Shloka 15

सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्

Devanagari script

नैवास्तमनम् अर्कस्य नोदयः सर्वदा सतः उदयास्तमनाख्यं हि दर्शनादर्शनं रवेः

Transliteration

naivāstamanam arkasya nodayaḥ sarvadā sataḥ udayāstamanākhyaṃ hi darśanādarśanaṃ raveḥ

Translation

சூரியனுக்கு உண்மையில் ‘உதயம்’ இல்லை, ‘அஸ்தமனம்’ இல்லை; அவர் எப்போதும் இருப்பவர். ‘உதயம்’ ‘அஸ்தமனம்’ எனப்படுவது ரவியின் காண்பதும் காணாமலும் மட்டுமே.

Word by Word

नnot

एवindeed

अस्तमनम्setting (sunset)

अर्कस्यof the Sun

नnor/not

उदयःrising (sunrise)

सर्वदाalways

सतःof the ever-existing (Sun)

उदयास्तमनाख्यम्called ‘rising and setting’

हिindeed, for

दर्शनादर्शनम्appearance and non-appearance

रवेःof the Sun

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

Surya

Ravi (Sun)

FAQs

What is the significance of describing sunrise and sunset as ‘darśana’ and ‘adarśana’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It shifts the explanation from the Sun ‘changing’ to human perspective changing—rising/setting are names for visibility and invisibility, supporting a cosmology grounded in order rather than contradiction.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of ‘udaya’ and ‘astamana’ here?

He defines them conventionally: the Sun is always existent, while ‘rising’ and ‘setting’ are simply the Sun being seen or not seen from a given standpoint.

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

By emphasizing stable cosmic law and true being versus appearance, the Purana implicitly aligns the ordered cosmos with the sovereignty of the Supreme Reality (Vishnu) who sustains the regularity of time and the heavens.