Linga Purana

न भ्रश्यन्ति यतो ऽभ्राणि मेहनान्मेघ उच्यते काष्ठावाहाश् च वैरिञ्च्याः पक्षाश्चैव पृथग्विधाः

Because clouds do not fall, they are called 'megha' (clouds). The wings of the clouds, which carry wood, are of various kinds and are said to be of Brahmā.

आज्यानां काष्ठसंयोगाद् अग्नेर्धूमः प्रवर्तितः द्वितीयानां च संभूतिर् विरिञ्चोच्छ्वासवायुना

From the union of clarified butter and wood, smoke arises from fire; the second kind arises from the breath of Brahmā.

भूभृतां त्वथ पक्षैस्तु मघवच्छेदितैस्ततः वाह्नेयास्त्वथ जीमूतास् त्व् आवहस्थानगाः शुभाः

Then, with the wings of the mountains, which are cut by Indra, the clouds of fire, which are auspicious, move to their places.

विरिञ्चोच्छ्वासजाः सर्वे प्रवहस्कन्धजास्ततः पक्षजाः पुष्कराद्याश् च वर्षन्ति च यदा जलम्

All those born from the breath of Brahmā, and those from the branches of the wind, and those born from wings, such as Puṣkara and others, rain down water when the time comes.

मूकाः सशब्ददुष्टाशास् त्व् एतैः कृत्यं यथाक्रमम् क्षामवृष्टिप्रदा दीर्घकालं शीतसमीरिणः

Mute, noisy, and impure clouds perform their functions in due order; those with cold winds give scanty rain for a long time.

जीवकाश् च तथा क्षीणा विद्युद्ध्वनिविवर्जिताः तिष्ठन्त्याक्रोशमात्रे तु धरापृष्ठादितस्ततः

Similarly, the 'jīvaka' clouds, which are weak and devoid of thunder, remain at a distance of a krośa from the earth’s surface.

अर्धक्रोशे तु सर्वे वै जीमूता गिरिवासिनः मेघा योजनमात्रं तु साध्यत्वाद् बहुतोयदाः

All the mountain-dwelling clouds are at a half-krośa distance, while the abundant rain-giving clouds are at a yojana distance due to their excellence.

धरापृष्ठाद्द्विजाः क्ष्मायां विद्युद्गुणसमन्विताः तेषां तेषां वृष्टिसर्गं त्रेधा कथितमत्र तु

O twice-born, from the earth’s surface, clouds endowed with the quality of lightning are found. Their rain is described here as threefold.

पक्षजाः कल्पजाः सर्वे पर्वतानां महत्तमाः कल्पान्ते ते च वर्षन्ति रात्रौ नाशाय शारदाः

All the clouds born from wings and from the Kalpa trees are the greatest among the mountains; at the end of the Kalpa, they rain at night for the destruction of the autumnal season.

पक्षजाः पुष्कराद्याश् च वर्षन्ति च यदा जलम् तदार्णवमभूत्सर्वं तत्र शेते निशीश्वरः

When the birds and lotuses and others pour down water, then the entire ocean is filled, and there the Lord without equal rests.

आग्नेयानां श्वासजानां पक्षजानां द्विजर्षभाः जलदानां सदा धूमो ह्य् आप्यायन इति स्मृतः

O best of twice-born, the smoke arising from fire, from breath, from birds, and from clouds is always known as nourishment.

पौण्ड्रास्तु वृष्टयः सर्वा वैद्युताः शीतशस्यदाः पुण्ड्रदेशेषु पतिता नागानां शीकरा हिमाः

All the rains in the Pundra region are lightning-born, bringing cold and abundant crops; the dew and frost that fall there are the droplets of the serpents.

गाङ्गा गङ्गाम्बुसम्भूता पर्जन्येन परावहैः नगानां च नदीनां च दिग्गजानां समाकुलम्

The Ganges, born from the water of the Ganga, is filled by the rain and the mountain streams, crowded with the rivers of the mountains and the elephants of the quarters.

मेघानां च पृथग्भूतं जलं प्रायादगादगम् परावहो यः श्वसनश् चानयत्यम्बिकागुरुम्

The water separated from the clouds is mostly carried away by the wind called Parāvaha, which brings it to the teacher of Ambika.

