Shloka 64

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

Devanagari script

अपराह्णे व्यतीते तु कालः सायाह्न उच्यते दशपञ्चमुहूर्ताहो मुहूर्तास् त्रय एव च

Transliteration

aparāhṇe vyatīte tu kālaḥ sāyāhna ucyate daśapañcamuhūrtāho muhūrtās traya eva ca

Translation

When aparāhṇa has passed, that portion of time is called sāyāhna, the evening twilight. A day consists of fifteen muhūrtas, and evening comprises only three muhūrtas.

Word by Word

• अपराह्णे: in the afternoon
• अपराह्णे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराह्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष

• व्यतीते: when (it) has passed
• व्यतीते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यतीत (कृदन्त, √इ/√अत् with वि+अति उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘when (it is) passed’ agreeing with ‘अपराह्णे’ (locative absolute sense)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय

• कालः: the time-period
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सायाह्नः: evening (sāyāhna)
• सायाह्नः: Karma-pravachaniya? (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायाह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सायं + अह्न)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘is said/called’

• दशपञ्चमुहूर्त: (consisting of) fifteen muhūrtas
• दशपञ्चमुहूर्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या) + पञ्च (संख्या) + मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (fifteen-muhūrta)

• अहः: a day
• अहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg. of अहन्)

• मुहूर्ताः: muhūrtas
• मुहूर्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• एव: only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Evening (sāyāhna) begins after aparāhṇa, and the full day is reckoned as fifteen muhūrtas, with sāyāhna comprising three.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use evening as a deliberate transition—review actions, practice sandhyā/namajapa, and reset intention for the next day.

Vishishtadvaita: Daily rhythm supports continual remembrance (smaraṇa) of the Lord across changing temporal states.

FAQs

What is the significance of sāyāhna (evening) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse defines sāyāhna precisely as the period after aparāhṇa, establishing an authoritative time-division that supports dharma-oriented daily order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the structure of a day here?

He measures the day in muhūrtas, stating that the full day is fifteen muhūrtas and specifying the evening as a fixed subset of three.

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

Even without naming Vishnu directly, the teaching reflects the Purana’s view that kāla (ordered time) is part of the cosmic governance ultimately rooted in the Supreme Reality—Vishnu.