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पुराणनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• शैवम्: the Śaiva (Purāṇa)
• शैवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पुराणनाम

• भागवतम्: the Bhāgavata (Purāṇa)
• भागवतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāgavata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पुराणनाम

• तथा: likewise; also
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb/particle: 'likewise/also')

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्त-समुच्चयार्थ (repeated for enumeration)

• अन्यम्: another (one)
• अन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (पुराणनाम-सम्बन्धि)

• नारदीयम्: the Nāradiya (Purāṇa)
• नारदीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāradīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पुराणनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• मार्कण्डेयम्: the Mārkaṇḍeya (Purāṇa)
• मार्कण्डेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पुराणनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• सप्तमम्: the seventh
• सप्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Purāṇa-classification and enumeration (naming/ordering of Purāṇas)

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Characters & Entities

• Brāhma Purāṇa
• Pādma Purāṇa
• Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa
• Śaiva Purāṇa
• Bhāgavata Purāṇa
• Nāradiya Purāṇa
• Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the significance of listing Purāṇas in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse situates the Vishnu Purana within a wider Purāṇic canon, presenting an ordered map of authoritative texts used to transmit dharma, cosmology, and sacred history.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Purāṇic tradition to Maitreya here?

Parāśara teaches by enumeration—naming recognized Purāṇas in sequence—so Maitreya understands the broader scriptural landscape that supports teachings on universal order and religious practice.

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

Even when naming multiple sectarian Purāṇas, the Vishnu Purana frames revelation as a coherent tradition; in Vaishnava reading, these bodies of lore ultimately converge on the governance of cosmic order under the Supreme Reality, Vishnu.