Shloka 45

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

Devanagari script

राशिप्रमाणजनिता दीर्घह्रस्वात्मता दिने तथा निशायां राशीनां प्रमाणैर् लघुदीर्घता

Transliteration

rāśipramāṇajanitā dīrghahrasvātmatā dine tathā niśāyāṃ rāśīnāṃ pramāṇair laghudīrghatā

Translation

From the measured extents of the rāśis arises the day’s length and brevity; likewise, by those very measures of the zodiacal signs, the night too becomes shorter or longer.

Word by Word

• राशिप्रमाणजनिता: produced by the measure of the rāśis
• राशिप्रमाणजनिता: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक) + जनित (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (राशेः प्रमाणेन जनिता)

• दीर्घह्रस्वात्मता: the state of being long or short
• दीर्घह्रस्वात्मता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + ह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दीर्घ-ह्रस्वयोः आत्मता = longness-and-shortness as a state)

• दिने: in the day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चय-अव्यय (thus/and likewise)

• निशायाम्: in the night
• निशायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• राशीनाम्: of the rāśis
• राशीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रमाणैः: by the measures
• प्रमाणैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; करण

• लघुदीर्घता: shortness and length (variation)
• लघुदीर्घता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक) + दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + ता (प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (लघु-दीर्घयोः ता = shortness-and-longness)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why day and night become long or short: proportional measures of the rāśis

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The varying length of day and night arises from the measured extents of the zodiacal signs, by whose proportions nights and days become shorter or longer.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Recognize changing circumstances as ‘measured’ phases; respond with adaptive discipline rather than anxiety.

Vishishtadvaita: A law-governed cosmos with real quantitative distinctions coheres with Viśiṣṭādvaita: the world is a meaningful body (śarīra) of the Lord, not merely illusory.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Rāśi (zodiacal signs)

FAQs

What is the significance of rāśis (zodiacal signs) in the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology?

This verse uses rāśi-measure as the explanatory basis for why days and nights vary in length, presenting celestial order as measurable and law-governed.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the changing length of day and night?

He attributes it to the pramāṇa—measured extents—of the rāśis, by which day becomes long or short and the night correspondingly varies.

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

Even when not named in the verse, the Purāṇic framework treats such precise cosmic regularity as an expression of Vishnu’s governance of kāla (time) and universal order.