Shloka 5

आदित्यकर्म, त्रयीमयी वैष्णवी शक्तिः, सवितुरन्तर्यामी

The Sun’s Function and Vishnu’s Vedic Śakti within Savitṛ

Devanagari script

विवस्वान् उदितो मध्ये यात्य् अस्तम् इति किं जनः ब्रवीत्य् एतत् समं कर्म यदि सप्तगणस्य तत्

Transliteration

vivasvān udito madhye yāty astam iti kiṃ janaḥ bravīty etat samaṃ karma yadi saptagaṇasya tat

Translation

சப்தகணத்தின் செயல் ஒன்றே, சமமெனில், மக்கள் ஏன் “விவஸ்வான் உதித்து நடுவானில் சென்று அஸ்தமிக்கிறான்” என்று சொல்கிறார்கள்?

Word by Word

विवस्वान्Vivasvān (the Sun)

उदितःrisen

मध्येin the middle

यातिgoes

अस्तम्to setting (west)

इतिthus

किम्what

जनःa person, people

ब्रवीतिsays

एतत्this

समम्equal, same

कर्मaction, function

यदिif

सप्तगणस्यof the sevenfold group

तत्that

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

Vivasvat (Sun)

Saptagaṇa (sevenfold celestial host)

Vishnu (implied as cosmic governor)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Sun’s “rising and setting” in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames sunrise and sunset as a perceptual description, while emphasizing an underlying uniform cosmic operation governed by higher celestial order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the idea of “samaṃ karma” (uniform operation)?

Parāśara suggests that despite differing appearances (rise, mid-sky, set), the cosmic system functions through a consistent, regulated activity attributed to the coordinated action of the sevenfold host.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when not named directly, the passage aligns with the Vishnu Purana’s theology: cosmic regularity and governance ultimately rest on the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—as the sustaining principle behind celestial order.