Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सर्वमन्वन्तरेष्व् एवं शाखाभेदाः समाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

sarvamanvantareṣv evaṃ śākhābhedāḥ samāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Thus, in every Manvantara, these divisions of the Vedic branches are remembered as the same, preserved in an unbroken continuity through the cycles of time.

Word by Word

• sarvam: all, the whole
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (adjectival)

• anvantareṣu: in the manvantaras (periods of Manu)
• anvantareṣu: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक) + anu- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; ‘अन्वन्तर’ इति रूपम्

• evam: thus, in this manner
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• śākhābhedāḥ: divisions of branches (recensions)
• śākhābhedāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākhā (प्रातिपदिक) + bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śākhāyāḥ bhedāḥ)

• samāḥ: equal, the same
• samāḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/are said
• smṛtāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) → smṛta (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Continuity of Vedic śākhā-divisions across Manvantaras

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Across Manvantara cycles, the recognized divisions of Vedic branches persist in an unbroken continuity of śruti-transmission.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Honor authentic lineages of learning while recognizing that sacred knowledge is preserved through disciplined continuity over time.

Vishishtadvaita: Śruti is upheld as a stable, authoritative means of knowing the Supreme, preserved through cosmic cycles under divine order.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Manu

FAQs

What is the significance of the Manvantara cycle in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse highlights that Manvantaras are recurring cosmic administrations, yet the core structure of sacred knowledge—Vedic branch-divisions—remains stable across them, reflecting an enduring universal order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain continuity of tradition across cosmic cycles?

By stating that the śākhā-bhedas are “the same in every Manvantara,” Parāśara emphasizes cyclical time without loss of dharma: transmission persists through regulated cosmic repetition.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when not named directly, the Purana’s framework implies Vishnu’s preservative sovereignty: the stability of śruti and dharma across Manvantaras points to a supreme sustaining principle governing cosmic continuity.