Šhāmšhapāyana said:
1. Hearing this the sages became doubtful. They asked Lomaharşhaņa again for its clarification.
The Sages said:
2. Sir, you have mentioned the famous abodes of Devas. How are these abodes? How are these luminaries? Please describe.
3. Please say everything precisely about luminaries. On hearing their words, the pious Sūta said:
4. I shall explain to you what has been mentioned by great intellectuals of perfect knowledge, in connection with the origin of the Sun, the Moon, how the Moon and the Sun are the abodes of gods.
5. Now I shall mention the origin of three fires1: celestial, elemental (atmospheric) and terrestrial.
1. Vedic Aryans regarded Agni (Fire-god) as a great deity and it was given designations according to its functions. Purăņas amplified the tradition and attributed cosmic functions in verses 5-18. Heating being the common factor between the Sun and fire, they are in a way identified. The credit of creating seasons through the rays of the Sun is given to Fire-god also.
6. When the great night came (lit. dawned) on Brahmā, born of the Unmanifest, the universe became undefined and enveloped by nocturnal darkness.
7. Only four elements were there. That which blazed at first is called terrestrial fire. The fire that blazes in the Sun is called Shuchi (celestial).
8. I shall now mention the characteristics of the fire called Vaidyuta (atmospheric) fire. Three fires–Vaidyuta (lightning), Jāthara (gastric) and Saura (solar) are born of the womb of waters. Hence by drinking water the Sun blazes in the sky with his rays.
9. The fire from lightning that burns trees cannot be quelled by water. Nor the fire in human bellies can be quenched by it.
10. The fire existing in the belly is full of rays. It is a great fire. The diffused light of the Sun devoid of heat is white and spreads everywhere.
11. It partially (with its quarter part) enters the fire at night, when the Sun sets. So the fire is seen blazing from a distance.
12. The heat of the fire permeates the Sun when he rises again. With a quarter of the heat the terrestrial fire blazes forth.
13. The light and heat of the Sun and fire develop by day and night, thanks to this mutual permeation.
14. In the northern or southern hemisphere, when the Sun rises, the night enters the water. Hence the water becomes copper-coloured during the day, because of the entry of the night.
15. When this Sun sets again, the day enters the water. So during the night the water sparkles due to the entry of day.
16. In this manner, in the southern and northern hemispheres, at the time of sunrise and sunset, the day and the night enter the waters.
17. That which blazes in the Sun drinking the waters through the rays is the celestial fire mixed with the terrestrial one.
18-19. The celestial fire of a thousand rays is circular and shaped like a jar. With its thousand rays it takes up the water of the rivers, oceans, wells, desert lands, both mobile, i.e. flowing, and stationary, The Sun of golden form has a thousand rays that exude rain, chillness and heat.
20. Four hundred of those rays having variegated forms shower rain. The rays that generate rain are called Vandanās, Vandyas, Rutanás, Nutanás and Amrutås.
21. Apart from these, there are three hundred rays that exude chilliness. These are called Druśhyas, Medhyās, Vāhyās and Hrådinis.
22-23. These are called Chandrās. All these rays are yellow- coloured.
The rays that generate hot energy are Shuklās, Kakubhs, Gaus and Vishvabhruts. They are also three hundred. All of them are white. With these the Sun sustains human beings, Pitris and Devas alike.
24. He gratifies human beings through medicinal herbs; the Pitris by means of Svadhā; and Devas by means of nectar.
25. During spring and the summer he blazes with the three hundred rays. During rains and autumn, he generates rain by the four (hundred rays).
26. The Sun creates mist and fog by means of the three (hundred rays) during early and late winter. He deposits energy on the medicinal herbs. By means of Svadha he propitiates Pitris. By means of nectar of three varieties he bestows immortality.
27. Thus thousand rays of the Sun achieve the purpose of the worlds. They differ according to the season by exuding water, chilliness and heat.
28. Thus the bright and sparkling solar zone is described. It is the support and source of origin of the stars, planents and the Moon. All these, the stars, the Moon and the planets should be known to have originated from the Sun.
29. The Moon is the lord of stars; the Sun is the king of planets. The remaining five planets are known as Ishvaras having forms as they please.
30. It is said that the fire is Sun and (the source of) water is the Moon. Now listen to the source of other planets as explained in detail.
31. The commander-in-chief of the army of Devas, Skanda, is said to be the origin of Angaraka (Mars). Those who have perfect knowledge know that Narayana is the origin of Lord Budha.
