Shloka 2
सोमचक्रः, ग्रह-रथाः, ध्रुवबन्धनं, शिशुमारसंनिवेशः, विष्णु-सर्वात्मकता
Moon, Planets, Dhruva-Tethering, Śiśumāra, and Vishnu as All
वीथ्याश्रयाणि ऋक्षाणि ध्रुवाधारेण वेगिना ह्रासवृद्धिक्रमस् तस्य रश्मीनां सवितुर् यथा
vīthyāśrayāṇi ṛkṣāṇi dhruvādhāreṇa veginā hrāsavṛddhikramas tasya raśmīnāṃ savitur yathā
The constellations, abiding in their celestial tracks, are borne along in swift motion, upheld upon Dhruva as their axis. Their advance and recession proceed in measured order, like the waxing and waning of the Sun’s rays.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: The heavens move in a regulated, intelligible order, with Dhruva serving as the fixed axial reference for the constellations’ motion.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Contemplate regularity in nature (day/night, seasons, waxing/waning) to cultivate steadiness and reverence for cosmic law (ṛta/dharma).
Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic order is not random; it is sustained by a higher governance, aligning with the view of a purposeful, divinely ordered universe.
FAQs
Dhruva is described as the fixed cosmic support or axis around which the constellations are carried, making him a key reference-point for understanding ordered celestial motion.
He frames celestial movement as following a regulated hrāsa-vṛddhi sequence—an orderly waxing-and-waning pattern—illustrated by the familiar example of the Sun’s rays.
Even when speaking in astronomical terms, the Purana’s intent is to show a universe governed by stable law and rhythm—an expression of supreme sovereignty, ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the sustaining reality behind cosmic order.