Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

व्रीहयः सयवा माषा गोधूमा अणवस् तिलाः प्रियंगुसप्तमा ह्य् एता अष्टमास् तु कुलत्थकाः

Transliteration

vrīhayaḥ sayavā māṣā godhūmā aṇavas tilāḥ priyaṃgusaptamā hy etā aṣṭamās tu kulatthakāḥ

Translation

米、麦（大麦）、マーシャ（黒豆）、小麦、アヌ（パニックの種）と胡麻—この順に説かれる。第七はプリヤング、第八はクラッタである。創造においてこれらは主要な種と数えられ、至上主ヴィシュヌの恩寵により世界はこれらによって支えられる。

Word by Word

• व्रीहयः: rice grains
• व्रीहयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रीहि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सयवाः: (rice) with barley
• सयवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + यव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; सहार्थक-तत्पुरुष (‘यवैः सह’ = with barley)

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

• गोधूमाः: wheat
• गोधूमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोधूम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अणवः: aṇava-grain
• अणवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणु/अणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रियंगु-सप्तमाः: with priyaṅgu as the seventh
• प्रियंगु-सप्तमाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रियङ्गु (प्रातिपदिक) + सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थ (‘सप्तमाः’ = seventh; ‘प्रियङ्गु’ as item marking the 7th)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात — particle (emphasis)

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समूह-निर्देशे), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Nominative, Plural (referring to the listed items)

• अष्टमाः: the eighth
• अष्टमाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (ordinal ‘eighth’)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेष/विरोध — particle

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

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

FAQs

What is the significance of listing grains in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows creation as an ordered cosmos: even everyday sustenance (grains and pulses) is presented as part of a structured, intelligible world that ultimately depends on the Supreme Lord’s governance.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic order in this chapter?

Parāśara teaches by classification—naming kinds and ranks—so Maitreya understands that creation (sarga) is not random but arranged into recognizable groups that support life and dharma.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though the verse is a material catalogue, its placement in the creation account implies that all categories of nourishment and livelihood arise within Vishnu’s sovereign order, reinforcing him as the sustaining ground of the world.