With rays like hands reaching out, Brahmā—revered by all the gods—offers twenty-one sacred names as a cherished hymn to Ravi, the Sun. This hymn celebrates the Sun as the giver of bodily health, the bestower of wealth and fame, and the king of hymns, renowned throughout the three worlds. Whoever, O best of the twice-born, praises the Sun at dawn and dusk, at sunrise and sunset, after purifying themselves, is freed from all sins. All faults—whether mental, spoken, physical, or born of action—are destroyed with a single recitation of this hymn in the presence of the Sun. Reciting even one mantra, offering oblations, worshipping at twilight, chanting incense mantras, water offering mantras, and mantras for sacrificial offerings—all these practices likewise purify. In giving food, in acts of charity, in prostration, and in circumambulation, this great mantra is honored; it removes all sins and brings auspiciousness. Therefore, O twice-born, with steadfast effort, praise this boon-giving god with this hymn. The Sun grants the fruits of all desires. Now, the god who is eternal and beyond all qualities, whom you have described as the Sun, has again been born in twelve forms, as we have heard from your words. Yet, a question arises: How did the Sun’s radiance, his rays and immense brilliance, come to be born in the womb of a woman? This is a source of great doubt. Daksha, the ancient progenitor, had sixty excellent daughters: Aditi, Diti, Danu, Vinata, and others. Of these, thirteen maidens were given to Kashyapa. Aditi bore the gods, rulers of the three worlds. Diti and Danu bore fierce, proud, and powerful demons. Vinata and the other sisters likewise gave birth to various stationary and moving beings. Thus, O sage, the entire world was filled by the sons, grandsons, and descendants of these women. Among Kashyapa’s sons, the principal groups of deities are known as sattvic; others are rajasic, and others tamasic. The creator, Prajapati, supreme among knowers of Brahman, made the gods—the enjoyers of sacrifices and the rulers of the three worlds. Yet the Daityas and Danavas, along with their co-wives, opposed the gods. The sons of Aditi were driven away by the Daityas and Danavas. Seeing the three worlds devastated, Aditi, O best of sages, found the shares of sacrifice cut off and was greatly afflicted by hunger. For the worship of Savitṛ, she undertook the highest effort with single-mindedness, regulated diet, and strict discipline, and praised the mass of radiance—the Sun dwelling in the sky. She offered salutations to the supreme, subtle, most virtuous, incomparable brilliance, the lord of those possessing brilliance, the eternal foundation of brilliance. For the benefit of the worlds, she praised him as the protector of cows and bowed to the intense form he assumes when taking. She bowed also to that exceedingly intense form which absorbs the watery essence over eight months, and to the form united with Agni and Soma, possessing qualities, shining through the unity of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas. Homage was given to that eternal Radiance, the source of the threefold Veda, whose form is beyond all, invoked by the syllable Om—subtle, gross, and pure. Thus, the steadfast goddess composed hymns day and night, fasting, desiring to propitiate Vivasvat, O twice-born. After a long time, the glorious Sun appeared before Aditi, Daksha’s daughter. She beheld a great mass of radiance, veiled in light, standing upon the earth, blazing with flames—exceedingly difficult to look upon. Overwhelmed by awe and fear, the goddess prayed: “O Lord of Cows, origin of the world, be gracious! I do not see you—grant me your favor so I may behold your form, O Sun, compassionate to devotees, protector of your worshippers—protect my sons.” From that radiance, the shining Sun manifested, appearing like molten copper. The radiant one spoke to the goddess, who had bowed and could not see him: “Choose a single boon from me, whatever you desire.” She bowed deeply, pressing her knees to the ground, and addressed Vivasvat, the bestower of boons: “O god, be gracious! My sons have lost the three worlds, and their shares of the sacrifice have been taken by the Daityas and Danavas, who are stronger. For this reason, O Lord of Cows, grant me your favor: become their brother by a portion of yourself and destroy those enemies. Let my sons again partake of the sacrificial shares and become rulers of the three worlds, O Sun. Thus, fulfill the desire of my sons according to this request; you are called the remover of distress—please accomplish this task.” The blessed Sun, dispeller of darkness, addressed the bowed Aditi with a face full of grace: “By a thousandth part of myself, I will fully enter your womb; I will swiftly destroy your sons’ enemies, contented.” Having spoken thus, the radiant Lord disappeared. Aditi ceased her austerities, having obtained all her desires. Then, from among the Sun’s thousand rays, the one called Suṣumnā entered her; at the year’s end, her wish was fulfilled. The Sun took up residence in the womb of the mother of the gods. With great concentration, she performed difficult vows such as Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa. With purity, she bore that divine embryo, saying, “I sustain this divine child.” Then Kaśyapa addressed her, his words tinged with some anger.