Shloka 22

सोमचक्रः, ग्रह-रथाः, ध्रुवबन्धनं, शिशुमारसंनिवेशः, विष्णु-सर्वात्मकता

Moon, Planets, Dhruva-Tethering, Śiśumāra, and Vishnu as All

Devanagari script

आदित्यान् निःसृतो राहुः सोमं गच्छति पर्वसु आदित्यम् एति सोमाच् च पुनः सौरेषु पर्वसु

Transliteration

ādityān niḥsṛto rāhuḥ somaṃ gacchati parvasu ādityam eti somāc ca punaḥ saureṣu parvasu

Translation

Breaking away from the Sun, Rāhu approaches the Moon at the lunar junctions; and departing from the Moon, he again advances upon the Sun at the solar junctions—thus, at the ordained nodes of time, he repeatedly returns to seize their light.

Word by Word

• आदित्यान्: the Ādityas (Sun-gods / suns)
• आदित्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• निःसृतः: having come forth (from)
• निःसृतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√सृ (धातु) → निःसृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; past participle ‘gone out/issued forth’

• राहुः: Rāhu
• राहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सोमम्: the Moon (Soma)
• सोमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गच्छति: goes/approaches
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पर्वसु: on the occasions (parvans; lunar nodes/periods)
• पर्वसु: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन — Neuter, Locative, Plural

• आदित्यम्: the Sun (Āditya)
• आदित्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एति: goes/approaches
• एति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सोमात्: from the Moon
• सोमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb)

• सौरेषु: in the solar (parvans/occasions)
• सौरेषु: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (पर्वसु इति पदेन सह), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Locative, Plural; adjectival ‘solar’

• पर्वसु: on the occasions (parvans)
• पर्वसु: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन — Neuter, Locative, Plural

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (explaining cosmological order to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Astronomical/cosmic mechanics of grahas and eclipses (Rāhu’s motion at parvans)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even disruptive phenomena like eclipses occur according to fixed temporal nodes (parvans), revealing an ordered cosmos rather than randomness.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: See periodic disturbances as governed by law and respond with steadiness rather than panic.

Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic regularity implies a sustaining governor—order in multiplicity under a single sovereign principle.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Rahu
• Soma (Moon)
• Aditya (Sun)

FAQs

What is the significance of parvan (junction days) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse links eclipses to parvan—critical junctions in time—showing that celestial events occur according to fixed cosmic periodicity rather than random disruption.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the alternation between lunar and solar eclipses?

He describes Rāhu as moving from the Sun to the Moon at lunar junctions, and then from the Moon back to the Sun at solar junctions—an ongoing alternation governed by time-cycles.

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

Even potentially fearsome events like eclipses are portrayed as regulated within cosmic law, implying an overarching sovereignty of the Supreme Reality (Vishnu) who upholds order in the universe.