Shloka 16

Uttarā-diśā Māhātmya — Suparṇa’s Praise of the Northern Quarter

Suparṇa–Gālava Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

अष्टाविंशतिरात्रं च चड्क्रम्य सह भानुना । निष्पतन्ति पुन: सूर्यात्‌ सोमसंयोगयोगतः,अभिजित्‌सहित अद्बाईस नक्षत्रोंमेंसे प्रत्येक अट्टाईसवें दिन सूर्यके साथ विचरण करके अमावस्याके बाद फिर सूर्यमण्डलसे पृथक्‌ हो जाता है

Transliteration

aṣṭāviṁśatirātraṁ ca cakramya saha bhānunā | niṣpatanti punaḥ sūryāt somasaṁyogayogataḥ ||

Translation

وہ بھانو کے ساتھ اٹھائیس راتوں کا چکر پورا کر کے، قمر کے اتصال کے سبب، اماوس کے بعد پھر سورج کے منڈل سے جدا ہو جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

अष्टाविंशति-रात्रम्a period of twenty-eight nights

चand

चक्राम्यhaving gone/roamed (having traversed)

सहtogether with

भानुनाwith the Sun (with Bhānu)

निष्पतन्तिthey depart/come forth (separate out)

पुनःagain

सूर्यात्from the Sun

सोम-संयोग-योगतःdue to the conjunction with the Moon

Speaker

युपर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

य

युपर्ण (Yuparṇa)

भ

भानु (the Sun)

स

सूर्य (the Sun)

स

सोम (the Moon)

अ

अभिजित् (Abhijit nakṣatra)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights cosmic order: celestial cycles (Sun–Moon conjunctions and the 28-night circuit) structure time, which in turn underpins dharmic life through calendrical and ritual reckoning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yuparṇa explains an astronomical/cosmological point: after moving with the Sun for a 28-night circuit, the relevant star/nakṣatra grouping (notably Abhijit as referenced in the received text) separates again from the Sun after amāvasyā, due to its relation with the Moon.