Shloka 13
सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्
उदयास्तमने चैव सर्वकालं तु संमुखे दिशास्व् अशेषासु तथा मैत्रेय विदिशासु च
udayāstamane caiva sarvakālaṃ tu saṃmukhe diśāsv aśeṣāsu tathā maitreya vidiśāsu ca
Not only at sunrise and sunset, but at every time, He stands facing forward in all directions without remainder; and so too, O Maitreya, in the intermediate directions.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How the Sun is ‘facing’ all directions at sunrise/sunset and at all times, including intermediate directions
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: authoritative
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)
Concept: At sunrise and sunset—and indeed always—the Sun is described as standing ‘before’ all directions, including the intermediate ones, emphasizing omnidirectional relation rather than local limitation.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: During sandhyā times, practice directional awareness (dik-smṛti) and offer arghya with the sense of a single cosmic presence accessible from every standpoint.
Vishishtadvaita: The omnidirectional ‘facing’ suggests a unifying divine order that accommodates multiple standpoints without compromising unity—akin to the Lord’s immanence within diverse loci.
Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)
Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)
Antaryamin: Yes
FAQs
This verse uses the full compass—cardinal and intermediate directions—to express that the Lord’s presence is not localized; cosmic space itself is pervaded and governed by Vishnu.
By stating that at sunrise, sunset, and at all times the Lord is ‘before’ one in every direction, Parāśara frames omnipresence as a lived orientation: wherever one turns, the Supreme is encountered as the sustaining reality.
Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality who pervades time and space—supporting a Vaishnava view in which the world’s order and every direction’s sanctity rest upon His all-encompassing sovereignty.