From the Supreme Being arises the entire universe in all its diversity—gods and demons, humans and sages. Even the mighty Rudra, Indra, Upendra, the radiant moon, the noblest Brahmins, Agni, and all the dwellers of heaven spring forth from him. He is the source of all brilliance, the radiance behind every luminous being, the very soul within all creatures, the lord of every world. This is Mahādeva, the great lord of all beings. Yet, it is the sun—resplendent and all-pervading—who reigns as the lord of the three worlds, the supreme and original deity. From the sun, everything arises; into the sun, all things ultimately dissolve. The origin and dissolution of worlds themselves proceed from the sun, whose true nature, O Brahmins, is not easily grasped. He is Ravi, the radiant one, whose brilliance surpasses all. Within his presence, moments and instants, days and nights, fortnights, months, years, seasons, and even the great ages are born and come to an end, only to be born again. Without the sun, there can be no reckoning of time—no order, no daily sequence, no division of seasons, nor the blossoming of flowers, nor the growth of roots and fruits. Without the sun, crops cannot ripen, nor can grasses and herbs thrive. Indeed, without his light, there could be no existence for living beings, whether here on Earth or in heaven. Bhāskara, the sun, is a manifestation of Rudra, heating and sustaining the world. He is time itself, fire, and the twelvefold lord of creatures. His fiery energy burns through the three worlds, both moving and unmoving, pervading all with his brilliance. By day and night, from every side—above, below, and all around—he follows his supreme path, heating and illuminating the world. Just as a shining lamp, suspended in the center of a house, dispels darkness equally in every direction, so too does the sun, lord of planets and master of the world, with his thousand rays, bring light to every corner of creation. Among these thousand rays, seven are counted as the greatest, and from these arise the planets themselves. These seven rays are known as Suṣumna, Harikeśa, Viśvakarman, Viśvavyacā, Ādya, Saṃnaddha, and Para. There is also Sarvāvasu and Svarāṭ. Suṣumna, the sun’s ray, kindles the southern sign and moves in all directions—downward, upward, and below. Harikeśa, in front, is the source of the stars. Viśvakarman, to the right, strengthens the ray that nourishes Mercury. Viśvavyacā, behind, is remembered by the wise as the source of Venus. Saṃnaddha is the ray connected with Mars, and Sarvāvasu is the ray of Jupiter. Another ray nourishes Saturn, known as Śanaiścara. Thus, by the sun’s radiance, the stars, planets, and constellations all shine in the heavens. All these celestial bodies are seen in the sky, and the entire universe is illuminated by their light. Because they do not perish, they are called stars. Their rays shine forth, and the sun receives their presence—the stars and constellations—within himself. Through virtuous deeds performed on earth, beings may ascend to these planets at the end of their good works. Because they cross over, these are called stars, and their whiteness gives them this name as well. Whether divine, earthly, or nocturnal, the sun draws the radiance from all, even from those that are dark. For the sake of sacrifice and movement, this element—the sun—is described. He draws forth the radiance from the waters and is thus called Savitṛ. The full moon is the element of delight, perceived in its whiteness, immortality, and coolness. The orbits of the sun and moon are radiant and luminous, shining in the heavens—round, bright, and auspicious, like a well-formed pot. The moon’s orb is said to be of the nature of condensed water, while the sun’s orb is filled with condensed, white light. All the gods dwell in these celestial regions, and in every age of Manu, they depend upon the stars, the sun, and the planets for their abodes. Thus, the planets are called houses. The sun abides in the solar abode, the moon in the lunar abode. Venus entered the abode of Venus, shining with sixteen rays; Jupiter, the great one, entered the abode of Jupiter; Mars entered the abode of Mars. Saturn, too, entered his own abode, as did Mercury and Rāhu. All the stars find their places within the constellations. These planets and luminaries belong to those of virtuous soul. At the dawn of the kalpa, the Self-born set all these in motion, and their positions remain fixed until the final dissolution of the cosmos. In every age of Manu, these are the abodes of the gods, who, filled with self-regard, repeatedly occupy these celestial seats. Together with those who have passed, those yet to come, those who will never come, and those who now exist, these abodes persist, ever attended by stationed deities. In this present age—the Vaivasvata manvantara—the planets are called celestial. The Sun, son of Vivasvat and Aditi, is recognized as the Sun of this age. The radiant Soma, son of a sage, is known as a god and a Vasu. Śukra, the deity, is Bhārgava, devoted to the Asuras. Bṛhaspati, of great brilliance and teacher of the gods, is the son of Aṅgiras; Budha, charming and delightful, is remembered as the son of a sage. Śanaiścara, of unusual form, is the son of Saṃjñā and Vivasvat. Agni was born from Vikeśī, and the youthful one shines with red flames. Thus, the universe is illuminated and sustained by the sun and the planets, each abiding in their appointed abodes, watched over by the gods, and shining with the brilliance bestowed by the Supreme.