Shloka 10
“राजन! जहाँ जाकर भगवान् सूर्य सत्यसे प्रतिष्ठित होते हैं, उस पर्वतराजको मनीषी पुरुष अस्ताचल कहते हैं। गिरिराज अस्ताचल और महान् जलराशिसे भरे हुए समुद्रमें रहकर राजा वरुण समस्त प्राणियोंकी रक्षा करते हैं
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: rājan! yatra gatvā bhagavān sūryaḥ satyase pratiṣṭhitaḥ bhavati, taṃ parvatarājaṃ manīṣiṇaḥ puruṣāḥ astācala iti vadanti. girirāje astācala eva ca mahājalarāśibhir bhṛte samudre ca sthitvā rājā varuṇaḥ sarvapāṇināṃ rakṣāṃ karoti.
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Tâu Đại vương, ngọn núi chúa nơi Thái Dương chí tôn đi đến rồi an trú trong cõi Chân Thật, bậc hiền triết gọi là ‘Astācala’—Núi Lặn. Ngự tại đó, và cũng ở trong đại dương mênh mông đầy ắp khối nước vĩ đại, vua Varuṇa che chở muôn loài hữu tình.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links cosmic geography with ethical order: the Sun is said to ‘rest’ in Satya (Truth), and Varuṇa—guardian of waters and moral order—protects all beings. It implies that the universe is sustained by truth and vigilant guardianship, mirroring the king’s duty to protect subjects through dharma.
Vaiśampāyana describes a sacred location called Astācala, identified as the mountain where the Sun is believed to set and become established in Truth. He adds that Varuṇa resides there and in the vast ocean, exercising protective sovereignty over all creatures.