Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.6.50
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesVyāsadeva Sorts the Vedic Jewels
“Śrīla Vyāsadeva separated the mantras of the Ṛg, Atharva, Yajur and Sāma Vedas into four divisions, just as one sorts out a mixed collection of jewels into piles. Thus he composed four distinct Vedic literatures.”
What the purport teaches
- When Lord Brahmā first spoke the four Vedas, their mantras were mixed together like an unsorted collection of jewels.
- Śrīla Vyāsadeva sorted these mantras into four divisions, called saṁhitās.
- These became the recognizable Ṛg, Atharva, Yajur and Sāma Vedas.
Try this today
Write down the names of the four Vedas and recall the image of carefully sorted jewels.
Ask yourself
How does the comparison to jewels help me appreciate the Vedic mantras?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.