Shloka 34
सर्गभेदाः — अविद्या, स्रोतोभेदाः, नव सर्गाः, देवासुरादिसृष्टिः, वेद-यज्ञप्रादुर्भावः
त्यक्ता सापि तनुस् तेन सत्त्वप्रायम् अभूद् दिनम् ततो हि बलिनो रात्राव् असुरा देवता दिवा
tyaktā sāpi tanus tena sattvaprāyam abhūd dinam tato hi balino rātrāv asurā devatā divā
When that body, too, was cast off by him, the day became predominantly sāttvika. From then on the Asuras were powerful by night, while the Devas prevailed by day.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Why devas and asuras alternate in predominance and how day/night relate to guṇa
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: authoritative
Creation Stage: Primary
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: Cosmic order includes alternating ascendancy of sattva and tamas—devas by day, asuras by night—indicating cyclical balance in manifested nature.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Schedule demanding, virtuous work for one’s ‘day’ (clarity) and guard against tamasic drift in one’s ‘night’ through discipline and remembrance.
Vishishtadvaita: Even opposition is subsumed within divine governance; cyclical alternation serves the ordered functioning of the cosmos.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse encodes a cosmic rhythm: day is aligned with sattva (clarity and order) and thus favors the Devas, while night is portrayed as a time when opposing forces (Asuras) gain relative strength—illustrating alternating sovereignty within a regulated universe.
By stating that the day became “sattva-prāya,” Parāśara frames temporal phases as guna-dominant; the narrative uses this to explain why different beings prevail at different times without implying chaos—rather, a structured balance within creation.
Even when not named in the verse, the alternation of Deva and Asura strength is presented as part of an ordered cosmos ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s supreme governance—time, guṇas, and power-shifts operate within His sustaining sovereignty.