Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.7.1
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesVedic Knowledge Passed from Teacher to Disciple
“Sūta Gosvāmī said: Sumantu Ṛṣi, the authority on the Atharva Veda, taught his saṁhitā to his disciple Kabandha, who in turn spoke it to Pathya and Vedadarśa.”
What the purport teaches
- Sumantu Ṛṣi, an authority on the Atharva Veda, taught his saṁhitā to his disciple Kabandha.
- Kabandha divided this collection into two parts and passed them to Vedadarśa and Pathya.
- The Viṣṇu Purāṇa confirms this account and describes Sumantu’s brilliance as immeasurable.
Try this today
Write the teaching succession from Sumantu through Kabandha to his two disciples.
Ask yourself
How does knowing who taught whom help you appreciate the care behind these teachings?
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.