Shloka 29

Adhyaya 61 — ग्रह-नक्षत्र-स्थाननिर्णयः

Cosmic Abodes of Luminaries and the Shaiva Order of Time

Devanagari script

द्विगुणः सूर्यविस्ताराद् विस्तारः शशिनः स्मृतः तुल्यस्तयोस्तु स्वर्भानुर् भूत्वाधस्तात्प्रसर्पति

Transliteration

dviguṇaḥ sūryavistārād vistāraḥ śaśinaḥ smṛtaḥ tulyastayostu svarbhānur bhūtvādhastātprasarpati

Translation

The Moon’s expanse is taught to be twice the Sun’s diameter; and Svarbhānu (Rāhu), becoming equal to both in measure, moves beneath them—gliding below as the cause of eclipse. In this ordered cosmos, the Lord (Pati) alone remains the sovereign regulator, while the luminaries and grahas act within the bonds (pāśa) of measured motion.

Word by Word

• द्विगुणः: twice

• सूर्य-विस्तारात्: than the Sun’s expanse/diameter

• विस्तारः: extent, diameter

• शशिनः: of the Moon

• स्मृतः: is remembered/declared (in tradition)

• तुल्यः: equal

• तयोः: of the two (Sun and Moon)

• तु: indeed

• स्वर्भानुः: Svarbhānu (Rāhu)

• भूत्वा: having become

• अधस्तात्: beneath, below

• प्रसर्पति: moves, creeps/glides

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating traditional cosmology to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Surya
• Shashi (Chandra)
• Svarbhanu (Rahu)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames the cosmos as a measured, law-governed order; in Linga worship this supports the insight that Shiva as Pati is the unseen regulator behind all visible movements, so the devotee turns from changing phenomena to the steadfast Linga-principle.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Indirectly: by describing fixed proportions and ordained motion, it implies a transcendent governor beyond the grahas—Shiva-tattva as Pati, the supreme intelligence that upholds niyati (cosmic order) while remaining untouched by it.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Not a direct puja-vidhi verse; the takeaway aligns with Pashupata discipline—cultivating steadiness and detachment by contemplating cosmic order, especially during eclipses as times for japa, Shiva-dhyana, and restraint.