Shloka 45
उपसंहारः, वैष्णवपुराण-प्रशंसा, फलश्रुति, परम्परा-प्रवहः (पाठ-श्रवण-फलम्)
ताभ्यां च नागराजाय प्रोक्तं वासुकये द्विज वासुकिः प्राह वत्साय वत्सश् चाश्वतराय वै
tābhyāṃ ca nāgarājāya proktaṃ vāsukaye dvija vāsukiḥ prāha vatsāya vatsaś cāśvatarāya vai
And by those two it was conveyed to the king of the Nāgas, O twice-born one—to Vāsuki. Vāsuki then taught it to Vatsa, and Vatsa indeed passed it on to Aśvatara.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Transmission of the sacred teaching through an authentic lineage (paramparā)
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Sacred knowledge is safeguarded and made efficacious when received through a faithful, unbroken line of transmission.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Seek instruction from a credible lineage and practice with fidelity rather than mixing teachings indiscriminately.
Vishishtadvaita: Revelation about the Supreme is mediated through divinely protected teachers, preserving right apprehension of the Lord’s nature.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse highlights that Purāṇic knowledge is preserved through an orderly chain of teachers, emphasizing continuity, authority, and dharma-based custodianship.
By naming successive transmitters—Vāsuki to Vatsa to Aśvatara—Parāśara shows that sacred instruction is not random but intentionally handed down through recognized holders of the tradition.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇa’s framework implies that rightful knowledge and cosmic order ultimately rest on Vishnu’s sovereignty, with lineages serving as instruments of that order.