मेनापतिमतिक्रम्य वृष्टिशेषं द्विजाः परम् अभ्येति भारते वर्षे त्व् अपरान्तविवृद्धये

O twice-born, after surpassing the lord of Mena, the remaining rain comes to the land of Bharata for the increase of the western regions.

वृष्टयः कथिता ह्यद्य द्विधा वस्तु विवृद्धये सस्यद्वयस्य संक्षेपात् प्रब्रवीमि यथामति

Today, the rains have been described as twofold for the increase of things; I will briefly explain, according to my understanding, the two kinds of crops.

स्रष्टा भानुर्महातेजा वृष्टीनां विश्वदृग् विभुः सो ऽपि साक्षाद्द्विजश्रेष्ठाश् चेशानः परमः शिवः

The creator, the sun of great brilliance, the all-seeing, the pervader—he himself, O best of twice-born, is truly the supreme Lord Shiva.

स एव तेजस्त्वोजस्तु बलं विप्रा यशः स्वयम् चक्षुः श्रोत्रं मनो मृत्युर् आत्मा मन्युर् विदिग् दिशः

He himself is the energy, the vigor, the strength, O brahmins, the fame, the eye, the ear, the mind, death, the self, anger, the directions, and the quarters.

सत्यं ऋतं तथा वायुर् अंबरं खचरश् च सः लोकपालो हरिर्ब्रह्मा रुद्रः साक्षान्महेश्वरः

He is truth, order, the wind, the sky, and the one who moves in the sky; he is the guardian of the world, Hari, Brahma, Rudra—indeed, the great Lord himself.

सहस्रकिरणः श्रीमान् अष्टहस्तः सुमङ्गलः अर्धनारिवपुः साक्षात् त्रिनेत्रस् त्रिदशाधिपः

He is radiant with a thousand rays, glorious, eight-armed, most auspicious, with a form half-female, manifestly three-eyed, and the lord of the gods.

अस्यैवेह प्रसादात्तु वृष्टिर्नानाभवद्द्विजाः सहस्रगुणमुत्स्रष्टुम् आदत्ते किरणैर्जलम्

By his grace alone, O twice-born, rain arises in many forms; with his rays he draws up water to release it a thousandfold.

जलस्य नाशो वृद्धिर्वा नास्त्येवास्य विचारतः ध्रुवेणाधिष्ठितो वायुर् वृष्टिं संहरते पुनः

There is neither destruction nor increase of water as he considers; the wind, established in the pole star, gathers the rain again.

ग्रहान् निःसृत्य सूर्यात् तु कृत्स्ने नक्षत्रमण्डले चारस्यान्ते विशत्यर्के ध्रुवेण समधिष्ठिता

Emerging from the planets, from the sun, and throughout the constellation circle, at the end of the journey, it enters the sun, established by the pole star.

सौरं संक्षेपतो वक्ष्ये रथं शशिन एव च ग्रहाणाम् इतरेषां च यथा गच्छति चाम्बुपः

I will briefly describe the solar chariot, and also that of the moon, and how the other planets move, as well as the bearer of water.

सौरस्तु ब्रह्मणा सृष्टो रथस्त्वर्थवशेन सः संवत्सरस्यावयवैः कल्पितश् च द्विजर्षभाः

The solar chariot was created by Brahma for a purpose; it is composed of the parts of the year, O best of twice-born.

त्रिनाभिना तु चक्रेण पञ्चारेण समन्वितः सौवर्णः सर्वदेवानाम् आवासो भास्करस्य तु

It has a wheel with three naves and five spokes, made of gold, the abode of all the gods, and especially of the sun.

नवयोजनसाहस्रो विस्तारायामतः स्मृतः द्विगुणो ऽपि रथोपस्थाद् ईषादण्डः प्रमाणतः

It is said to be nine thousand yojanas in length and breadth; the axle, twice as long as the chariot's platform, is measured accordingly.

असङ्गैस्तु हयैर्युक्तो यतश्चक्रं ततः स्थितैः वाजिनस्तस्य वै सप्त छन्दोभिर् निर्मितास्तु ते

Harnessed to unyoked horses, wherever the wheel stands, there stand his seven steeds, fashioned from the meters.

चक्रपक्षे निबद्धास्तु ध्रुवे चाक्षः समर्पितः सहाश्वचक्रो भ्रमते सहाक्षो भ्रमते ध्रुवः

Bound to the spokes of the wheel, the axle is fixed at the pole; the wheel with the horses revolves, and the axle with the pole revolves as well.