Shloka 59

Parīkṣit’s Final Absorption, Takṣaka’s Bite, Janamejaya’s Snake Sacrifice, and the Vedic Sound-Lineage

Devanagari script

बाष्कलि: प्रतिशाखाभ्यो वालखिल्याख्यसंहिताम् । चक्रे वालायनिर्भज्य: काशारश्चैव तां दधु: ॥ ५९ ॥

Transliteration

bāṣkaliḥ prati-śākhābhyo vālakhilyākhya-saṁhitām cakre vālāyanir bhajyaḥ kāśāraś caiva tāṁ dadhuḥ

Translation

บาษกะลิได้รวบรวม ‘วาลขิลยะ-สํหิตา’ จากทุกสาขาแห่งฤคเวท แล้ววาลายะนี ภัชยะ และกาศาระได้รับไว้และสืบทอดรักษาไว้ตามสายศิษย์อาจารย์

Synonyms

• bāṣkaliḥ: Bāṣkali
• bāṣkaliḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṣkali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• prati-śākhābhyaḥ: for the respective branches
• prati-śākhābhyaḥ: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati (अव्यय) + śākhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन — Feminine, Ablative/Dative plural; अव्ययीभावसमास (prati + śākhā) meaning ‘for each branch’; here: dative/benefactive sense

• vālakhilya-ākhya-saṁhitām: the saṁhitā called ‘Vālakhilya’
• vālakhilya-ākhya-saṁhitām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālakhilya (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular; ‘वाळखिल्य-आख्या’ इति विशेषणपूर्वक तत्पुरुष

• cakre: made/compiled
• cakre: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person singular (ātmanepada)

• vālāyaniḥ: Vālāyani
• vālāyaniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālāyani (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• bhajyaḥ: (having) divided
• bhajyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhajya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhaj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य) ‘to be divided/one who divided’ (contextually: ‘having divided’)

• kāśāraḥ: Kāśāra
• kāśāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic/only)

• tām: that (saṁhitā)
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular (pronoun)

• dadhuḥ: held/maintained (transmitted)
• dadhuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person plural

Purport

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Vālāyani, Bhajya and Kāśāra belonged to the Daitya community.

Characters & Entities

• Bāṣkali
• Vālāyani
• Kāśāra

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about how Vedic texts were preserved through different shakhas?

This verse explains that Vedic knowledge was maintained through multiple branch traditions (pratiśākhās), with teachers compiling, dividing, and preserving specific Saṁhitās such as the Vālakhilya.

Who are Bāṣkali, Vālāyani, and Kāśāra in Bhagavatam 12.6?

They are Vedic tradition-bearers mentioned in the Bhagavatam’s account of textual transmission: Bāṣkali compiles the Vālakhilya Saṁhitā, Vālāyani divides it, and Kāśāra preserves that same recension.

Practical application of the Bhagavatam’s teaching on paramparā in modern life?

The verse highlights careful preservation and faithful transmission—practically, it encourages learning sacred texts from authentic lineages, keeping accurate study notes, and passing teachings on responsibly without distortion.