Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

सार्धकोटिस् तथा सप्त नियुतान्य् अधिकानि वै योजनानां तु तस्याक्षस् तत्र चक्रं प्रतिष्ठितम्

Transliteration

sārdhakoṭis tathā sapta niyutāny adhikāni vai yojanānāṃ tu tasyākṣas tatra cakraṃ pratiṣṭhitam

Translation

Its axle measures seven and a half krores of yojanas, with seven niyutas besides; upon that very axis the great wheel is firmly set, so that by the Lord’s unerring ordinance the worlds move in harmonious course.

Word by Word

• सार्धकोटिः: one and a half crores
• सार्धकोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) / Measure
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्ध + कोटि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सार्धा कोटिः = ‘one and a half crores’)

• तथा: and; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (indeclinable numeral), here qualifying नियुतानि

• नियुतानि: niyutas (ten-thousands)
• नियुतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) / Measure
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन

• अधिकानि: additional; more
• अधिकानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying नियुतानि)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle)

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन

• तु: but; and
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (contrast/continuation)

• तस्य: of that; its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी एकवचन

• अक्षः: axle
• अक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• तत्र: there; on it
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• चक्रम्: wheel
• चक्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) / Karma (depending on construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: is fixed/placed
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; PPP ‘set/placed/established’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The enormous axle of the Sun’s chariot and the setting of the celestial wheel upon it (cakra-pratiṣṭhā)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The worlds move in harmony because the cosmic mechanism is firmly established under the Lord’s unfailing ordinance, preventing disorder.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Trust in divine governance while doing one’s dharma; cultivate steadiness when confronting apparent chaos.

Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin governance: the Lord as inner controller stabilizes cosmic motion while remaining transcendent, aligning with qualified non-dualism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman (philosophical)

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Meru (cosmic axis)
• Celestial wheel (cakra)

FAQs

What is the significance of the cosmic axis (aksha) and the celestial wheel (cakra) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents the universe as a structured system: an immense axis supports the “wheel” of the heavens, emphasizing that cosmic motion is stable, measured, and upheld by divine order rather than randomness.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic stability in this section?

Parāśara describes the heavens as a wheel fixed upon an axis with explicit measurements, conveying that the cosmos operates through precise arrangement and sustaining law—ultimately grounded in the Lord’s governance.

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

Even when the verse speaks in physical imagery (axis and wheel), the underlying Purāṇic message is that Vishnu is the supreme regulator whose sovereignty establishes and maintains the order in which the worlds revolve.