Shloka 42

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

Devanagari script

मन्दाह्नि यस्मिन्न् अयने शीघ्रा नक्तं तदा गतिः शीघ्रा निशि यदा चास्य तदा मन्दा दिवा गतिः

Transliteration

mandāhni yasminn ayane śīghrā naktaṃ tadā gatiḥ śīghrā niśi yadā cāsya tadā mandā divā gatiḥ

Translation

ในอายนะที่กลางวันยืดยาวจนดูเนิบนาบ การเคลื่อนของสุริยะในยามราตรีจึงรวดเร็ว; และเมื่อยามราตรีเคลื่อนรวดเร็ว กลางวันก็เคลื่อนช้าลง ดังนี้ด้วยพระบัญชาขององค์ผู้เป็นเจ้า จึงทรงรักษามาตราของแสงและความมืดให้สมดุล

Word by Word

• मन्दा: slow
• मन्दा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गतिः’ इति विशेषणम्

• अह्नि: in the day (daytime)
• अह्नि: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masc/Neut), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• अयने: in the (solar) course/ayana
• अयने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• शीघ्रा: fast
• शीघ्रा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गतिः’ इति विशेषणम्

• नक्तम्: by night
• नक्तम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नक्तम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• गतिः: movement/speed
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शीघ्रा: fast
• शीघ्रा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गतिः’ इति विशेषणम्

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• अस्य: of him/of it (of the Sun)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सूर्यस्य’ इत्यर्थे

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• मन्दा: slow
• मन्दा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गतिः’ इति विशेषणम्

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (by day)

• गतिः: movement/speed
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How solstitial courses regulate the relative length of day and night through the Sun’s varying apparent speed

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When day lengthens in a solstitial course, the Sun’s nocturnal motion is swift, and when nocturnal motion is swift, daytime motion is slow—maintaining balance by divine ordinance.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use the alternation of increase and decrease as a contemplative model for equanimity amid life’s cycles.

Vishishtadvaita: The ‘ordinance’ (niyama) behind balancing opposites supports the Lord as the inner governor who harmonizes the cosmos without negating real diversity of states.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Surya (the Sun)
• Cosmic order (ṛta/dharma)

FAQs

What is the significance of ayana (uttarāyaṇa/dakṣiṇāyana) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse links the Sun’s solstitial course (ayana) with the changing measures of day and night, presenting seasonal/time cycles as part of a regulated cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the changing length of day and night here?

He states that when the day becomes ‘slow’ (i.e., longer/extended), the Sun’s night-course is swift, and conversely a swift night-course corresponds to a slower day-course—an explanatory pairing for the observed shift in day/night duration.

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

Even in astronomical description, the Purana frames time and celestial regularity as expressions of supreme governance—cosmic order functioning under the higher sovereignty attributed to Vishnu.