Linga Purana

गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्चैव नृत्यगेयैरुपासते ग्रामणीयक्षभूतानि कुर्वते ऽभीषुसंग्रहम्

The Gandharvas and Apsarases worship with dance and song; the leaders, Yakṣas, and spirits perform the gathering of offerings.

सर्पा वहन्ति वै सूर्यं यातुधाना अनुयान्ति वै वालखिल्या नयन्त्यस्तं परिवार्योदयाद्रविम्

The serpents indeed carry the Sun, the Yātudhānas follow him; the Vālakhilyas lead him to setting, surrounding the rising Sun.

एतेषामेव देवानां यथा तेजो यथा तपः यथायोगं यथामन्त्रं यथाधर्मं यथाबलम्

Of these very gods, according to their radiance, their austerity, their fitness, their mantra, their righteousness, and their strength—

तथा तपत्यसौ सूर्यस् तेषामिद्धस्तु तेजसा इत्येते वै वसन्तीह द्वौ द्वौ मासौ दिवाकरे

So does the Sun shine, kindled by their brilliance; thus, these dwell here, two by two, each for two months, in the Sun.

ऋषयो देवगन्धर्वपन्नगाप्सरसां गणाः ग्रामण्यश् च तथा यक्षा यातुधानाश् च मुख्यतः

The groups of sages, gods, Gandharvas, serpents, and Apsarases, as well as the leaders, Yakṣas, and chiefly the Yātudhānas.

एते तपन्ति वर्षन्ति भान्ति वान्ति सृजन्ति च भूतानामशुभं कर्म व्यपोहन्तीह कीर्तिताः

These shine, rain, illuminate, blow, and create; they are said to remove inauspicious deeds of beings here.

मानवानां शुभं ह्येते हरन्ति च दुरात्मनाम् दुरितं सुप्रचाराणां व्यपोहन्ति क्वचित् क्वचित्

They take away good fortune from men, and from the wicked, their misfortune; sometimes, they remove the misdeeds of those who act well.

विमाने च स्थिता दिव्ये कामगे वातरंहसि एते सहैव सूर्येण भ्रमन्ति दिवसानुगाः

Dwelling in a divine, wish-fulfilling, wind-driven chariot, these, together with the Sun, roam following the days.

वर्षन्तश् च तपन्तश् च ह्लादयन्तश् च वै द्विजाः गोपायन्तीह भूतानि सर्वाणि द्यामनुक्षयात्

Causing rain, shining, and bringing delight, O twice-born, they protect all beings here from the decline of the heavens.

स्थानाभिमानिनाम् एतत् स्थानं मन्वन्तरेषु वै अतीतानागतानां वै वर्तन्ते सांप्रतं च ये

This is the station of those who are attached to their positions, in all the past, future, and present Manvantaras.

एते वसन्ति वै सूर्ये सप्तकास्ते चतुर्दश चतुर्दशसु सर्वेषु गणा मन्वन्तरेष्विह

These seven groups, fourteen in number, dwell in the Sun; in each of the fourteen Manvantaras, all these hosts are present here.

संक्षेपाद्विस्तराच्चैव यथावृत्तं यथाश्रुतम् कथितं मुनिशार्दूला देवदेवस्य धीमतः

O best of sages, I have described, both briefly and in detail, as it happened and as I heard, the account of the wise Lord of gods.

एते देवा वसन्त्यर्के द्वौ द्वौ मासौ क्रमेण तु स्थानाभिमानिनो ह्येते गणा द्वादश सप्तकाः

These gods, attached to their stations, dwell in the Sun, each group of seven for two months in succession; thus, there are twelve such groups.

इत्येष एकचक्रेण सूर्यस्तूर्णं रथेन तु हरितैरक्षरैरश्वैः सर्पते ऽसौ दिवाकरः

Thus, with a single wheel, the Sun, the illuminator of the day, swiftly moves with his chariot drawn by green, immortal horses.

अहोरात्रं रथेनासाव् एकचक्रेण तु भ्रमन् सप्तद्वीपसमुद्राङ्गां सप्तभिः सर्पते दिवि

Rotating with his one-wheeled chariot, he traverses day and night, moving in the sky with seven horses, encompassing the seven continents and oceans.

