Shloka 13

शरद्वर्णनं, योगोपमा, तथा गोवर्धन-यज्ञप्रवर्तनम्

Devanagari script

सूर्यांशुजनितं तापं निन्ये तारापतिः शमम् अहंकारोद्भवं दुःखं विवेकः सुमहान् इव

Transliteration

sūryāṃśujanitaṃ tāpaṃ ninye tārāpatiḥ śamam ahaṃkārodbhavaṃ duḥkhaṃ vivekaḥ sumahān iva

Translation

As the Lord of the stars (the Moon) draws the heat born of the Sun’s rays into calm, so does mighty discernment lead into quietude the sorrow that arises from egoism.

Word by Word

• सूर्यांशुजनितम्: produced by the sun’s rays
• सूर्यांशुजनितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अंशु (प्रातिपदिक) + जनित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine) / नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) रूपेण द्वितीया एकवचन (accusative singular) here qualifying तापम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यांशुभिः जनितः)

• तापम्: heat
• तापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• निन्ये: led; brought
• निन्ये: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• तारापतिः: the lord of stars (the Moon)
• तारापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (ताराणां पतिः)

• शमम्: calm; pacification
• शमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• अहंकारोद्भवम्: arising from ego
• अहंकारोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अहंकारात् उद्भवः)

• दुःखम्: sorrow; suffering
• दुःखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• विवेकः: discernment
• विवेकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• सुमहान्: very great
• सुमहान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय-उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + महान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सु + महान् = अतिमहान्)

• इव: like; as if
• इव: Upamana-marker (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: didactic, illustrative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viveka cools the heat of ego-born sorrow, as the moon soothes the sun’s burning.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Practice self-inquiry and discrimination (what is enduring vs. transient) to reduce reactive ego and settle the mind.

Vishishtadvaita: Viveka culminates in recognizing the self as a dependent mode (śeṣa) of the Supreme, dissolving egoism without erasing individuality.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Sun)
• Chandra (Moon)
• Viveka (discernment)
• Ahamkara (ego)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Sun–Moon analogy in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It uses a cosmic image—Moon cooling the Sun’s heat—to illustrate how inner discernment (viveka) cools and pacifies the burning distress created by ego (ahaṃkāra).

How does Sage Parāśara explain the removal of suffering here?

He frames suffering as ego-born and teaches that it is calmed not by external change but by viveka—clear discrimination that restores inner equilibrium.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context?

The verse implies Vishnu’s sovereignty as the ground of cosmic and moral order: the same divine order that regulates Sun and Moon is reflected in the higher knowledge that leads the soul away from ego-driven sorrow.