वृष्ट्याभिवृद्धाभिरथौषधीभिर्मर्त्याः क्षुधं त्वन्नपानैर्जयन्ति
Mortals, increased by rain and by herbs, overcome hunger with food and drink.
अन्नेन शश्वच्च दधाति मर्त्यान्सुर्यस्तपंस्तान्सुबिभर्त्ति गोभिः
The sun continually gives food to mortals, sustaining them with heat and with cows.
विसर्गकाले विसृजंश्च ताः पुनर्बिभर्त्ति शश्वत्सविता चराचरम्
At the time of release, Savitā again continually supports all that moves and does not move.
ततः प्रमुञ्चत्यपि तास्त्वसौ हरिः समूह्यमानो हरिभिस्तुरङ्गमैः
Then, he releases them; that Hari, being gathered by swift horses.
भद्रैस्तैरक्रमैरश्वैः स्पन्दने वैदिकक्षयः
With those auspicious, unblemished horses, the Vedic movement is accomplished.
सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रान्तां सप्तभिः सप्तभिर्हयैः
With seven horses, he traverses the seven continents and oceans.
कामरूपैः सकृद्युक्तैर्वामतस्तैर्मनोजवैः
With those who possess forms at will, swift as the mind, harnessed on the left side at once,
त्र्यशीतिमण्डलशतं भ्रमन्त्यब्देन ते हयाः
Those horses circle eighty-three hundred orbs in a year.
कल्पादौ संप्र युक्तास्ते वहन्त्याभूतसंप्लवात्
At the beginning of the kalpa, harnessed thus, they carry him until the great dissolution.
वचोभिरग्र्यैर्ग्रथितैः स्तूयमानो महर्षिभिः
Praised by the great sages with excellent, well-composed words,
पतङ्गैः पतगैरश्वैर्भ्रममाणो दिवस्पतिः
The lord of the day moves, drawn by winged steeds and celestial horses.
वामदक्षिणतो युक्ता दश तेन चरन्त्यसौ
Ten are harnessed to him, five on the left and five on the right, and thus he moves.
ह्रासवृद्धी तथैवास्य रश्मीनां सूर्यवत्स्मृते
His rays, like those of the sun, are said to wax and wane in the same way.
अपां गर्णात्समुत्पन्नो रथः साश्वः ससारथिः
His chariot, with horses and charioteer, arose from the waters.
दशभिस्तु कृशैर्दिव्यैरसंगैस्तैर्मनोजवैः
With ten slender, divine, untiring, mind-swift horses,
संगृहीतरथे तस्मिञ्श्वेतश्चक्षुःश्रवाश्च वै
On that assembled chariot are Śveta and Cakṣuḥśravā,
यजुश्चण्डमनाश्चैव वृषो वाजी नरो हयः
Yaju, Caṇḍa, Manas, Vṛṣa, Vājī, Nara, and Haya.
इत्येते नामभिः सर्वे दश चन्द्रमसो हयाः
Thus, these are the ten horses of the Moon, each by these names.
देवैः परिवृतः सोमः पितृभिश्चैव गच्छति
Soma, surrounded by the gods and also by the ancestors, proceeds.
आपूर्यते परस्यान्ते सततं दिवसक्रमात्
He is continually filled at the end of the half-month, in the course of days.
क्षीणं पञ्चदशाहं तु रश्मिनैकेन भास्करः
When waning, for fifteen days, the Sun with one ray diminishes him.
सुषुम्णाप्यायमानस्य शुक्ला वर्द्धन्ति वै कलाः
When nourished by Suṣumnā, his bright digits increase.
इत्येवं सूर्यवीर्येण चन्द्रश्चाप्यायितस्ततः
Thus, by the Sun’s power, the Moon is nourished in this way.
एवमाप्यायितः सोमः शुक्ल पक्षे दिनक्रमात्
In this way, Soma, nourished, waxes day by day in the bright fortnight.
अपां सारमयस्येन्दो रसमात्रात्मकस्य तु
The essence of the waters, which is the very substance of the Moon, is indeed composed entirely of sap.
संभृतं त्वर्द्धमासेन ह्यमृतं सूर्यतेजसा
Within half a month, this nectar is gathered together by the radiance of the Sun.
एकां रात्रिं सुरैः सर्वैः पितृभिः सर्षिभिः सह
For one night, all the gods, along with the ancestors and sages, partake of it.
प्रक्षीयन्ते पिदृदेवैः पीयमानाः कलाः क्रमात्
Gradually, as it is consumed by the gods and ancestors, the portions are diminished.
त्रयश्च त्रिसहस्राश्च देवाः सोमं पिबन्ति वै
Three and three thousand gods indeed drink the Soma.
क्षीयन्ति तस्माच्छुक्लाश्च कृष्णा आप्याययन्ति च
Therefore, the bright phases wane, and the dark phases are replenished.