Shloka 22

मानवसर्गः, चातुर्वर्ण्य-गुणकर्म, यज्ञ-प्रतिपादनम्, आश्रमधर्म-फल, नरकवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

माषा मुद्गा मसूराश् च निष्पावाः सकुलत्थकाः आढक्यश् चणकाश् चैव शणाः सप्तदश स्मृताः

Transliteration

māṣā mudgā masūrāś ca niṣpāvāḥ sakulatthakāḥ āḍhakyaś caṇakāś caiva śaṇāḥ saptadaśa smṛtāḥ

Translation

Urad (māṣa), mung (mudga) y lenteja (masūra); frijol plano (niṣpāva) y kulattha; guisante de paloma (āḍhakī), garbanzo (caṇaka) y semilla de śaṇa (cáñamo/lino): la tradición recuerda éstos como diecisiete variedades de legumbres y semillas.

Word by Word

• माषाः: black gram
• माषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मुद्गाः: green gram
• मुद्गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मसूराः: lentils
• मसूराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मसूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय — conjunction

• निष्पावाः: niṣpāva beans
• निष्पावाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्पाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सकुलत्थकाः: together with horse-gram
• सकुलत्थकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + कुलत्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; सहार्थक-तत्पुरुष (‘कुलत्थकैः सह/सहिताः’)

• आढक्यः: āḍhakī pulse
• आढक्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आढकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• चणकाः: chickpeas
• चणकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय — conjunction

• एव: also/indeed
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण — particle

• शणाः: hemp/flax seeds
• शणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सप्तदश: seventeen
• सप्तदश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तदश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-प्रथमा (गणनार्थ), संख्या-विशेषण — Numeral adjective ‘seventeen’

• स्मृताः: are remembered/are said
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

FAQs

What is the significance of food classification in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows dharma operating at the practical level: even everyday foods are categorized and remembered as smṛti-guided norms, aligning personal conduct with the broader order upheld under Vishnu’s sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain dietary order in this chapter?

Parāśara presents a traditional enumeration—naming specific pulses and seeds—indicating that dharma is preserved through received lists and classifications, not merely abstract principles.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework treats dharma (including regulated diet) as part of the sustaining order of the world—ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the Supreme Reality who maintains cosmic and social stability.