Linga Purana

एवं रश्मिसहस्रं तत् सौरं लोकार्थसाधकम् भिद्यते लोकमासाद्य जलशीतोष्णनिःस्रवम्

Thus, that thousand-rayed solar force accomplishes the purpose of the worlds, dividing as it reaches them, releasing cold and heat through water.

इत्येतन्मण्डलं शुक्लं भास्वरं सूर्यसंज्ञितम् नक्षत्रग्रहसोमानां प्रतिष्ठायोनिरेव च

This radiant, shining orb, called the Sun, is the foundation and origin of stars, planets, and the Moon.

चन्द्रऋक्षग्रहाः सर्वे विज्ञेयाः सूर्यसंभवाः नक्षत्राधिपतिः सोमो नयनं वाममीशितुः

All the lunar, stellar, and planetary bodies should be understood as arising from the Sun; Soma, lord of the stars, is the left eye of the ruler.

नयनं चैवम् ईशस्य दक्षिणं भास्करः स्वयम् तेषां जनानां लोके ऽस्मिन् नयनं नयते यतः

The Sun himself is the right eye of the ruler; in this world, their vision guides all beings.

शेषाः पञ्च ग्रहा ज्ञेया ईश्वराः कामचारिणः पठ्यते चाग्निरादित्य उदकं चन्द्रमाः स्मृतः

The remaining five planets are to be known as sovereigns, moving as they wish; Fire, the Sun, Water, and the Moon are recited.

शेषाणां प्रकृतिं सम्यग् वक्ष्यमाणां निबोधत सुरसेनापतिः स्कन्दः पठ्यते ऽङ्गारको ग्रहः

Now listen as I properly describe the nature of the remaining ones: Skanda, the commander of the gods, is called Aṅgāraka among the planets.

नारायणं बुधं प्राहुर् देवं ज्ञानविदो जनाः सर्वलोकप्रभुः साक्षाद् यमो लोकप्रभुः स्वयम्

Those who know wisdom declare Budha to be Nārāyaṇa, the god; Yama, the lord of all worlds, is himself directly the lord of beings.

महाग्रहो द्विजश्रेष्ठा मन्दगामी शनैश्चरः देवासुरगुरू द्वौ तु भानुमन्तौ महाग्रहौ

O best of twice-born, Śanaiścara, the great planet who moves slowly, is the teacher of gods and demons; the two shining ones are both great planets.

प्रजापतिसुतावुक्तौ ततः शुक्रबृहस्पती आदित्यमूलमखिलं त्रैलोक्यं नात्र संशयः

Then, Śukra and Bṛhaspati are said to be the sons of Prajāpati; all the three worlds have the sun as their root—of this there is no doubt.

भवत्यस्माज्जगत्कृत्स्नं सदेवासुरमानुषम् रुद्रेन्द्रोपेन्द्रचन्द्राणां विप्रेन्द्राग्निदिवौकसाम्

From him arises the entire universe, with gods, demons, and humans, including Rudra, Indra, Upendra, the moon, the best of Brahmins, Agni, and the dwellers in heaven.

द्युतिर्द्युतिमतां कृत्स्नं यत्तेजः सर्वलौकिकम् सर्वात्मा सर्वलोकेशो महादेवः प्रजापतिः

The radiance of all the radiant ones, all your worldly brilliance, the soul of all, the lord of all worlds—Mahādeva, the lord of creatures.

सूर्य एव त्रिलोकेशो मूलं परमदैवतम् ततः संजायते सर्वं तत्रैव प्रविलीयते

The sun alone is the lord of the three worlds, the supreme and original deity; from him everything arises, and into him all dissolves.

भावाभावौ हि लोकानाम् आदित्यान्निःसृतौ पुरा अविज्ञेयो ग्रहो विप्रा दीप्तिमान्सुप्रभो रविः

The coming into being and passing away of worlds originally proceed from the sun; the planet, O Brahmins, is not easily known—Ravi, the radiant and resplendent one.

अत्र गच्छन्ति निधनं जायन्ते च पुनः पुनः क्षणा मुहूर्ता दिवसा निशाः पक्षाश् च कृत्स्नशः

Here, moments, instants, days, nights, and fortnights all come to an end and are born again, over and over.

