Shloka 27
अङ्गानि चतुरो वेदा मीमांसा न्यायविस्तरः पुराणं धर्मशास्त्रं च विद्या ह्य् एताश् चतुर्दश
aṅgāni caturo vedā mīmāṃsā nyāyavistaraḥ purāṇaṃ dharmaśāstraṃ ca vidyā hy etāś caturdaśa
The Vedāṅgas, the four Vedas, Mīmāṃsā, the extensive tradition of Nyāya, the Purāṇa, and the Dharmaśāstra—these indeed are the fourteen forms of sacred knowledge.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Classification of sacred knowledge (vidyā) and its canonical divisions.
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Sacred learning is organized into a structured corpus—Vedāṅgas, the four Vedas, Mīmāṃsā, Nyāya, Purāṇa, and Dharmaśāstra—forming fourteen recognized vidyās.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate balanced study: textual learning (śruti/smṛti) alongside reasoning and right conduct, so devotion is supported by clarity and dharma.
Vishishtadvaita: By including Purāṇa and Dharmaśāstra within authoritative vidyā, it supports the Viśiṣṭādvaita emphasis that devotion and right living are grounded in śāstra, not mere abstraction.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse classifies the major domains of sacred learning—Vedas with their auxiliaries, interpretive and logical systems, and dharma-oriented texts—showing how knowledge is organized to uphold dharma and right understanding.
He lists them as key disciplines that support scriptural comprehension: Mīmāṃsā grounds Vedic interpretation, while Nyāya provides rigorous reasoning to clarify and defend doctrinal meaning.
By including Purāṇa and Dharmaśāstra among the principal knowledges, the text affirms that narrative theology and practical dharma are integral to realizing and living the cosmic order ultimately rooted in the Supreme reality (Vishnu) taught throughout the Purāṇa.