In the vast expanse of creation, the Sun stands as the supreme force, imparting strength to the herbs that nourish life, offering oblations to the ancestors, and bestowing nectar upon the gods. With its thousand rays, the Sun places these three gifts—herbs, offerings, and nectar—in their respective realms, fulfilling the needs of each world. This radiant solar power, ever-dividing as it reaches the worlds, accomplishes their purpose by releasing both cold and heat through the agency of water. The shining orb we call the Sun is not merely a source of light; it is the foundation and origin of all stars, planets, and even the Moon. All lunar, stellar, and planetary bodies arise from the Sun, and Soma, the lord of stars, is said to be the left eye of this ruler. The Sun himself is the right eye, and together, their vision guides all beings in this world. Among the planets, five are recognized as sovereigns, moving as they desire: Fire, the Sun, Water, and the Moon are named among them. Listen now to the nature of the remaining ones: Skanda, the commander of the gods, is known as Aṅgāraka among the planets. Those who are wise declare Budha to be Nārāyaṇa, the divine god. Yama, the lord of all worlds, is himself the ruler of beings. Śanaiścara, the great planet that moves slowly, is revered as the teacher of both gods and demons. The two shining ones, Śukra and Bṛhaspati, are said to be the sons of Prajāpati, and all the three worlds have the Sun as their root—of this, there can be no doubt. From the Sun arises the entire universe: gods, demons, humans, including Rudra, Indra, Upendra, the Moon, the best of Brahmins, Agni, and the dwellers in heaven. The radiance of all radiant beings, the brilliance of the world, the soul of all, and the lord of all worlds—Mahādeva, the lord of creatures—are all rooted in the Sun. He alone is the lord of the three worlds, the supreme and original deity. From him, everything arises, and into him, all things dissolve. The coming into being and passing away of worlds originates from the Sun. Ravi, the radiant and resplendent one, is not easily known, O Brahmins. All measures of time—moments, instants, days, nights, and fortnights—are born and end repeatedly because of him. Months, years, seasons, and even ages depend on the Sun; without him, none of these reckonings of time exist. Without time, there is no order, no initiation, no daily sequence. There is no division of seasons, nor flower, root, or fruit. Without the Sun, crops cannot ripen, nor can the multitude of grasses and herbs flourish. Without his presence, living beings cannot exist, neither here nor in heaven. Bhāskara, the Sun who is the form of Rudra and who heats the world, is the source of all shining. He is time, fire, and the twelvefold lord of creatures. He burns the three worlds—both moving and unmoving—and is the total mass of all brilliance, pervading every realm. By day and night, he takes the highest path, heating the world from every side, above and below. Just as a shining lamp suspended in the center of a house dispels darkness equally in all directions, so too does the Sun, lord of planets and master of the world, illuminate everything with his thousand rays. Of these thousand rays, seven are considered the best—the sources of the planets. These are Suṣumna, Harikeśa, Viśvakarman, Viśvavyacā, Ādya, Saṃnaddha, and Para. Sarvāvasu and Svarāṭ are also named among them. Suṣumna, the Sun's ray, kindles the southern sign and moves downward, upward, and below. Harikeśa, who is in front, is the source of the stars. Viśvakarman, on the right, increases the ray for Mercury; Viśvavyacā, behind, is remembered as the source of Venus. Saṃnaddha is the ray whose source is Mars; Sarvāvasu nourishes Jupiter. The ray for Saturn, called Śanaiścara, is also sustained. Thus, by the Sun’s radiance, stars, planets, and constellations shine. All these celestial bodies are seen in the sky, and the entire universe as well. Because they do not perish, they are called stars. All these fields shine with their rays, and the Sun receives from them the light of stars and constellations. Through virtuous acts performed on Earth, at the end of good deeds, souls resort to the planets. Because they cross over, they are called stars, and their whiteness gives them the same name. Of all the divine, earthly, and nocturnal stars—without exception—the Sun always takes their radiance, even from the dark ones. For sacrifice and movement, this element is described; because he draws forth the radiance of the waters, the Sun is called Savitṛ. The full moon is the element of delight, perceived in its whiteness, immortality, and coolness. In the shining, radiant celestial orbits of the Sun and Moon, which are luminous, watery, bright, round, and auspicious, the moon's orb is said to be of the nature of condensed water, while the Sun’s orb is bright, full of condensed light, and white. All the gods dwell in these places, and in every Manvantara, they depend on the stars, the Sun, and the planets. Therefore, the planets are called houses; the Sun entered the solar abode, and the Moon likewise entered the lunar abode.