Shloka 8
Measurements of the Sun’s Chariot, the Wheel of Time, and the Retinues of the Solar Months; Chariots of Soma and the Grahas
धाता क्रतुस्थला चैव पुलस्त्यो वासुकिस्तथा / रथकृद्ग्रामणीर्हेतिस्तुम्बुरुश्चैत्रमासके
dhātā kratusthalā caiva pulastyo vāsukistathā / rathakṛdgrāmaṇīrhetistumburuścaitramāsake
Dalam bulan Caitra, para penguasa yang menaungi ialah Dhātā, Kratusthalā, Pulastya, Vāsuki, Rathakṛt, Grāmaṇī, Heti dan Tumburu.
Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)
Concept: Time (māsa) is governed by specific divine agencies; aligning actions with sacred time supports harmony and merit.
Vedantic Theme: Kāla as a manifestation of Īśvara’s order; devatā as functional powers within the cosmic system.
Application: Mark Caitra with heightened purity and intentional rites (e.g., sunrise worship, vrata, charity), remembering the month’s presiding beings as a contemplative aid.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: solar chariot retinue (temporal mapping)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.58 (monthly presiders of Sūrya’s chariot sequence)
FAQs
It links ritual time (Caitra) with specific presiding beings, helping practitioners align vrata, dāna, and other observances with the traditional sacred calendar framework.
This specific verse does not directly discuss the soul’s journey; it functions as calendrical-ritual mapping, which supports dharmic practice that, in the broader Purāṇic view, contributes to auspicious outcomes after death.
Use it as a reference for observing Caitra-month vows and devotional practices with awareness of traditional presiding beings, strengthening consistency and intention in dharmic routine.