Shloka 7

Devanagari script

हिरण्यनाभशिष्यश् च चतुर्विंशतिसंहिताः प्रोवाच कृतिनामासौ शिष्येभ्यः सुमहामतिः

Transliteration

hiraṇyanābhaśiṣyaś ca caturviṃśatisaṃhitāḥ provāca kṛtināmāsau śiṣyebhyaḥ sumahāmatiḥ

Translation

And Kṛti—disciple of Hiraṇyanābha, a sage of vast intelligence—taught his own students the twenty-four Saṃhitās, ensuring the ordered transmission of sacred tradition.

Word by Word

• हिरण्यनाभशिष्यः: a disciple of Hiraṇyanābha
• हिरण्यनाभशिष्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यनाभ-शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'हिरण्यनाभस्य शिष्यः'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• चतुर्विंशतिसंहिताः: twenty-four saṃhitās
• चतुर्विंशतिसंहिताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्विंशति-संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास: 'चतुर्विंशतिः संहिताः' (twenty-four saṃhitās)

• प्रोवाच: taught/recited
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृतिनामा: named Kṛti
• कृतिनामा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतिनामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे नामधारक: 'कृतिः नाम यस्य' (having the name Kṛti)

• असौ: he (that one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• शिष्येभ्यः: to the disciples
• शिष्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• सुमहामतिः: of very great intellect
• सुमहामतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-महा-मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'सुमहा मति: यस्य' (very great-minded)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Ordered transmission of the Sāma-veda Saṃhitās: Kṛti (disciple of Hiraṇyanābha) teaching twenty-four Saṃhitās to his students

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śāstra endures through intelligent, faithful teachers who transmit a structured corpus (here, the twenty-four Saṃhitās) without dilution.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Study systematically under competent guidance; preserve curricula and avoid cherry-picking—treat learning as a disciplined trust.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord’s dharma as mediated through śruti and its guardians, supporting a Vishishtadvaitin emphasis on authoritative revelation (śabda-pramāṇa).

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyanābha
• Kṛti
• Śiṣyas (disciples)
• Saṃhitā tradition

FAQs

What is the significance of the twenty-four Saṃhitās mentioned in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse highlights the structured preservation of sacred knowledge: Kṛti transmits a defined corpus—twenty-four saṃhitās—through an authorized teaching lineage.

How does Sage Parāśara present the role of paramparā (lineage) in this passage?

Parāśara emphasizes continuity: knowledge is not random or private, but deliberately handed down from teacher to disciple, safeguarding dharma across generations.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named directly, the Purāṇa frames ordered transmission of śāstra as part of cosmic stability—ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s sovereignty as the sustainer of dharma and right knowledge.