Shloka 26

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

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

Devanagari script

यावन्त्यश् चैव तारास् तास् तावन्तो वातरश्मयः सर्वे ध्रुवे निबद्धास् ते भ्रमन्तो भ्रामयन्ति तम्

Transliteration

yāvantyaś caiva tārās tās tāvanto vātaraśmayaḥ sarve dhruve nibaddhās te bhramanto bhrāmayanti tam

Translation

As many as there are stars, so many are the wind-born rays; all of them are fastened to Dhruva. Moving in their own revolutions, they cause him too to appear as though he turns.

Word by Word

• यावन्त्यः: as many as
• यावन्त्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (सर्व/परिमाण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Plural; correl. adjective ‘as many as’

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• ताराः: stars
• ताराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• ताः: those
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Plural; pronoun

• तावन्तः: so many
• तावन्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्व/परिमाण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; correl. adjective ‘so many’

• वातरश्मयः: wind-rays/cords of wind
• वातरश्मयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात-रश्मि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ध्रुवे: in/at Dhruva
• ध्रुवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निबद्धाः: fastened
• निबद्धाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√बन्ध् (धातु) → निबद्ध (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘tied/fastened’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; pronoun

• भ्रमन्तः: revolving
• भ्रमन्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भ्रम् (धातु) → भ्रमन्त् (कृदन्त, शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; present participle ‘revolving’

• भ्रामयन्ति: cause (it) to revolve
• भ्रामयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भ्रम् (धातु) (णिच्) → √भ्रामय्
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) — Present indicative, 3rd person, Plural; causative ‘cause to revolve’

• तम्: him/that (Dhruva)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; pronoun

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Mechanism of stellar motion: one wind-ray per star, all fastened to Dhruva, producing apparent motion of the pole

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: explanatory

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The cosmos is carried by innumerable subtle forces (wind-rays) corresponding to the stars; their revolutions make even the fixed axis seem to turn, illustrating appearance versus underlying stability.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Distinguish what merely appears to change from what is truly stable—anchor practice in the stable while navigating the changing.

Vishishtadvaita: Phenomenal appearance (seeming rotation) coexists with real order and stability, compatible with a world that is real yet dependent on the Supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Tārāḥ (stars)
• Vāta-raśmayaḥ (wind-currents/rays)

FAQs

What is the significance of Dhruva in the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology?

This verse presents Dhruva as the fixed cosmic pivot to which the stellar motions are ‘bound,’ making him the symbolic and structural center of heavenly order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the motion of the stars here?

Parāśara describes star-motions as carried by ‘vāta-raśmayaḥ’—wind-like streams or rays—fastened to Dhruva; by their circling they make the system appear to turn around him.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s cosmology functions as a sign of His sovereignty: the heavens move in a governed pattern, reflecting a supreme sustaining intelligence behind cosmic order.