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.
आदित्यपीतं सकलं सोमः संक्रमते जलम्
All water, absorbed by the sun, is transferred to the moon.
यत्सोमात्स्रवते ह्यंबु तदन्नेष्वेव तिष्ठति
The water that flows from the moon remains in plants.
एवमुत्क्षिप्यते चैव पतते चासकृज्जलम्
Thus, water is repeatedly lifted up and falls down again.
संधारणार्थं लोकानां मायैषा विश्वनिर्मिता
This is the illusion created for sustaining the worlds.
विश्वेशो लोककृद्देवः सहस्राक्षः प्रजापतिः
The Lord of all, the creator of the worlds, the thousand-eyed god, the progenitor—
सार्वलोकिकमंभो यत्तत्सोमान्नभसश्व्युतम्
All the water in the worlds, which comes from the moon and the sky—
सूर्यादुष्णं निस्रवते सोमाच्छीतं प्रवर्त्तते
Heat flows from the sun, coolness proceeds from the moon.
सोमाधारा नदी गङ्गा पवित्रा विमलोदका
The Ganges river, pure and clear, is sustained by the moon.
सर्वभूतशरीरेषु ह्यापो ह्यनुसृताश्च याः
Indeed, the waters that are present in the bodies of all beings—
धूमभूतास्तु ता ह्यापो निष्कामन्तीह सर्वशः
—those waters, having become vapor, depart from here entirely, without desire.
तेजोर्ऽकः सर्वभूतेभ्य आदत्ते रश्मिभिर्जलम्
The sun draws up water from all beings by means of its rays.
संजीवनं च सस्यानामंभस्तदमृतोपमम्
That water, like nectar, gives life to plants.
यच्छत्यापो हि मेघेभ्यः घुक्लाशुक्लैर्गभस्तिभिः
The sun gives that water to the clouds by means of its bright and pale rays.
सर्वभूतहितार्थाय वायुमिश्राः समन्ततः
For the welfare of all beings, those waters, mixed with wind, are spread everywhere.
वायव्यं स्तनितं चैव वैद्युतं चाग्निसंभवम्
The thunder, the wind-borne sound, and the lightning arising from fire—
न भ्रश्यन्ति यतश्चापस्तदभं कवयो विदुः
—because the waters do not fall away from them, the wise know that as the abode of water.
आग्नेया ब्रह्मजाश्चैव पक्षजाश्च पृथग्विधाः
There are clouds of the fiery kind, those born of Brahma, and those born of wings, each of a distinct type.
आग्नेया स्तूष्णजाः प्रोक्तास्तेषां धूमप्रवर्त्तनम्
The fiery ones are said to be born from stillness; in them, smoke arises.
महिषाश्च वाराहाश्च मत्तमातङ्गरूपिणः
Buffaloes, boars, and those in the form of intoxicated elephants—
जीमूता नाम ते मेघा ह्येतेभ्यो जीवसंभवः
—these clouds are called Jīmūtas; from them arises the life of beings.