Shloka 29

यजुर्वेदशाखाः, याज्ञवल्क्य–वैशम्पायनसंवादः, सूर्यस्तुतिः

Yajurveda branches and Yājñavalkya’s solar revelation

Devanagari script

यजूंषि यैर् अधीतानि तानि विप्रैर् द्विजोत्तम वाजिनस् ते समाख्याताः सूर्यो ऽश्वः सो ऽभवद् यतः

Transliteration

yajūṃṣi yair adhītāni tāni viprair dvijottama vājinas te samākhyātāḥ sūryo 'śvaḥ so 'bhavad yataḥ

Translation

噫，二生中之最胜者！凡习得彼《夜柔》圣颂之婆罗门，皆称“婆阇因”；盖由此因缘，太阳化为马身。

Word by Word

यजूंषिYajus formulas

यैःby whom / with which (persons)

अधीतानिstudied/learnt

तानिthose

विप्रैःby the Brahmins

द्विजोत्तमO best of the twice-born

वाजिनःVājins (followers of the horse-form)

तेthose

समाख्याताःwere called/named

सूर्यःthe Sun

अश्वःa horse

सःhe

अभवत्became

यतःbecause / since

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why the Vājasaneyins are called Vājinas; the horse-form of Sūrya as origin marker

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Characters & Entities

Sūrya (Sun)

Aśva (Horse)

Vipras (Brahmins)

Yajus (Yajurveda)

FAQs

What is the significance of the term “Vājina” in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It is presented as a traditional designation for Brahmins associated with the study of the Yajus, explained through a mythic-etymological link to the Sun’s horse-form (swift, life-bearing solar power).

How does Sage Parāśara explain the origin of Vedic branch-names here?

He uses narrative etymology: groups are named according to an originating symbol or event—here, the Yajus-students are called Vājinas because of the associated emergence of the Sun as the Horse.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context, even if not named directly?

The verse situates Vedic learning and solar order within a Purāṇic cosmos ultimately governed by the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—whose sovereignty underwrites the regularity of the Sun and the authority of Vedic revelation.