Shloka 19
Measure of the Three Worlds, Planetary Spheres, and Sūrya as the Root of Trailokya
तारानक्षत्ररूपाणि हीनानि तु परस्परात् / शतानि पञ्च चत्वारि त्रीणि द्वे चैव योजने
tārānakṣatrarūpāṇi hīnāni tu parasparāt / śatāni pañca catvāri trīṇi dve caiva yojane
तारानक्षत्ररूपाणि परस्परात् क्रमशो हीनान्तराणि भवन्ति। तेषां योजनेषु परस्परविभागाः पञ्चशतानि चत्वारिशतानि त्रीणि शतानि द्वे शते च इति कथ्यन्ते॥
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Purāṇic cosmography to the sages
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
This verse is primarily cosmographical, detailing measured separations among celestial groupings; indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic vision of an ordered cosmos that later chapters relate to Īśvara’s governance rather than giving a direct ātman-definition.
No explicit yoga practice is taught in this śloka; it belongs to the descriptive mapping of the universe. In the Kurma Purāṇa, such ordered cosmology often functions as a contemplative aid (dhyāna) for perceiving cosmic law (ṛta) under Īśvara.
It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu. Its relevance is contextual: the Purāṇa’s synthesis frames cosmic structure and measure as operating under the single divine sovereignty later articulated through Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava unity teachings.