Shloka 42

Matsya Purana — The Attendant Hosts of the Sun and Moon: Monthly Gaṇas

Devanagari script

अहोरात्रं रथेनासाव् एकचक्रेण वै भ्रमन् सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रांश्च सप्तभिः सप्तभिर्द्रुतम् //

Transliteration

ahorātraṃ rathenāsāv ekacakreṇa vai bhraman saptadvīpasamudrāṃśca saptabhiḥ saptabhirdrutam //

Translation

Day and night are produced as he (the Sun), circling on his single-wheeled chariot, swiftly traverses the seven continents and the seven oceans—moving through them in sevenfold divisions.

Word by Word

• ahorātram: day and night (the full cycle)

• rathena: by/with the chariot

• asau: he (the Sun)

• ekacakreṇa: with a single wheel

• vai: indeed

• bhraman: revolving/circling

• saptadvīpa-samudrān: the seven continents and oceans

• ca: and

• saptabhiḥ saptabhiḥ: by sevens/in sevenfold groupings

• drutam: swiftly/rapidly

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the Purāṇic cosmography and solar motion (contextual exposition within Matsya Purana’s cosmological teaching)

Entities Mentioned

• Surya (Sun)
• Ratha (solar chariot)
• Sapta-dvipa (seven continents)
• Sapta-samudra (seven oceans)

Tags

• Cosmology
• Timekeeping
• Sapta-dvipa
• Surya
• Puranic astronomy

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

It is not a Pralaya verse; it explains ordinary cosmic order—how the Sun’s circuit establishes the ahorātra (day–night cycle) across the seven continents and oceans.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

By grounding time in the Sun’s regular circuit, it implicitly supports dharma based on proper timing—daily rites (sandhyā), calendrical observances, and orderly governance aligned with measured time.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual takeaway is time-discipline: sacrifices, temple worship, and daily sandhyā are to be performed according to the day–night cycle regulated by Surya’s movement (useful for Matsya Purana ritual timing rather than Vāstu layout).