32. Lord Rudra himself who is the prototype of Dharma, the son of Vivasvat, in the world, is the origin of the great planet Saturn, the slowest of all planets. He is the most excellent among Brahmaņas,
33. The two great planets with bright rays are Shukra (Venus) and Bruhaspati (Jupiter), the preceptors of Asuras and Devas. They are the sons of Prajāpati.
34. There is no doubt that the entire universe, all the worlds including Devas, Asuras and human beings, have their roots in the Sun.
35. It is his universal splendour, O leading Brāhmaṇas, that shines as the refulgence of all heaven-dwellers such as Rudra, Indra, Vişhnu and the Moon.
36. He is the Ātman of all, the lord of all the worlds. He is the primordial great deity. Everything originates from him and merges in him.
37. O Brāhmaṇas, the creation and dissolution of the worlds arose from the Sun formerly. The Universe is known as a planet. The Sun is the most excellent and refulgent planet.
38. From him are born again and again and into him merge after death, all the moments, Muhurtas, days, nights, fortnights, months, seasons, years, sets of five years and Yugas.
39. Their time-calculation is impossible without the Sun. Without time there is no sacred scripture, no initiation, and no daily routine.
40. Without him how can the seasons be named and classified? How can the foodgrains and plants grow? How can there be medicinal herbs of good quality?
41. Without the Sun, the thief of water, the scorcher of the Universe, all the affairs of Devas here and in heaven cannot go on.
42. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, he alone is Kåla (Time) and fire. He is the twelve-souled Prajapati. He blazes the three worlds including mobile and immobile beings.
43. He alone is a mass of splendour. He is the entire world and benefactor of all the worlds. Resorting to the uppermost path of Vayu, he blazes this Universe by means of his splendour at the sides, above and below.
44. Seven among the thousand rays of the Sun already mentioned by me are the most excellent. They are the causes of the planets.1
1. Verses 45-49 trace the origin of planets to the specific rays of the Sun.
45. They are-Suşhumna, Harikeśha, Viśhvakarman, Viśhvaśhra vas, Sampadvasu, Arvávasu and Svarat.
46. The Sun’s ray called Suşhumna develops the declining Moon. It is said to be exerting power laterally and from above.
47. The ray Harikeśha is said to be the primordial cause of the stars. It spreads forward. Towards the south the ray Viśhvakarman makes Budha.
48. The next ray called Vishvaśhravas is the source of Shukra (Venus). The ray Sampadvasu is the cause of Lohita (Mars).
49. The sixth ray Arvävasu is the source of origin of Bruhaspati (Jupiter). The ray Svarăt develops Shanaischara (Saturn).
50. Thus all the planets, stars and constellations flourish by the energy of the Sun. The entire Universe too flourishes thereby. The Nakşhatra-hood (i.e. the term Nakşhatra) is so called due to (fact that) they do not decline. 2
2. Our author gives popular etymologies which are not tenable, e.g. in vv. 51-55 we have derivations as follows:
(1) Nakshatra ‘a Star’ traced to kshi, to get diminished’. That
which does not get diminished’ (na kşhīyate) is Nakşhatra but. grammatically, it is from naksh “to go’+tran (uņādi). Aditya is normally derived as Aditi+nya (=ya), the son of Aditi’ but our author traces it to a + da to take away’.
51. The Sun too is a Nakşhatra because he falls into their Kshetras (spheres) and then by means of his rays he takes them up.
52. The constellations (Tärakas) are so called because they have crossed (the ocean of existence) by means of merit, because they resort to the planets at the end of their pious actions. They are called Tarakas because they enable others to cross the ocean of existence) and because they are sparkling.
53. The Sun is called Aditya, because it always removes (lit, takes away a-dā) darkness of the night both celestial and terrestrial. He is great by his refulgence.
54. The root su means ‘to throb’ and ‘to exude. Since it diffuses light and exudes water it is called “Savitri”.
55. The root cad which gives the word ‘Chandra’ has many meanings: ‘to delight,’ ‘to sparkle’, ‘to act as nectar’ and ‘to be cool.’
56-57. The divine and sparkling orbs of the Sun and the Moon are in the sky. They sparkle like blazing fire. They are auspicious and they resemble a circular jar. The orb of the Moon is of solid water and the orb of the Sun is of solid refulgence.
58. Devas resorting to the stars, the Sun and the planets enter these spots in all the Manvantaras.
59. These abodes of Devas are named after them. The Sun enters the abode Saura; the Moon enters the abode Saumya.
60. The valorous sixteen-rayed Shukra (Venus) enters the abode Shaukra. Bruhaspati (Jupiter) enters the abode Byhat; Lohita (Mars) enters the abode Lauhita; Shanaichara (Saturn) enters the abode Shānaishchara,
61. The planets are brightly illuminated due to their contact with the rays of the Sun.1 The diameter of the Sun is nine thousand Yojanas.
