Shloka 2
सोमचक्रः, ग्रह-रथाः, ध्रुवबन्धनं, शिशुमारसंनिवेशः, विष्णु-सर्वात्मकता
Moon, Planets, Dhruva-Tethering, Śiśumāra, and Vishnu as All
वीथ्याश्रयाणि ऋक्षाणि ध्रुवाधारेण वेगिना ह्रासवृद्धिक्रमस् तस्य रश्मीनां सवितुर् यथा
vīthyāśrayāṇi ṛkṣāṇi dhruvādhāreṇa veginā hrāsavṛddhikramas tasya raśmīnāṃ savitur yathā
वीथ्याश्रयाणि नक्षत्राणि ध्रुवाधारेण वेगिना वहन्ति; तेषां गमनागमनक्रमो नियतः, सवितुरिव रश्मीनां ह्रासवृद्धिवत्।
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: The heavens move in a regulated, intelligible order, with Dhruva serving as the fixed axial reference for the constellations’ motion.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Contemplate regularity in nature (day/night, seasons, waxing/waning) to cultivate steadiness and reverence for cosmic law (ṛta/dharma).
Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic order is not random; it is sustained by a higher governance, aligning with the view of a purposeful, divinely ordered universe.
FAQs
Dhruva is described as the fixed cosmic support or axis around which the constellations are carried, making him a key reference-point for understanding ordered celestial motion.
He frames celestial movement as following a regulated hrāsa-vṛddhi sequence—an orderly waxing-and-waning pattern—illustrated by the familiar example of the Sun’s rays.
Even when speaking in astronomical terms, the Purana’s intent is to show a universe governed by stable law and rhythm—an expression of supreme sovereignty, ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the sustaining reality behind cosmic order.