Shloka 4

भार्गवसर्गः, ऋषिवंशाः, वह्नयः (अग्निवंशः), पितृसृष्टिः

Devanagari script

प्राणश् चैव मृकण्डुश् च मार्कण्डेयो मृकण्डुतः ततो वेदशिरा जज्ञे प्राणस्यापि सुतं शृणु

Transliteration

prāṇaś caiva mṛkaṇḍuś ca mārkaṇḍeyo mṛkaṇḍutaḥ tato vedaśirā jajñe prāṇasyāpi sutaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

Trong dòng ấy sinh ra Prāṇa và Mṛkaṇḍu. Từ Mṛkaṇḍu có Mārkaṇḍeya; rồi Vedaśiras ra đời—nay hãy nghe thêm về người con của Prāṇa.

Word by Word

प्राणःPrāṇa (a sage named Prāṇa)

चand

एवindeed

मृकण्डुःMṛkaṇḍu (sage)

चand

मार्कण्डेयःMārkaṇḍeya (sage)

मृकण्डुतःfrom Mṛkaṇḍu

ततःthen

वेदशिराःVedaśiras (name; ‘head of the Veda’)

जज्ञेwas born

प्राणस्यof Prāṇa

अपिalso

सुतम्son

शृणुhear

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Genealogical enumeration of sages and their progeny within the creation narrative.

Teaching: Genealogical

Quality: authoritative, enumerative

Dynasty & Genealogy

Dharma Exemplar: Tapas/ṛṣi-dharma (ascetic integrity associated with Mārkaṇḍeya).

Key Kings: Prāṇa, Mṛkaṇḍu, Mārkaṇḍeya, Vedaśiras

Characters & Entities

Prāṇa (sage)

Mṛkaṇḍu (sage)

Mārkaṇḍeya (sage)

Vedaśiras (sage)

Parāśara

Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of rishi genealogies in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse models how dharma and Vedic knowledge are preserved through named successions of sages, presenting lineage as a mechanism of cosmic and social continuity.

How does Sage Parāśara explain lineage progression in this chapter?

Parāśara narrates births in a concise chain—naming progenitors and descendants—so Maitreya can track authoritative transmission across generations.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana frames ordered succession as part of Vishnu’s sustaining sovereignty—lineage becomes a sign of the world’s divinely upheld structure.