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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
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Canto 5 · Chapter 21: The Movements of the Sun
5.21.145.21.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.21.15

Sthāna· The universe in order
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.21.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

रथनीडस्तु षट्‌त्रिंशल्लक्षयोजनायतस्तत्तुरीयभागविशालस्तावान् रविरथयुगो यत्र हयाश्छन्दोनामान: सप्तारुणयोजिता वहन्ति देवमादित्यम् ॥ १५ ॥

ratha-nīḍas tu ṣaṭ-triṁśal-lakṣa-yojanāyatas tat-turīya-bhāga-viśālas tāvān ravi-ratha-yugo yatra hayāś chando-nāmānaḥ saptāruṇa-yojitā vahanti devam ādityam.

Translation

My dear King, the carriage of the sun-god’s chariot is estimated to be 3,600,000 yojanas [28,800,000 miles] long and one-fourth as wide [900,000 yojanas, or 7,200,000 miles]. The chariot’s horses, which are named after Gāyatrī and other Vedic meters, are harnessed by Aruṇadeva to a yoke that is also 900,000 yojanas wide. This chariot continuously carries the sun-god.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Seven Horses Bear Names of Vedic Meters

  1. 1

    The carriage is 3,600,000 yojanas long and 900,000 yojanas wide. Aruṇadeva harnesses the horses to a yoke that is also 900,000 yojanas wide.

  2. 2

    The Viṣṇu Purāṇa names the seven horses Gāyatrī, Bṛhati, Uṣṇik, Jagatī, Triṣṭup, Anuṣṭup and Paṅkti.

  3. 3

    These names are names of Vedic meters. The seven horses carry the chariot, which continuously carries the sun-god.

Key points from the purport
  • The seven horses yoked to the sun-god’s chariot are named Gāyatrī, Bṛhati, Uṣṇik, Jagatī, Triṣṭup, Anuṣṭup and Paṅkti.
  • These names of various Vedic meters designate the seven horses that carry the sun-god’s chariot.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Smallness → Awe and reverence. A vast cosmos changes the reader's perspective.

Chapters 15–25 of Canto 5: The cosmic regions and divine worship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 21: The Movements of the Sun

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

They are harnessed by a demigod known as Aruṇadeva to a yoke 900,000 yojanas wide. Thus the chariot carries Ādityadeva, the sun-god.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.21
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ratha-nīḍaḥthe interior of the chariot
  2. tubut
  3. ṣaṭ-triṁśat-lakṣa-yojana-āyataḥ3,600,000 yojanas long
  4. tat-turīya-bhāgaone quarter of that measure (900,000 yojanas)
  5. viśālaḥhaving a width
  6. tāvānso much also
  7. ravi-ratha-yugaḥthe yoke for the horses
  8. yatrawhere
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Sthāna · Planetary systems

    How is the universe arranged, and what is our right place in it? · Subject 3 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 5.21

    In this verse: “king”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What helps you remember the connection between the horses and the Vedic meters?

Practice

Read the seven horses’ names aloud once, remembering that each is also the name of a Vedic meter.

Live this todaySeven Horses Bear Names of Vedic MetersThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

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