वीथ्याश्रयाणि चरति नक्षत्राणि निशाकरः त्रिचक्रोभयतो ऽश्वश् च विज्ञेयस्तस्य वै रथः

The Moon, lord of the night, moves among the stars along his path; his chariot is to be known as having three wheels and horses on both sides.

शतारैश् च त्रिभिश्चक्रैर् युक्तः शुक्लैर्हयोत्तमैः दशभिस्त्वकृशैर् दिव्यैर् असंगैस् तैर् मनोजवैः

His chariot is yoked with three hundred excellent, white horses, ten thin, divine, untiring, and swift as the mind.

रथेनानेन देवैश् च पितृभिश्चैव गच्छति सोमो ह्यम्बुमयैर् गोभिः शुक्लैः शुक्लगभस्तिमान्

With this chariot, accompanied by gods and ancestors, Soma moves, shining with white rays, drawn by watery, white cows.

क्रमते शुक्लपक्षादौ भास्करात्परमास्थितः आपूर्यते परस्यान्तः सततं दिवसक्रमात्

Beginning with the bright fortnight, having ascended beyond the Sun, he is gradually filled within by the course of days.

देवैः पीतं क्षये सोमम् आप्याययति नित्यशः पीतं पञ्चदशाहं तु रश्मिनैकेन भास्करः

The Soma, drunk by the gods during the waning phase, is constantly replenished; the Sun, with a single ray, drinks it for fifteen days.

आपूरयन् सुषुम्नेन भागं भागमनुक्रमात् इत्येषा सूर्यवीर्येण चन्द्रस्याप्यायिता तनुः

Filling it part by part with his Suṣumnā ray, thus, by the Sun's energy, the body of the Moon is replenished.

स पौर्णमास्यां दृश्येत शुक्लः सम्पूर्णमण्डलः एवमाप्यायितं सोमं शुक्लपक्षे दिनक्रमात्

Thus, at the full moon, the Moon appears white and with a complete disc; in this way, Soma is filled during the bright fortnight by the progression of days.

ततो द्वितीयाप्रभृति बहुलस्य चतुर्दशीम् पिबन्त्यम्बुमयं देवा मधु सौम्यं सुधामृतम्

Then, beginning from the second day up to the fourteenth of the dark fortnight, the gods drink the watery, sweet, gentle nectar.

संभृतं त्वर्धमासेन ह्य् अमृतं सूर्यतेजसा पानार्थममृतं सोमं पौर्णमास्यामुपासते

In half a month, the nectar gathered by the Sun's radiance is consumed; at the full moon, the gods worship Soma, the nectar, for the purpose of drinking.

एकरात्रिं सुराः सर्वे पितृभिस्त्वृषिभिः सह सोमस्य कृष्णपक्षादौ भास्कराभिमुखस्य च

For one night, all the gods, together with the ancestors and sages, drink Soma at the beginning of the dark fortnight, when it faces the Sun.

प्रक्षीयन्ते परस्यान्तः पीयमानाः कलाः क्रमात् त्रयस्त्रिंशच्छताश्चैव त्रयस्त्रिंशत्तथैव च

Gradually, the digits being drunk are diminished within him; there are three hundred thirty, and likewise thirty-three.

त्रयस्त्रिंशत्सहस्राणि देवाः सोमं पिबन्ति वै एवं दिनक्रमात्पीते विबुधैस्तु निशाकरे

The gods drink Soma, numbering thirty-three thousand; thus, by the course of days, the gods drink from the Moon.

पीत्वार्धमासं गच्छन्ति अमावास्यां सुरोत्तमाः पितरश्चोपतिष्ठन्ति अमावास्यां निशाकरम्

After drinking for half a month, the excellent gods depart at the new moon; and at the new moon, the ancestors approach the moon.

ततः पञ्चदशे भागे किंचिच्छिष्टे कलात्मके अपराह्णे पितृगणा जघन्यं पर्युपासते

Then, when a small portion remains of the fifteenth part, in the afternoon, the hosts of ancestors worship the lowest portion.