1. Scientifically correct observation but the rest (vv. 62.102) is imaginary.
62. The girth of the Sun is three times its diameter. The width of the Moon is twice that of the Sun.
63. Equal to them, Svarbhānu (Rähu) goes beneath. The planet Råhu is created in globular form out of the shadow of the earth.
64-65. The dark abode of Svarbhānu is fashioned out of darkness. During full moon days he comes out of the Sun and goes to the Moon. From the Moon he goes to the Sun (during the new-moon days) and again he goes to the Moon. He dispels (the brilliance of) the heaven with his refulgence and is therefore, called Svarbhānu.
66. The magnitude of the diameter and girth of Bhargava (Venus) is one sixteenth of that of the Moon.
67. Bruhaspati (Jupiter) is three-fourths of the planet Venus in size. Kuja (Mars) and Saura (Saturn) are three-fourths of Jupiter in the size. Budha (Mercury) is three-fourths of each of them in width and girth.
68. (Heavenly) bodies, and constellations seen in the sky are equal to Mercury in width and girth.
69-70. One conversant with reality should know that the stars are usually in conjunction with the Moon. The stars and constellations differ from one another by five hundred, four hundred, three hundred and two hundred Yojanas as well. The spheres of the stars are lesser than the earlier ones. There is no star smaller than the ones with one and a half Yojanas.
71. The three planets Saturn, Mars and Jupiter, move far above the other planets. They go slowly and their movements are crooked as well.
72. The four great planets-the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus, have their orbits below. They move swiftly.
73. There are crores of constellations and as many stars too. The way (orbit) of the stars is well arranged through the control of Vithis.
74. In the order of his transit, the movement of the Sun is either above or below. When the Moon is in the northern sphere during Parvans, Budha and Svarbhānu occupy their own abodes.
75. The stars occupy their own abodes. These luminaries are the abodes of pious persons.
76. The abodes are created by the Self-born Deity at the beginning of the Kalpa. They stay up to the dissolution of all living beings.
77. These are the abodes of the deities in all Manvantaras. These deities identify themselves with these abodes and stay till the final dissolution.
78. The abodes of those who have gone have vanished. The abodes of the future Devas and Asuras will be created along with them. The present groups of Devas stay in those abodes.
79. In this Manvantara, the planets reside in aerial cars. In the Vaivasvata Manvantara the Sun is born of Aditi and is called Vivasvat.
80. Tvişhimat, the son of Dharma, known as Vasu is the lord Moon. ‘The lord Shukra, king of Asuras, is known as Bhargava (Venus).
81. The excessively refulgent lord Bruhaspati, son of Angiras, is the preceptor of Devas. Budha is charming and is known as the son of Tvişhi.
82. Agni was alternatively born as the youthful lord of Lohita (Mars). The daughters of Daksha resort to the stars and constellations,
83. Svarbhānu is the son of Simhika; who, being a demon, harasses all living creatures. Thus the deities identifying themselves with the Moon, the Sun, planents and stars have been recounted.
84. Thus the abodes and their resident deities are mentioned. The abode of the thousand-rayed Sun is full of fire and sparkling.
85. The abode of the thousand-rayed Moon is full of water and sparkling white. The abode of the five-rayed charming planet Budha is dark in colour.
86. The abode of the sixteen-rayed Venus is full of water. The abode of the nine-rayed Mars is full of water and red in colour,
87. The abode of the twelve-rayed Bruhaspati is big and green. It is full of water. The abode of the light-rayed Saturn is dark in colour. It is full of water.
88. The abode of Svarbhānu is dark. It is the abode harassing all living beings. The constellations are single-rayed and full of water.
89. They are the abodes of persons of pious fame. They are bright and white in colour. They are of the nature of solid water. They are created in the beginning of the Kalpa in accordance with the Vedas.
90-91. Because of his loftiness, the Sun is seen quickly by his bright rays. The Sun stationed in the Nāgavithi, the path of southern transit, is encompassed by the line of the Earth during full moon and new moon days. He is not seen at the usual time and he sets early.
92. Hence, the Moon stationed in northern path is not invariably seen during the new moon day in the southern path.
93. By virtue of the movement of luminaries, the Sun and the Moon rise and set at the same time during the equinox.
94. In the northern pathways, they rise and set at different times. During the new moon and full moon days they follow the circle of luminaries.
