O venerable sages, listen as the virtuous have described the nature of the three worlds and all beings within them. From this profound understanding arises the entirety of the universe—gods, asuras, and humans alike. The radiance that shines in all luminous beings, indeed all your powers, is but a reflection of the universal brilliance. At the root of all, the Sun stands alone as the supreme deity, the very foundation of the three worlds. The gods themselves are but portions of Viṣṇu, carrying out his cosmic course through their divine forms. This reality is woven from sacred metres, from Brahman itself, and is ancient beyond reckoning. In the celestial order, the Gandharvas, Apsarases, chiefs of serpents, and Rakshasas all participate. Alongside them are Vivasvat, Pūṣan, Parjanya, and Aṃśu, who, in their appointed seasons beginning with spring, nourish the Sun in due order. Great sages such as Bharadvāja, Gautama, Kaśyapa, and Kratu offer their praises to the Sun, each using various metres as tradition prescribes. The divine chariot of the Sun is guided by the chiefs—Rathasvana, Varuṇa, Suṣeṇa, and Senajit—who gather the reins of the Lord of gods. Before this chariot proceed the foremost Rakshasas, taking the forms of a serpent, a tiger, a horse, the wind, lightning, and the sun itself, each in their proper sequence. Supporting the Sun are the noble serpents: Elāpatra, Śaṅkhapāla, Airāvata, Kambala, and Aśvatara, who bear him in turn. Ugrasena, Vasuruci, Arvāva, and Asuratha sing to Bhānu, the shining one, with melodious songs that follow the sequence of musical notes beginning with Ṣaḍja. Among the Apsarases, Menakā, Sahajanyā, Pramlocā, Pūrvacitti, and Tilottamā, O best of the twice-born, delight the great god, the Sun, the imperishable Self, with their beauty and devotion. Each of these beings nourishes the Sun, the very repository of radiance, with their own brilliance. The Gandharvas and Apsarases attend upon him with dance and song, filling the heavens with joy. The serpents carry the Lord of gods, and the demons proceed as well, all working together to remove the inauspicious deeds of beings. Ever abiding in his celestial chariot, the Sun moves at will, swift as the wind. In this way, he, or she, protects all beings until the very end of the age, shining forth according to the nature of his divine being. The Sun continually nourishes the ancestors, gods, humans, and all other creatures. Among those who know the Vedas, the eternal blue-throated one shines resplendent. The wise, who have mastered the Vedas, recognize that the Sun himself is the embodiment of the Vedas. The Lord of time, whose form is divine, governs the very flow of time. Among his manifestations, the seven rays, which are the sources of the planets, are most illustrious. One ray is Viśvavyacā, another—supreme among them—is Saṃyadvasu. The ray called Supumna nourishes the cool radiance of the moon, while Harikeśa bestows vitality upon the stars. Viśvavyacā ever sustains Venus, and Surāṭ, the seventh ray, nourishes Saturn as well. These rays continually increase, and as they flourish, they bring nourishment and vitality to all. Thus, the Sun, in his majesty, sustains the worlds and all their beings, ever radiant, ever beneficent.