Shloka 36

कलियुग-प्रवृत्तिः, सप्तर्षि-गणना, धरणीगीताः, च वंश-समाप्तिः

Kali-yuga onset, Saptarṣi reckoning, Dharaṇī-gītā, and closure of the dynastic account

Devanagari script

बहुत्वान् नामधेयानां परिसंख्या कुले कुले पुनरुक्तबहुत्वात् तु न मया परिकीर्तिता

Transliteration

bahutvān nāmadheyānāṃ parisaṃkhyā kule kule punaruktabahutvāt tu na mayā parikīrtitā

Translation

In every lineage the names are so many that their full count becomes vast; and because such abundance would cause repeated mention, I have not recited them in detail.

Word by Word

• बहुत्वात्: because of the multitude
• बहुत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• नामधेयानाम्: of the names
• नामधेयानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामधेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• परिसंख्या: the enumeration/count
• परिसंख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिसंख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुले: in a lineage
• कुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• कुले: in each lineage
• कुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (kule kule = 'in each lineage')

• पुनरुक्तबहुत्वात्: because of repeated multiplicity
• पुनरुक्तबहुत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुनरुक्त + बहुत्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुनरुक्तस्य बहुत्वम्)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• परिकीर्तिता: has been recounted
• परिकीर्तिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु) → परिकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Limitations of listing exhaustive genealogical names across many lineages

Teaching: Genealogical

Quality: authoritative

FAQs

What is the significance of genealogical omissions in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse explains that dynastic names are extremely numerous across families, so the narrator intentionally avoids exhaustive repetition and instead provides a curated lineage to preserve clarity and narrative flow.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the structure of dynasty narration to Maitreya?

Parāśara indicates a deliberate editorial principle: because repeated names and extensive counts would recur across lineages, he summarizes rather than listing every individual, keeping the teaching intelligible within the larger Purāṇic framework.

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

Even in genealogical sections, the Purāṇa frames history as orderly succession under Vishnu’s overarching sovereignty—dynasties rise and continue within dharma and cosmic order ultimately grounded in the Supreme Reality.