Shloka 9

लोकसंस्थानम्, ग्रहदूरी-प्रमाणम्, ब्रह्माण्डावरणानि, विष्णोः जगत्कारणत्वम्

Devanagari script

सौरिर् बृहस्पतेश् चोर्ध्वं द्विलक्षे समवस्थितः सप्तर्षिमण्डलं तस्माल् लक्षम् एकं द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

saurir bṛhaspateś cordhvaṃ dvilakṣe samavasthitaḥ saptarṣimaṇḍalaṃ tasmāl lakṣam ekaṃ dvijottama

Translation

O best of the twice-born, Śauri (Saturn) abides two lakṣas above Bṛhaspati (Jupiter); and above him, at a distance of one lakṣa, is the great circle of the Saptarṣi-maṇḍala, the Seven Sages.

Word by Word

• सौरिः: Sauri (Saturn)
• सौरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बृहस्पतेः: of Bṛhaspati (Jupiter)
• बृहस्पतेः: Adhikarana (Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ऊर्ध्वम्: above
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Desha/Direction (दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• द्विलक्षे: at two lakhs (distance/measure)
• द्विलक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• समवस्थितः: is situated
• समवस्थितः: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + स्था (धातु) → समवस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि/स्थित्यर्थे (state/being situated)

• सप्तर्षिमण्डलम्: the constellation of the Seven Sages (Ursa Major)
• सप्तर्षिमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + ऋषि + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• लक्षम्: one lakh
• लक्षम्: Karma (Measure/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of लक्षम्)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Vertical arrangement and distances of the grahas and stellar circles (jyotiṣ-cakra)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Bṛhaspati (Jupiter)
• Śauri/Shani (Saturn)
• Saptarṣi-maṇḍala (Seven Sages constellation)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Saptarṣi-maṇḍala in the Vishnu Purana?

Here it functions as a major celestial marker placed above the planetary sphere of Saturn, indicating an ordered, hierarchical cosmos used to map sacred astronomy.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic distances in this chapter?

He presents a step-by-step vertical arrangement—planet above planet—using lakṣa units to quantify the spacing between spheres, culminating in higher stellar regions like the Saptarṣi circle.

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

Even when describing measurements and stars, the Purana frames the cosmos as a structured, intelligible order ultimately upheld by Vishnu as the sovereign sustaining reality.