Shloka 31
Chapter 7: Dvīpa–Varṣa–Meru-varṇana
Description of the Dvīpa, Varṣas, and Mount Meru
षष्टिस्तानि सहस्राणि षष्टिमेव शतानि च । अरुणस्याग्रतो यान्ति परिवार्य दिवाकरम्,उनमेंसे छाछठ हजार मनुष्य भगवान् सूर्यको चारों ओरसे घेरकर अरुणके आगे-आगे चलते हैं
ṣaṣṭistāni sahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭim eva śatāni ca | aruṇasyāgrato yānti parivārya divākaram ||
Sañjaya said: Sixty thousand and sixty hundreds go before Aruṇa, surrounding the Sun on every side. The verse evokes the ordered, disciplined retinue that attends the Sun’s daily course, suggesting a cosmos sustained by faithful service and fixed duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ṛta/dharma as orderly, faithful service: even the Sun’s movement is portrayed as accompanied by a disciplined host, implying that stability in the world depends on beings performing their appointed roles.
Sañjaya is describing the Sun’s entourage: a vast number of attendants move ahead of Aruṇa while encircling the Sun, presenting a vivid image of the Sun’s majestic procession.