95. When the Sun is stationed in the southern path, he moves beneath the planets.
96. Making his orb extensive, the Moon traverses the orbit above (the Sun). The entire multitude of stars moves above the Moon.
97. Mercury is above the stars; Jupiter is above Mercury; Saturn is above Jupiter; and still above is the zone of Seven Sages (Great Bear). Dhruva (Pole Star) is above the Seven Sages.
98. The intermediate distances between the stars and the planets are above two hundred thousand Yojanas and vary in individual cases (obscure Text).
99. The planets, the Sun and the Moon come into contact with the stars everyday in the sky by their divine splendour and they separate also in the due order.
100. The Sun, stars and the planets may be either below or above or in the middle. When they come together or separate from one another, people see them simultaneously.
101. They stay in juxtaposition with one another coming into mutual contact. But their communion is free from intermixture.
102-103. Thus I have described to you the position of the luminaries on the earth and that also of the continents, oceans, mountains, sub-continents and rivers where they are situated*. These self-same planets formerly originated from the stars.
*Bd. P. reads: Ye cha teşhu vasanti vai: Those who stay in them’.
104. Vivasvan, the son of Aditi, the first among the planets, ie. the Sun-god, was born under the constellation Vishakha in the Chākşhusha Manvantara.
105. The brilliant Moon-god Viśhvāvasu, the son of Dharma, the cool-rayed maker of nights, was born under (the costellation) Kruttikā.
106. After the Sun, Shukra (Venus), son of Bhrugu, endowed with sixteen rays, who is next to the Sun is the most excellent among constellations and planets. He is born in the constellation Tişhya (Puşhya).
107. The planet Bruhaspati (Jupiter) of twelve fiery flames, who is the son of Angiras and is the preceptor of the universe was born under the constellation Phålguni (Pūrva Phálguni in Bd, P).
108. It is reported that the nine-rayed, red-bodied planet (Mars), son of Prajapati, is born under the constellation Purvāşhadha.
109. The seven-rayed planet, Saturn, son of the Sun, is born under the constellation Revati. The planets harassing the Sun and the Moon are born under the constellation Rohiņi.
110. These stars and planets beginning with Shukra (Venus) should be comprehended (properly) because they attain evil propensities when the constellation of nativity is afflicted. They are affected by that defect (and are redeemed) due to devotion to the planets.
111. Aditya (the Sun) is called the first among these planets. Among the stellar planets Shukra is the first. Among the comets (Ketu) is the first.
112. Dhruva (Pole Star) is the pivotal peg among the planets divided in the four quarters. Among the stars, Shravişhthà (Dhanişhthā) is the most excellent; among the Ayanas (Transits) the Uttarayana (northern transit) is the most excellent.
113. Among the five years the first is Samvatsara; among the seasons Shishira (late winter) is the first; among months Mägha is the first.*
*This shows that new year began in Mägha.
114. Among the fortnights the bright half is excellent; among the Tithis days of the lunar fortnight) Pratipat (the first day) is excellent; in the divisions of days and nights day is declared excellent.
115. Among the Muhūrtas, the first is excellent. It has Rudra for its deity. Nimesha (the time taken in the winking of the eyes) is excellent among the units of time. So is the opinion of those who know Time.
116. Beginning with Shravişhthā (Dhanishthā) and ending with Shravana there shall be the Yuga of five years. As a result of the rotation of the Sun, it revolves like a wheel.
117. Hence the Sun is remembered as Kāla (Time). Know that he is the Ishvara (Lord), the activiser of thc four types of living beings and their destroyer as well.
118. Thus, this is the regulated arrangement of luminaries as a decisive feature of the affairs of the world. It is evolved by the Lord for the regular functioning of the world.
119. It is born of Shravana and consolidated in Dhruva. It extends all round in the form of a circle.*
*Vrukshākāra is probabaly a misprint for Vruttákāra as in Bd. P. I.2.24.148.
120. It was told (ordained) so intelligently at the beginning of Kalpa by the Lord. He is the supporter and the Abhimania (the identifier) with all. He is the Soul of luminary bodies. He is the cosmic form, a miraculous transformation of Pradhāna.
121. The movement of the luminaries among human beings cannot be precisely observed by the physical eye, nor can it be narrated exactly by anyone.
122. By means of scriptures, inference, perception and reasoning, after scrutinizing intelligently and carefully, a learned man should entertain sufficient faith in it.
123. O excellent among intelligent beings, these five functions are the means for ascertaining the true positions of the luminary bodies, viz. the eye, scriptures, water, written documents and mathematical calculations.