मासाः संवत्सरश्चैव ऋतवो ऽथ युगानि च तदादित्यादृते ह्येषा कालसंख्या न विद्यते

Months, years, seasons, and even ages—without the sun, none of these reckonings of time exist.

कालादृते न नियमो न दीक्षा नाह्निकक्रमः ऋतूनां च विभागश् च पुष्पं मूलं फलं कुतः

Without time, there is no order, no initiation, no daily sequence; nor is there division of seasons, nor flower, root, or fruit.

कुतः सस्यविनिष्पत्तिस् तृणौषधिगणो ऽपि च अभावो व्यवहाराणां जन्तूनां दिवि चेह च

How could there be the ripening of crops, or even the multitude of grasses and herbs? Without it, there is no existence for living beings, either here or in heaven.

जगत्प्रतापनमृते भास्करं रुद्ररूपिणम् स एष कालश्चाग्निश् च द्वादशात्मा प्रजापतिः

Without Bhāskara, the sun who is the form of Rudra and who heats the world, there is no shining; he is time, fire, the twelvefold lord of creatures.

तपत्येष द्विजश्रेष्ठास् त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् स एष तेजसां राशिः समस्तः सार्वलौकिकः

He burns, O best of twice-born, the three worlds, both moving and unmoving; he is the total mass of all brilliance, pervading all the worlds.

उत्तमं मार्गमास्थाय रात्र्यहोभिर् इदं जगत् पार्श्वत ऊर्ध्वम् अधश् चैव तापयत्येष सर्वशः

Taking the highest path, by day and night, he heats this world from the sides, above, and below—entirely.

यथा प्रभाकरो दीपो गृहमध्ये ऽवलम्बितः पार्श्वत ऊर्ध्वम् अधश्चैव तमो नाशयते समम्

Just as a shining lamp, hanging in the middle of a house, destroys darkness equally on all sides, above, and below—

तद्वत्सहस्रकिरणो ग्रहराजो जगत्प्रभुः सूर्यो गोभिर् जगत् सर्वम् आदीपयति सर्वतः

So too, the sun, lord of planets, master of the world, with a thousand rays, illuminates the whole world in every direction with his beams.

रवे रश्मिसहस्रं यत् प्राङ्मया समुदाहृतम् तेषां श्रेष्ठाः पुनः सप्त रश्मयो ग्रहयोनयः

Of the thousand rays of the sun that I have previously described, seven are the best among them—these are the sources of the planets.

सुषुम्नो हरिकेशश् च विश्वकर्मा तथैव च विश्वव्यचाः पुनश्चाद्यः संनद्धश् च ततः परः

Suṣumna, Harikeśa, Viśvakarman, likewise Viśvavyacā, then Ādya and Saṃnaddha, and after them Para—

सर्वावसुः पुनश्चान्यः स्वराडन्यः प्रकीर्तितः सुषुम्नः सूर्यरश्मिस्तु दक्षिणां राशिम् ऐधयत्

Sarvāvasu is another, and Svarāṭ is also named; Suṣumna, the sun's ray, kindled the southern sign.

न्यगूर्ध्वाधः प्रचारो ऽस्य सुषुम्नः परिकीर्तितः हरिकेशः पुरस्ताद् यो ऋक्षयोनिः प्रकीर्त्यते

Suṣumna is said to move downward, upward, and below; Harikeśa, who is in front, is called the source of the stars.

दक्षिणे विश्वकर्मा च रश्मिर्वर्धयते बुधम् विश्वव्यचास्तु यः पश्चाच् छुक्रयोनिः स्मृतो बुधैः

Viśvakarman, on the right, increases the ray for Mercury; Viśvavyacā, who is behind, is remembered by the wise as the source of Venus.

संनद्धश् च तु यो रश्मिः स योनिर् लोहितस्य तु षष्ठः सर्वावसू रश्मिः स योनिस्तु बृहस्पतेः

Saṃnaddha is the ray whose source is Mars; the sixth, Sarvāvasu, is the ray whose source is Jupiter.

शनैश्चरं पुनश् चापि रश्मिर् आप्यायते स्वराट् एवं सूर्यप्रभावेन नक्षत्रग्रहतारकाः

Again, the ray nourishes Saturn, called Śanaiścara; thus, by the sun's radiance, the stars, planets, and constellations shine.