Shloka 23

सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्

Devanagari script

तेजसी भास्कराग्नेये प्रकाशोष्णस्वरूपिणी परस्परानुप्रवेशाद् आप्यायेते दिवानिशम्

Transliteration

tejasī bhāskarāgneye prakāśoṣṇasvarūpiṇī parasparānupraveśād āpyāyete divāniśam

Translation

The two radiant powers—of the Sun and of Fire—whose very nature is illumination and heat, continually nourish and intensify one another through mutual interpenetration, day and night.

Word by Word

• तेजसी: two energies/lights
• तेजसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• भास्कराग्नेये: solar and fiery
• भास्कराग्नेये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (भास्करश्च आग्नेयश्च) विशेषणम् (qualifying 'तेजसी')

• प्रकाशोष्णस्वरूपिणी: having the nature of light and heat
• प्रकाशोष्णस्वरूपिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकाश (प्रातिपदिक) + उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्रकाश-उष्ण-स्वरूपिण् = having the nature of light and heat)

• परस्परानुप्रवेशात्: from mutual interpenetration
• परस्परानुप्रवेशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परस्पर (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अनुप्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (परस्परस्य अनुप्रवेशः)

• आप्यायेते: they increase, are nourished
• आप्यायेते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√प्या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन, आत्मनेपद

• दिवानिशम्: day and night
• दिवानिशम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय) + निशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; द्वन्द्वसमासवत् (day-and-night) क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial: 'day and night')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How solar and fiery tejas mutually intensify through parasparānupraveśa (mutual interpenetration)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sun-tejas and fire-tejas, both of the nature of light and heat, increase one another continuously through mutual interpenetration across day and night.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Meditate on interconnectedness: cultivate sattva by aligning one’s inner ‘fire’ (discipline) with higher light (wisdom), letting each strengthen the other.

Vishishtadvaita: The notion of parasparānupraveśa can be read analogically with Viśiṣṭādvaita’s stress on real relations and coordinated plurality within a single ordered reality under the Supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Surya (the Sun)
• Agni (Fire)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Sun and Fire interpenetrating in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents light and heat as mutually reinforcing cosmic powers—showing how the universe is sustained through coordinated functions rather than isolated forces.

How does Sage Parāśara explain universal order through day and night?

By stating that these powers increase “day and night,” Parāśara frames cosmic regularity (cycles like divā-niśam) as an ongoing, dependable structure within creation.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s cosmology implies that such sustaining principles (light/heat and their harmony) operate under Vishnu’s supreme governance as the underlying reality of the world-order.