Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

चत्वारिंशत् सहस्राणि द्वितीयो ऽक्षो विवस्वतः पञ्चान्यानि तु सार्धानि स्यन्दनस्य महामते

Transliteration

catvāriṃśat sahasrāṇi dvitīyo 'kṣo vivasvataḥ pañcānyāni tu sārdhāni syandanasya mahāmate

Translation

O great-minded one, the second axle of Vivasvān, the Sun, measures forty thousand yojanas; and for the Sun’s celestial chariot (syandana), a further five thousand and a half yojanas are to be understood.

Word by Word

• चत्वारिंशत्: forty
• चत्वारिंशत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (indeclinable numeral), qualifying सहस्राणि

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Measure (Quantity/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन

• द्वितीयः: second
• द्वितीयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अक्षः)

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

• विवस्वतः: of Vivasvat (the Sun)
• विवस्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (indeclinable numeral), qualifying अन्यानि

• अन्यानि: other; additional
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सहस्राणि understood)

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

• सार्धानि: with a half (more); and a half
• सार्धानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन; विशेषण (with ‘half more’, qualifying number)

• स्यन्दनस्य: of the chariot
• स्यन्दनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्यन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मति (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती मतिः यस्य)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Further measures of Vivasvān’s chariot system (second axle and additional chariot measure)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: precise/technical

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The text continues enumerating the Sun’s chariot dimensions, reinforcing that celestial motion is structured and law-like.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice steadiness and regularity in sādhana, mirroring the disciplined rhythms seen in cosmic cycles.

Vishishtadvaita: Regular cosmic function supports the view of a purposeful, divinely ordered universe rather than a merely illusory or random system.

Characters & Entities

• Vivasvan (Surya)
• Solar chariot (Syandana)

FAQs

What is the significance of measuring the Sun’s chariot in the Vishnu Purana?

It presents the cosmos as an ordered system governed by dharma/ṛta, where even the Sun’s motion is described through structured, intelligible measures.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic order in this passage?

By giving exact dimensions for the Sun’s axle and chariot, Parāśara frames the heavens as a regulated mechanism, taught systematically to Maitreya.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology implies that the Sun’s ordained course and the universe’s stable design ultimately rest on Vishnu as the supreme sustaining reality.