Shloka 42
सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्
मन्दाह्नि यस्मिन्न् अयने शीघ्रा नक्तं तदा गतिः शीघ्रा निशि यदा चास्य तदा मन्दा दिवा गतिः
mandāhni yasminn ayane śīghrā naktaṃ tadā gatiḥ śīghrā niśi yadā cāsya tadā mandā divā gatiḥ
In that solstitial course where the day grows drawn out and sluggish, the Sun’s movement by night is swift; and when his movement is swift at night, by day it becomes slow. Thus, by the Lord’s ordinance, the measures of light and darkness are kept in balance.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How solstitial courses regulate the relative length of day and night through the Sun’s varying apparent speed
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: revealing
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: When day lengthens in a solstitial course, the Sun’s nocturnal motion is swift, and when nocturnal motion is swift, daytime motion is slow—maintaining balance by divine ordinance.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Use the alternation of increase and decrease as a contemplative model for equanimity amid life’s cycles.
Vishishtadvaita: The ‘ordinance’ (niyama) behind balancing opposites supports the Lord as the inner governor who harmonizes the cosmos without negating real diversity of states.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
FAQs
This verse links the Sun’s solstitial course (ayana) with the changing measures of day and night, presenting seasonal/time cycles as part of a regulated cosmic order.
He states that when the day becomes ‘slow’ (i.e., longer/extended), the Sun’s night-course is swift, and conversely a swift night-course corresponds to a slower day-course—an explanatory pairing for the observed shift in day/night duration.
Even in astronomical description, the Purana frames time and celestial regularity as expressions of supreme governance—cosmic order functioning under the higher sovereignty attributed to Vishnu.