लोकस्य संतानकराः पितृयानपथे स्थिताः
Those who cause the continuation of the world are established on the path of the ancestors.
प्रारभन्ते लोककामास्तेषां पन्थाः स दक्षिणाः
Desiring worlds, they set forth; their path is the southern one.
संतप्तास्तपसा चैव मर्यादाभिः श्रुतेन च
They are purified by austerity, by observance of boundaries, and by learning.
पश्चिमाश्चैव पूर्वेषां जायन्ते निधनेष्वपि
The later ones are born from the earlier ones, even at the time of their demise.
अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि ऋषीमाङ्गृहमेधिनाम्
There are eighty-eight thousand sages who are householders.
क्रियावतां प्रसंख्यैषा ये श्मशानानि भेजिरे
This enumeration is of those who, possessing ritual action, entered the cremation grounds.
इच्छाद्वेषप्रवृत्त्या च मैथुनोपगमेन वै
Through inclination, aversion, activity, and indeed through sexual union,
एतैस्तैः कारणैः सिद्धा ये श्मशानानि भेजिरे
By these various causes, those who attained perfection entered the cremation grounds.
नागवीथ्युत्तरो यश्च सप्तर्षिगणदक्षिणः
One is north of the Nāga street, and another is south of the group of Seven Sages.
यत्र ते वासिनः सिद्धा विमला ब्रह्मचारिणः
There reside perfected beings, pure and devoted to celibacy.
अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि ऋषीणामूर्द्ध्वरेतसाम्
There are eighty-eight thousand sages who retain their seed upwards.
ते संप्रयोगाल्लोकस्य मैथुनस्य च वर्जनात्
By abstaining from union and from sexual intercourse with the world,
पुनश्चाकामसंयोगाच्छब्दादेर्देषदर् शनात्
Again, by union without desire and by perceiving defects in sound and other senses,
आभूतसंप्लवस्थानाममृतत्वं विभाव्यते
Among those who remain at the time of the cosmic dissolution, immortality is manifested.
ब्रूणहत्याश्वमेधाभ्यां पुण्यपापकृतो ऽपरे
Others are distinguished by merit and demerit, through the killing of a fetus and the horse sacrifice.
उर्द्ध्वोत्तरमृषिभ्यस्तु ध्रुवो यत्र स वै स्मृतः
Above and beyond the sages, Dhruva is remembered as residing there.
धर्मध्रुवाद्यास्तिष्ठन्ति यत्र ते लोकसाधकाः
There, those who uphold worlds, such as Dharma and Dhruva, remain.
भविष्याणि च सर्वाणि तेषां वक्ष्याम्यनुक्रमम्
I will declare in order all their future events.
सूर्याचन्द्रमसोश्चारं ग्रहाणां चैव सर्वशः
The movement of the sun and moon, and likewise of all the planets.
अव्यूहेन च सर्वाणि तथैवासंकरेण वा
All these, either in sequence or without confusion.
एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामस्तन्नो निगद सत्तम
We wish to know this—please tell us, O noble one.
प्रत्यक्षमपि दृश्यं च संमोहयति यत्प्रजाः
That which, though seen directly, still confounds people—
उत्तानपादपुत्रो ऽसौ मेढीभूतो ध्रुवो दिवि
Dhruva, the son of Uttānapāda, stands fixed in the sky.
भ्रमन्तमनुगच्छन्ति नक्षत्राणि च चक्रवत्
The stars revolve around him, following his motion like a wheel.
सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ तारा नक्षत्राणि ग्रहैः सह
The sun, the moon, the stars, and the planets move together with the constellations.
तेषां योगश्च भेदश्च कालश्चारस्तथैव च
Their conjunctions, separations, movements, and courses in time—
विषुवद्ग्रहवर्णाश्च द्रुवात्सर्वं प्रवर्त्तते
The equinoxes, planetary colors—all proceed from Dhruva.
शुभाशुभं प्रजानां च ध्रुवात्सर्वं प्रवर्त्तते
All auspicious and inauspicious results for beings arise from Dhruva.
तदेष दीप्त किरणः स कालग्निर्दिवाकरः
He is that blazing, radiant one—the sun, the fire of time.
सूर्यः किरमजालेन वायुयुक्तेन सर्वशः
The sun, with his network of rays, pervades everything, joined with the wind.