Once, a seeker approached the Lord of the gods with profound questions: “Among all the gods, who is the supreme deity? Among the ancestors, who stands as the highest? Please reveal to me, O Lord, that from which nothing is higher. From where has this entire universe—everything that moves and does not move—arisen? And, when dissolution comes, to whom does all this return? You alone are worthy to answer these mysteries.” In response, the Lord spoke of the one who, as he rises, dispels the darkness of the world with his radiant rays. “There is no deity higher than him, O best of the twice-born,” he declared. “He is without beginning and without end—eternal, imperishable. With his fierce beams, he scorches the three worlds. He contains within himself all the gods; among those who shine, he is foremost. He is the lord of the whole world, the witness of all, the master of the universe. “He draws all beings into himself and then creates them anew. He shines, he gives heat, and with his beams, he brings rain. He is the creator and the ordainer, the origin and sustainer of all creatures; he never perishes—his orb is eternal, undecaying. “He is truly the ancestor of the ancestors, the deity of the deities, the firm foundation from which there is no return. At the time of creation, the entire world is born from the Sun, and at dissolution, all returns to him, the radiant illuminator. “Countless yogis, having shed their mortal bodies, become like the wind and merge into this mass of light, the Sun. Thousands of his rays, spreading out like branches and birds, serve as a refuge for accomplished sages who dwell there together with the gods. Householders like Janaka and other kings established in yoga, as well as sages such as the Vālakhilyas, speakers of Brahman, forest-dwellers, Vyāsa, and mendicants—all these, having embraced yoga, have entered the solar orb. “Śuka, the illustrious son of Vyāsa, by attaining the path of yoga, reached the rays of the Sun and established himself in the state of no return. “Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others are known only through words and hearsay; but this supreme god, the Sun, destroyer of darkness, is directly visible to all. Therefore, one who seeks auspiciousness should not direct devotion elsewhere, for those gods led by Viṣṇu are not accessible to sight. “Thus, you should always worship the blessed Sun, who is the mother, the father, and the teacher of the entire world. He, the lord of all worlds, without beginning, adorned with rays, is the master of the universe. Abiding as a friend, he performed austerities, O best of twice-born. “Brahmā, too, is without beginning or end, eternal and imperishable; he created the continents with their oceans and the fourteen worlds. For the welfare of the worlds, he abides on the banks of the lunar river, having created all the lords of creatures and various beings. “Then, the thousand-rayed one, himself unmanifest, made himself twelvefold and became the Sun. These twelve forms are: Indra, Dhātā, Parjanya, Tvaṣṭṛ, Pūṣan, Aryaman, Bhaga, Vivasvān, Viṣṇu, Aṃśa, Varuṇa, and Mitra. Through these twelve forms, that supreme Self, the Sun, pervades this entire world with his manifestations. “His first form, Indra, stands as the king of the gods, destroying their enemies. The second, Dhātā, is the lord of creatures, creating various beings. The third, Parjanya, abides in the clouds and causes rain with his rays. The fourth, Tvaṣṭṛ, is present in trees and all plants everywhere. The fifth, Pūṣan, is established in food and always nourishes living beings. The sixth, Aryaman, is the movement in the wind and is found among the gods. The seventh, Bhaga, abides in abundance and in the bodies of living beings. The eighth, Vivasvān, is established in fire and cooks the food of embodied beings. The ninth, Viṣṇu, appears continually and destroys the enemies of the gods. The tenth, Aṃśumān, is established in the wind and brings delight to living beings. The eleventh, Varuṇa, abides in the waters and always nourishes living beings. The twelfth, Mitra, stands established on the banks of the lunar river for the welfare of the worlds. “Sustaining himself on air, he performed austerities, ever maintaining the vision of friendship, and always granting boons to his devoted followers. Thus, that form for the good of the worlds was established in ancient times; because Mitra stood there, he is remembered as the supreme friend. “By these twelve forms, O best of the twice-born, the Supreme Soul, Savitṛ, has pervaded this entire universe. Therefore, in the twelve abodes, these forms should be meditated upon and worshipped by the devoted, their minds always absorbed in him. “Thus, by saluting the twelve Ādityas, one who listens to and recites this teaching daily is honored in the world of the Sun.