Shloka 4

Devanagari script

हिरण्यनाभः कौसल्यः पौष्पिञ्जिश् च द्विजोत्तम उदीच्याः सामगाः शिष्यास् तस्य पञ्चदश स्मृताः

Transliteration

hiraṇyanābhaḥ kausalyaḥ pauṣpiñjiś ca dvijottama udīcyāḥ sāmagāḥ śiṣyās tasya pañcadaśa smṛtāḥ

Translation

O best of Brahmins, among them are remembered Hiraṇyanābha, Kausalya, and Pauṣpiñji; and the Udīcya Sāmagas—fifteen disciples in all—are traditionally recorded in his line of instruction.

Word by Word

• हिरण्यनाभः: Hiraṇyanābha
• हिरण्यनाभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य-नाभ (प्रातिपदिक; हिरण्य + नाभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (हिरण्यवत् नाभिः यस्य)

• कौसल्यः: Kausalya
• कौसल्यः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौसल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पौष्पिञ्जिः: Pauṣpiñji
• पौष्पिञ्जिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष्पिञ्जि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (द्विजानाम् उत्तमः)

• उदीच्याः: northern
• उदीच्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदीच्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सामगाः: Sāma-chanters
• सामगाः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शिष्याः: disciples
• शिष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पञ्चदश: fifteen
• पञ्चदश: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चदश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनार्थे; समासः—द्वन्द्व/संख्यासमाहार (पञ्च + दश)

• स्मृताः: are remembered / are said
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Names and groupings of Sāma-veda disciples, including the Udīcya Sāmagas

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Dynasty & Genealogy

Dharma Exemplar: Ācārya-sevā and śruti-rakṣaṇa (service to teacher; protection of Veda)

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyanābha
• Kausalya
• Pauṣpiñji
• Udīcya Sāmagas

FAQs

What is the significance of listing Sāmagas and their disciples in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse functions as a record of Sāma Veda transmission, preserving the authority of specific teachers and regional schools through named disciples and counted lineages.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the continuity of Vedic tradition here?

By naming teachers and identifying their disciples (including regional groups like the Udīcyas), Parāśara presents Vedic knowledge as an unbroken paramparā maintained across generations.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when the verse is genealogical, the Vishnu Purana frames such order—memory, lineage, and dharma—as sustained within Vishnu’s cosmic sovereignty, where sacred knowledge is preserved as part of universal governance.