Shloka 2

सगरोपाख्यानम् (Sagara-Upākhyāna): Śiva’s boon and the extraordinary birth of Sagara’s progeny

Devanagari script

लोमश उवाच अद्विराजं महाशैलं मेरुं कनकपर्वतम्‌ । उदयास्तमने भानु: प्रदक्षिणमवर्तत,लोमशजीने कहा--राजन्‌! सूर्यदेव सुवर्णमय महान्‌ पर्वत गिरिराज मेरुकी उदय और अस्तके समय परिक्रमा किया करते हैं

Transliteration

Lomaśa uvāca—advirājaṁ mahāśailaṁ Meruṁ kanakaparvatam | udayāstamane bhānuḥ pradakṣiṇam avartata ||

Translation

Lomaśa sprach: „O König, zur Zeit von Sonnenaufgang und Sonnenuntergang bewegt sich der Sonnengott in ehrfürchtiger Umkreisung (pradakṣiṇa) um Meru — den Herrscher der Berge, einen gewaltigen Gipfel aus Gold.“

Word by Word

लोमशःLomasha (the sage)

उवाचsaid

अद्विराजम्the king of mountains

महाशैलम्the great mountain

मेरुम्Meru

कनकपर्वतम्the golden mountain

उदयास्तमनेat sunrise and sunset

भानुःthe Sun

प्रदक्षिणम्clockwise; keeping to the right

अवर्ततwent around; circled

Speaker

लोमश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Lomaśa

the King (राजन्)

Sūrya/Bhānu (the Sun)

Mount Meru

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the Sun is portrayed as honoring Meru through pradakṣiṇā, underscoring a dharmic ideal: greatness expresses itself through reverence toward what is held sacred and central to cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Lomaśa describes a cosmological marvel to the king: at sunrise and sunset the Sun is said to circle Mount Meru, presenting Meru as the golden axis of the world and a focal point of sacred geography.