As the seasons turn, the Sun reveals his many forms and powers. During the rainy months and into autumn, he pours forth his energy in four great streams, sustaining and transforming the world. In this cosmic order, mighty deities take their turns presiding over the months: Indra, Dhata, Bhaga, Pusha, Mitra, Varuna, and Yama each play their roles in the divine cycle. Varuna governs the month of Magha, while Pusha presides in Phalguna. When Jyeshtha arrives, Indra holds sway, and Savita, the radiant Sun, rules over Ashadha. Parjanya becomes prominent in Ashvayuja, and in Kartika, Tvashtri, another form of the Sun, shines forth. Each of these deities manifests through the Sun’s rays, each with their own number: Varuna with five thousand, Dhata with eight thousand, and Shatakratu—another name for Indra—with nine thousand rays. Sitra shines with seven rays, and Tvashtri with eight. Vishnu, too, illuminates the earth with six thousand radiant beams. The Sun’s appearance changes with the seasons: he is dazzling white during the rains, and in autumn, his light becomes pale. Thus, the shifting colors of the Sun through the seasons are revealed. Yet, even among the immortals, the Sun does not grant the triple nectar directly. Instead, as the seasons come and go, his essence divides into water, cold, and heat, nourishing all creation. The Sun is the very foundation and womb of the stars, the planets, and the Moon. Among the celestial bodies, Soma, the Moon, is lord of the stars, while the Sun is king of the planets. Agni, the god of fire, is said to be the Sun, and water is regarded as the Moon. Skanda, commander of the gods, is also linked to the planet Mars. Rudra is Vaivasvata Yama himself, the lord of beings. The two great planets—the preceptors of gods and asuras—shine with their own brilliance. Truly, all three worlds arise from the Sun; this is beyond doubt. From Rudra, Upendra, Indra, the Moon, the foremost Brahmins, and the gods of heaven, to the Supreme Self, the lord of all worlds, the great god and progenitor of beings—all have their origin in the Sun. From him, all things arise, and into him, all things dissolve. Know, O Brahmins, that the Sun, resplendent and radiant, is the knower of the world. Moments, muhūrtas, days, nights, and fortnights—all measures of time—exist only because of him. Without the Sun, there would be no reckoning of time, no distinction of seasons, and thus no flowers, roots, or fruits. Without him, creatures would have no activities, whether in heaven or on earth. The Sun is time itself, he is fire, and he is Prajāpati, manifesting in twelve forms. He is a mass of radiance, the destroyer of darkness, and universal to all the worlds. His heat pervades everything—on all sides, above, and below—banishing darkness everywhere equally. With his rays, the Sun illumines the entire world. Among his rays, seven are foremost, guiding the planets in their courses. Among these, Viśvaśravā stands supreme among the prosperous and virtuous. The ray called Suṣumṇa nourishes the Moon as it wanes. Hari-keśa, at the front, is the progenitor of the stars, while Viśvaśravā, at the back, is known by the wise as the origin of Venus. The sixth ray, Arvāvasu, is the source of Jupiter. Thus, by the Sun’s power, the planets, constellations, and stars all come into being and shine in the heavens.