Shloka 23

सामवेद–अथर्ववेदशाखाः, पुराणसंहिता, अष्टादशपुराणानि, विद्यास्थानानि

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

Devanagari script

वाराहं द्वादशं चैव स्कान्दं चात्र त्रयोदशम् चतुर्दशं वामनं च कौर्मं पञ्चदशं स्मृतम् मात्स्यं च गारुडं चैव ब्रह्माण्डं च ततः परम्

Transliteration

vārāhaṃ dvādaśaṃ caiva skāndaṃ cātra trayodaśam caturdaśaṃ vāmanaṃ ca kaurmaṃ pañcadaśaṃ smṛtam mātsyaṃ ca gāruḍaṃ caiva brahmāṇḍaṃ ca tataḥ param

Translation

The Vārāha Purāṇa is reckoned as the twelfth; the Skānda here as the thirteenth; the Vāmana as the fourteenth; and the Kaurma is remembered as the fifteenth. Thereafter come the Mātsya, the Gāruḍa, and then the Brahmāṇḍa.

Word by Word

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

• द्वादशम्: the twelfth
• द्वादशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Modifier (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

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

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'here/in this list')

• त्रयोदशम्: the thirteenth
• त्रयोदशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: trayodaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• चतुर्दशम्: the fourteenth
• चतुर्दशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

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

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

• कौर्मम्: the Kaurma (Kūrma Purāṇa)
• कौर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaurma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पुराणनाम

• पञ्चदशम्: the fifteenth
• पञ्चदशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcadaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/said
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

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

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

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Modifier (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the Brahmāṇḍa (Purāṇa)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma + aṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः अण्डम्) पुराणनाम

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

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha/Sequence (क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/अपादानार्थ (adverb: 'thereafter/from that')

• परम्: the next; subsequent
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (अन्तिम-पुराणस्य)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Completion of Purāṇa enumeration (remaining titles)

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Characters & Entities

• Vārāha Purāṇa
• Skānda Purāṇa
• Vāmana Purāṇa
• Kūrma Purāṇa
• Mātsya Purāṇa
• Gāruḍa Purāṇa
• Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa

FAQs

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

This verse places the Vishnu Purana within an organized Purāṇic canon, presenting sacred literature as a structured transmission of dharma and cosmological memory rather than isolated narratives.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Purāṇic tradition here?

Parāśara teaches Maitreya by enumerating Purāṇas in sequence, implying an inherited scholarly ordering that helps preserve and navigate the vast body of Purāṇic knowledge.

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

Even in a catalog-like passage, the Vishnu Purana frames scriptural order as part of the universe’s sustaining principle—an expression of the same sovereign reality associated with Vishnu as preserver and organizer of sacred time and teaching.