Shloka 17
आदित्यकर्म, त्रयीमयी वैष्णवी शक्तिः, सवितुरन्तर्यामी
The Sun’s Function and Vishnu’s Vedic Śakti within Savitṛ
वहन्ति पन्नगा यक्षैः क्रियते ऽभीषुसंग्रहः वालखिल्यास् तथैवैनं परिवार्य समासते
vahanti pannagā yakṣaiḥ kriyate 'bhīṣusaṃgrahaḥ vālakhilyās tathaivainaṃ parivārya samāsate
The Nāgas bear him; the Yakṣas gather and order his rays. Likewise the Vālakhilya sages, encircling him on every side, remain ever stationed there—so that the Sun’s ordained course may be upheld without fail.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)
Concept: Cosmic order is maintained through appointed beings—Nāgas, Yakṣas, and Vālakhilyas—who uphold the Sun’s chariot and regulate its rays.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: See one’s duties as participation in ṛta (order): steady, unseen service that sustains the whole.
Vishishtadvaita: The universe functions as an organized body with many servants and regulators, aligning with the Viśiṣṭādvaita ‘body-of-Brahman’ intuition (jagat as śarīra under divine rule).
Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)
FAQs
This verse presents them as functional attendants of Sūrya: Nāgas bear the chariot, Yakṣas regulate the rays, and Vālakhilya sages encircle him—showing that cosmic order is maintained through divinely appointed agencies.
Parāśara frames the Sun’s motion as supported by specific classes of beings (Nāgas, Yakṣas, Vālakhilyas), indicating a structured cosmic system rather than random movement.
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s theology implies these cosmic roles operate under the Supreme Lord’s governance—Vishnu as the ultimate ground of order, with celestial beings executing delegated functions.