Shloka 5

सोमचक्रः, ग्रह-रथाः, ध्रुवबन्धनं, शिशुमारसंनिवेशः, विष्णु-सर्वात्मकता

Moon, Planets, Dhruva-Tethering, Śiśumāra, and Vishnu as All

Devanagari script

क्रमेण येन पीतो ऽसौ देवैस् तेन निशाकरम् आप्याययत्य् अनुदिनं भास्करो वारितस्करः

Transliteration

krameṇa yena pīto 'sau devais tena niśākaram āpyāyayaty anudinaṃ bhāskaro vāritaskaraḥ

Translation

ด้วยมาตราที่เหล่าเทพดื่มเขาไปตามลำดับนั้นเอง ภาสกรผู้ลักน้ำก็ทำให้จันทร์ผู้ก่อราตรีเพิ่มพูนและเต็มขึ้นทุกวัน

Word by Word

• क्रमेण: gradually/in order
• क्रमेण: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-भावे (instrumental of manner)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे—‘येन (रश्मिना)’ इति

• पीतः: drunk/consumed
• पीतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पा (धातु) → पीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘असौ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• असौ: that one (Soma)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-भावे (agent)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘तेन (रश्मिना)’ इति

• निशाकरम्: the Moon (night-maker)
• निशाकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आप्याययति: nourishes/causes to swell
• आप्याययति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + प्यै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• अनुदिनम्: day by day/daily
• अनुदिनम्: Kriya-visheshana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भास्करः: the Sun
• भास्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वारितस्करः: the water-thief (Sun)
• वारितस्करः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘वारि-तस्करः’ (जल-चोरः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Daily replenishment of the Moon and the Sun as 'stealer of waters' (evaporation cycle).

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: As the devas drink Soma in fixed measure, the Sun—by drawing waters—replenishes the Moon day by day, maintaining the rhythm of time.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Adopt measured living (krama/niyama): consistent routines and moderation sustain long-term vitality and clarity.

Vishishtadvaita: The universe displays coordinated reciprocity (sun-water-moon), suggesting a single integrated order consonant with a world that is the Lord’s body (śarīra-bhāva) and not an independent mechanism.

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Bhaskara)
• Chandra (Nishakara)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the significance of the Sun being called vāritaskara in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights the Sun’s cosmic function of drawing up waters (evaporation), an essential act within universal order that also connects to sustaining and regulating lunar nourishment.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the waxing of the Moon here?

He states that the Moon is replenished daily by the Sun in proportion to what the gods consume of the Moon’s essence in due sequence, explaining waxing/waning as a regulated cosmic process.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this cosmological description?

Though not named in this verse, the Vishnu Purana frames such orderly celestial functions as operating under the sovereignty of the Supreme Reality (Vishnu), through whom cosmic law and time remain coherent.