Shloka 1

आदित्यकर्म, त्रयीमयी वैष्णवी शक्तिः, सवितुरन्तर्यामी

The Sun’s Function and Vishnu’s Vedic Śakti within Savitṛ

Devanagari script

यद् एतद् भगवान् आह गणः सप्तविधो रवेः मण्डले हिमतापादेः कारणं तन् मया श्रुतम्

Transliteration

yad etad bhagavān āha gaṇaḥ saptavidho raveḥ maṇḍale himatāpādeḥ kāraṇaṃ tan mayā śrutam

Translation

That which the Blessed Lord has declared—how, within the orb of the Sun, the hosts are sevenfold and become the cause of cold and heat and the like—this indeed I have heard, and now relate.

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• गणः: group
• गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सप्तविधः: sevenfold/of seven kinds
• सप्तविधः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) qualifying गणः; द्विगु-समास: ‘सप्त प्रकाराः यस्य’

• रवेः: of the Sun
• रवेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मण्डले: in the orb
• मण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• हिमतापादेः: of cold, heat, etc.
• हिमतापादेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); समाहारार्थ ‘हिम-ताप-आदि’ (cold, heat, etc.) with genitive: ‘हिमतापादेः’

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Predicate/Complement (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); निर्देश-सर्वनाम (correlative)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ: ‘has been heard’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Restating the teaching on the sevenfold hosts in the Sun as causes of heat/cold etc.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Authoritative testimony (śruti/smṛti-like ‘heard’ teaching) grounds the understanding of cosmic order and causality.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Approach metaphysical topics through reliable sources and disciplined listening (śravaṇa) before speculation.

Vishishtadvaita: Use of ‘Bhagavān’ as the ultimate authoritative revealer coheres with the Lord as the source of true knowledge.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān
• Ravi (Sun)

FAQs

What is the significance of the sevenfold gaṇas of the Sun in the Vishnu Purana?

They are presented as a structured, sevenfold arrangement within the Sun’s sphere that helps explain how solar influence manifests as observable effects like heat and cold in the world.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the cause of heat and cold here?

He frames heat and cold as effects arising from the Sun’s orb through an ordered system (the sevenfold gaṇas), emphasizing a law-governed cosmos rather than randomness.

What is the theological importance of ‘Bhagavān’ in this context?

Calling the source ‘Bhagavān’ signals that cosmological knowledge is ultimately grounded in divine sovereignty—cosmic order is not merely mechanical but upheld by the Supreme’s ordinance.