Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

अयनस्योत्तरस्यादौ मकरं याति भास्करः ततः कुम्भं च मीनं च राशे राश्यन्तरं द्विज

Transliteration

ayanasyottarasyādau makaraṃ yāti bhāskaraḥ tataḥ kumbhaṃ ca mīnaṃ ca rāśe rāśyantaraṃ dvija

Translation

Sa pagsisimula ng uttarāyaṇa, pumapasok si Bhāskara sa Makara; pagkatapos ay sa Kumbha at saka sa Mīna—o dalawang-ulit-na-ipinanganak, gayon siya lumilipat mula tanda tungo sa tanda ayon sa ayos.

Word by Word

• अयनस्य: of the course/solstice (ayana)
• अयनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• उत्तरस्य: of the northern
• उत्तरस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषण (अयनस्य)

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (आदि-शब्दस्य लोके सप्तम्यर्थे)

• मकरम्: Capricorn (Makara)
• मकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• याति: goes to, enters
• याति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (thereafter/from then)

• कुम्भम्: Aquarius (Kumbha)
• कुम्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मीनम्: Pisces (Mīna)
• मीनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• राशे: in the zodiac sign
• राशे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• राश्यन्तरम्: the interval/transition between signs
• राश्यन्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राशेः अन्तरम्)

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Bhaskara)
• Makara (Capricorn)
• Kumbha (Aquarius)
• Mina (Pisces)
• Maitreya (Dvija)

FAQs

What is the significance of Uttarayana in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames uttarāyaṇa as a cosmically ordered phase marked by the Sun’s entry into Makara and its successive movement through the zodiac, showing time as a regulated, intelligible pattern within Purāṇic cosmology.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Sun’s movement through the zodiac here?

Parāśara describes the Sun (Bhāskara) progressing sign by sign (rāśyantara), beginning the northern course with Makara and then moving through Kumbha and Mīna in sequence.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named directly, the Vishnu Purana presents cosmic regularity—such as the Sun’s ordained course—as part of the Supreme Lord’s sustaining sovereignty, where celestial order reflects the deeper governance of reality.