Shloka 10

आदित्यकर्म, त्रयीमयी वैष्णवी शक्तिः, सवितुरन्तर्यामी

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

Devanagari script

ऋचस् तपन्ति पूर्वाह्णे मध्याह्ने च यजूंष्य् अथ बृहद्रथन्तरादीनि सामान्य् अह्नः क्षये रवौ

Transliteration

ṛcas tapanti pūrvāhṇe madhyāhne ca yajūṃṣy atha bṛhadrathantarādīni sāmāny ahnaḥ kṣaye ravau

Translation

In the forenoon the Ṛk-hymns blaze forth; at midday the Yajus-formulas shine. And when the day declines, as the Sun nears his setting, the Sāman-chants—such as the Bṛhat and the Rathantara—resound.

Word by Word

• ऋचः: Ṛk-verses (Rig hymns)
• ऋचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तपन्ति: shine/burn
• तपन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• पूर्वाह्णे: in the forenoon
• पूर्वाह्णे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvāhṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मध्याह्ने: at midday
• मध्याह्ने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyāhna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• यजूंषि: Yajus-formulas
• यजूंषि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक निपात (then/next)

• बृहद्-रथन्तर-आदीनि: (Sāman chants) such as Bṛhat and Rathantara
• बृहद्-रथन्तर-आदीनि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhat (प्रातिपदिक) + rathantara (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समाहार/सूचीवाचक: 'बृहद्रथन्तरादि' = 'Bṛhat, Rathantara, etc.'

• सामानि: Sāman-chants
• सामानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अह्नः: of the day
• अह्नः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• क्षये: at the end/decline
• क्षये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• रवौ: in the Sun (when the Sun is at...)
• रवौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Daily temporal order mapped onto Ṛg-Yajus-Sāman manifestations in the Sun

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: instructional

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Sun’s daily arc is articulated as Vedic revelation: Ṛk in the forenoon, Yajus at midday, and Sāman at day’s end.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Structure daily practice (japa, study, service) around consistent time-cycles, treating routine as sacred discipline.

Vishishtadvaita: Integrates śruti (Veda) with cosmic function: the Lord’s order manifests as audible revelation within real time.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Surya (the Sun)
• Rig Veda
• Yajur Veda
• Sama Veda
• Brihat (Saman)
• Rathantara (Saman)

FAQs

What is the significance of assigning Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman to different times of day in the Vishnu Purana?

It presents time as sacred and structured: the Sun’s progression is mirrored by distinct Vedic sound-forms, showing an orderly cosmos where ritual and celestial rhythm correspond.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between the Sun and Vedic recitation here?

Parāśara links phases of the day to specific Vedic modes—Ṛk in the forenoon, Yajus at midday, and Sāman (including Bṛhat and Rathantara) as the day wanes—indicating a harmonized liturgical timetable aligned with the Sun.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework treats such cosmic regularity as sustained by the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—whose governance is reflected in the lawful movement of the Sun and the ordered power of Vedic speech.