Shloka 70

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

Devanagari script

मासः पक्षद्वयेनोक्तो द्वौ मासौ चार्कजाव् ऋतुः ऋतुत्रयं चाप्य् अयनं द्वे ऽयने वर्षसंज्ञिते

Transliteration

māsaḥ pakṣadvayenokto dvau māsau cārkajāv ṛtuḥ ṛtutrayaṃ cāpy ayanaṃ dve 'yane varṣasaṃjñite

Translation

A month is declared to consist of two pakṣas. Two months make a season (ṛtu), born of the Sun’s course. Three seasons form an ayana (half-year), and the two ayanas together are known as a year.

Word by Word

• मासः: month
• मासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पक्षद्वयेन: by/with a pair of fortnights
• पक्षद्वयेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• उक्तः: is said/defined
• उक्तः: Kriya (क्रिया/वाक्यांश)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘(मासः) उक्तः’

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; मासौ विशेषण

• मासौ: two months
• मासौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• आर्कजौ: solar
• आर्कजौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्कज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; ऋतुः/ऋतू (द्विवचन) विशेषण; ‘आर्कज’ = सूर्यसम्बन्धि

• ऋतुः: a season
• ऋतुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (अर्थतः जातिवचन; ‘ऋतुः’ = season as a unit)

• ऋतुत्रयम्: a set of three seasons
• ऋतुत्रयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also)

• अयनम्: ayana (half-year course)
• अयनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; अयने विशेषण

• अयने: the two ayanas
• अयने: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• वर्षसंज्ञिते: called ‘year’
• वर्षसंज्ञिते: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ष + संज्ञित (संज्ञा-धातु/संज्ञा-प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘संज्ञित’ (named); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; अयने विशेषण

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Hierarchical construction of calendrical time: pakṣa → māsa → ṛtu → ayana → varṣa

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Time is built in nested cycles—from fortnights to months, seasons, half-years, and the full year—grounded in the Sun’s movement.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Plan spiritual goals in layered horizons (daily/fortnightly/seasonal/annual), using cyclical review to sustain long-term sādhanā.

Vishishtadvaita: The Sun’s ordered course, integral to dharma and ritual timing, reflects a cosmos fit for devotion and governed by a unifying principle.

Characters & Entities

• Surya (the Sun)

FAQs

What is the significance of measuring time (kāla) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows time as a structured cosmic order—month, season, ayana, and year—grounded in the Sun’s course, reflecting a universe governed by intelligible law.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between months, seasons, and ayana?

He defines a month as two fortnights, a season as two months, an ayana as three seasons, and the year as the union of two ayana-s—building a clear hierarchical model of time.

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

Even when speaking of solar and calendrical cycles, the Purāṇa’s cosmology frames such order as part of the divinely sustained universe—time’s regularity ultimately pointing to Vishnu’s sovereign maintenance of creation.