Shloka 13

Sūrya’s Celestial Car: Ādityas, Ṛṣis, Gandharvas, Apsarases, Nāgas, and the Two-Month Cosmic Cycle

Devanagari script

चित्रसेनस्तथोर्णायुर्धृतराष्ट्रो द्विजोत्तमाः / सूर्यवर्चा द्वादशैते गन्धर्वा गायतां वराः / गायन्ति विविधैर्गानैर्भानुं षड्जादिभिः क्रमात्

Transliteration

citrasenastathorṇāyurdhṛtarāṣṭro dvijottamāḥ / sūryavarcā dvādaśaite gandharvā gāyatāṃ varāḥ / gāyanti vividhairgānairbhānuṃ ṣaḍjādibhiḥ kramāt

Translation

โอ ทวิโชตตมะ! จิตรเสนะ อุรณายุ ธฤตราษฏระ และสูรยวรจา—คันธรรพทั้งสิบสองผู้เป็นยอดนักขับร้อง สรรเสริญภานุ (พระอาทิตย์) ด้วยบทเพลงนานาประการ ตามลำดับเสียงดนตรีเริ่มด้วยษัฑชะ

Word by Word

• चित्रसेनः: Citrasena (name)
• चित्रसेनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (name)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• उर्णायुः: Urṇāyu (name)
• उर्णायुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्णा (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुस्/आयु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (name)

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhṛtarāṣṭra (name)
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृत (कृदन्त; √धृ, क्त) + राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (name): धृतं राष्ट्रं येन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः; संबोधनार्थे (vocative sense)

• सूर्यवर्चाः: Sūryavarcā (name)
• सूर्यवर्चाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (name)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक विशेषण; प्रथमा-बहुवचनार्थे (agreeing with ‘एते’)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• गन्धर्वाः: Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गायताम्: (you) sing / may you sing
• गायताम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गै (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘(you) sing’ / ‘may (you) sing’

• वराः: excellent
• वराः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘गन्धर्वाः’)

• गायन्ति: they sing
• गायन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• विविधैः: with various
• विविधैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘गानैः’)

• गानैः: songs
• गानैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भानुम्: the Sun (Bhānu)
• भानुम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• षड्जादिभिः: with ṣaḍja and other notes
• षड्जादिभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षड्ज (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: षड्ज-आदि-स्वरैः (with notes like ṣaḍja etc.)

• क्रमात्: in order, successively
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘in sequence’

Speaker

Narrator (Purana narrator describing the retinue that praises Surya; addressed to a Brahmin as 'dvijottama')

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Citraseṇa
• Orṇāyu
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sūryavarcā
• Gandharvas
• Bhānu (Surya)
• Ṣaḍja (musical note)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it presents cosmic harmony through ordered sound (ṣaḍjaādi svara) offered to the Sun, implying that the universe is sustained by intelligible order (ṛta) and that devotion aligns the individual with that higher, sustaining principle.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes nāda-upāsanā in a devotional form—contemplative alignment through sacred sound and disciplined order (kramāt). While not a technical Pāśupata-Yoga instruction, it supports the broader Purāṇic theme that regulated praise and focused attention purify the mind.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Not explicitly; it focuses on Surya worship. Within the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, such stuti to a cosmic deity can be read as honoring a manifestation of the one supreme Lord revered through both Shaiva and Vaishnava lenses.