Shloka 15
The Orbit of the Sun, the Measure of Day and Night, and the Sun-God’s Chariot
रथनीडस्तु षट्त्रिंशल्लक्षयोजनायतस्तत्तुरीयभागविशालस्तावान् रविरथयुगो यत्र हयाश्छन्दोनामान: सप्तारुणयोजिता वहन्ति देवमादित्यम् ॥ १५ ॥
ratha-nīḍas tu ṣaṭ-triṁśal-lakṣa-yojanāyatas tat-turīya-bhāga-viśālas tāvān ravi-ratha-yugo yatra hayāś chando-nāmānaḥ saptāruṇa-yojitā vahanti devam ādityam.
O King, the carriage of the sun-god’s chariot is said to be 3,600,000 yojanas long and one-fourth as wide; the yoke is of the same width. Seven horses, named for Vedic meters such as Gāyatrī, are harnessed by Aruṇadeva, and they ceaselessly bear Aditya-deva onward.
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is stated:
FAQs
In Canto 5, Chapter 21, the Bhagavatam describes the Sun’s chariot platform and yoke in vast yojana measures and states that seven horses—named after the Vedic metres (chandas)—carry the Sun-god, with Aruṇa as the one who yokes and guides them.
Śukadeva explains cosmic structure and the movements of luminaries to show the ordered governance of the universe under divine arrangement, strengthening Parīkṣit’s understanding of the Lord’s supremacy and the purposeful design behind creation.
It encourages reverence for divine order, reminds one that time and light are sacred gifts, and inspires disciplined living—using each day (guided by the Sun) for sādhana, remembrance of God, and gratitude.