Linga Purana

विशाखासु समुत्पन्नो ग्रहाणां प्रथमो ग्रहः त्विषिमान् धर्मपुत्रस्तु सोमो देवो वसुस्तु सः

Born in Vishakha, the first among planets is the radiant one, the son of Dharma; Soma, the god, is Vasu.

शीतरश्मिः समुत्पन्नः कृत्तिकासु निशाकरः षोडशार्चिर्भृगोः पुत्रः शुक्रः सूर्यादनन्तरम्

The cool-rayed one, the maker of night, was born in Krittika; the sixteen-rayed son of Bhrigu, Shukra, comes after the sun.

ताराग्रहाणां प्रवरस् तिष्ये क्षेत्रे समुत्थितः ग्रहश्चाङ्गिरसः पुत्रो द्वादशार्चिर्बृहस्पतिः

The foremost of the star-planets arose in the field of Tishya; the planet Brihaspati, son of Angiras, with twelve rays, was born.

फाल्गुनीषु समुत्पन्नः पूर्वाख्यासु जगद्गुरुः नवार्चिर्लोहिताङ्गश् च प्रजापतिसुतो ग्रहः

Born in the Purva Phalguni, the teacher of the world, the planet, son of Prajapati, with nine rays and a red body, arose.

आषाढास्विह पूर्वासु समुत्पन्न इति स्मृतः रेवतीष्वेव सप्तार्चिःस्थाने सौरिः शनैश्चरः

It is remembered that in the Purvashadha, the planet was born; in Revati, in the place of seven rays, Sauri, Shanaishcara, was established.

सौम्यो बुधो धनिष्ठासु पञ्चार्चिर् उदितो ग्रहः तमोमयो मृत्युसुतः प्रजाक्षयकरः शिखी

Saumya, Budha, arose in Dhanishtha, the planet with five rays; the dark one, son of Death, the destroyer of beings, Shikhi, was born.

आश्लेषासु समुत्पन्नः सर्वहारी महाग्रहः तथा स्वनामधेयेषु दाक्षायण्यः समुत्थिताः

The great planet, the all-consuming one, was born in Ashlesha; likewise, the daughters of Daksha arose in their own named stars.

तमोवीर्यमयो राहुः प्रकृत्या कृष्णमण्डलः भरणीषु समुत्पन्नो ग्रहश्चन्द्रार्कमर्दनः

Rahu, composed of the essence of darkness, is by nature a black disc; he was born in Bharani and is the planet that afflicts the moon and the sun.

एते तारा ग्रहाश्चापि बोद्धव्या भार्गवादयः जन्मनक्षत्रपीडासु यान्ति वैगुण्यतां यतः

These stars and planets, beginning with Bhargava and others, should be understood, for in the afflictions of birth constellations, they become inauspicious.

मुच्यते तेन दोषेण ततस्तद्ग्रहभक्तितः सर्वग्रहाणामेतेषाम् आदिरादित्य उच्यते

By devotion to that planet, one is freed from that fault; among all these planets, the sun is said to be the first.

ताराग्रहाणां शुक्रस्तु केतूनां चापि धूमवान् ध्रुवः किल ग्रहाणां तु विभक्तानां चतुर्दिशम्

Among stars and planets, Venus is foremost; among comets, Dhumavan; and Dhruva is indeed the foremost among the planets stationed in the four directions.

नक्षत्राणां श्रविष्ठा स्याद् अयनानां तथोत्तरम् वर्षाणां चैव पञ्चानाम् आद्यः संवत्सरः स्मृतः

Among the constellations, Sravishtha is foremost; among the solstices, the northern; among the five years, the first is called the year.

ऋतूनां शिशिरश्चापि मासानां माघ उच्यते पक्षाणां शुक्लपक्षस्तु तिथीनां प्रतिपत्तथा

Among the seasons, Shishira is foremost; among the months, Magha is said to be so; among the lunar fortnights, the bright fortnight; and among the lunar days, Pratipat likewise.

अहोरात्रविभागानाम् अहश्चादिः प्रकीर्तितः मुहूर्तानां तथैवादिर् मुहूर्तो रुद्रदैवतः

Among the divisions of day and night, day is declared the beginning; likewise, among the muhurtas, the first muhurta is dedicated to Rudra.

क्षणश्चापि निमेषादिः कालः कालविदां वराः श्रवणान्तं धनिष्ठादि युगं स्यात्पञ्चवार्षिकम्

Among moments, the nimeṣa is the beginning; O best of those who know time, the yuga from the end of Shravaṇa to the beginning of Dhanishtha is said to be five years.

भानोर्गतिविशेषेण चक्रवत्परिवर्तते दिवाकरः स्मृतस्तस्मात् कालकृद्विभुरीश्वरः

By the special movement of the sun, the day-maker revolves like a wheel; therefore, he is remembered as the lord who creates time.

चतुर्विधानां भूतानां प्रवर्तकनिवर्तकः तस्यापि भगवान् रुद्रः साक्षाद्देवः प्रवर्तकः

He is the initiator and withdrawer of the four kinds of beings; and even for him, the blessed Rudra is directly the initiator, O god.

इत्येष ज्योतिषामेवं संनिवेशो ऽर्थनिश्चयः लोकसंव्यवहारार्थं महादेवेन निर्मितः

Thus, this arrangement of the luminaries and the determination of their meaning was established by Mahadeva for the sake of worldly dealings.

बुद्धिपूर्वं भगवता कल्पादौ सम्प्रवर्तितः स आश्रयो ऽभिमानी च सर्वस्य ज्योतिरात्मकः

At the beginning of the kalpa, this was set in motion by the Blessed One with forethought; he is the support, the presiding lord, and the essence of all luminaries.

एकरूपप्रधानस्य परिणामो ऽयमद्भुतः नैष शक्यः प्रसंख्यातुं याथातथ्येन केनचित्

This wondrous transformation of the one principal form cannot be fully enumerated as it truly is by anyone.

गतागतं मनुष्येण ज्योतिषां मांसचक्षुषा आगमादनुमानाच्च प्रत्यक्षादुपपत्तितः

The coming and going of the luminaries is to be known by a person through the physical eye, tradition, inference, direct perception, and reasoning.

परीक्ष्य निपुणं बुद्ध्या श्रद्धातव्यं विपश्चिता चक्षुः शास्त्रं जलं लेख्यं गणितं मुनिसत्तमाः

Having examined with keen intellect, one should have faith, O wise one; the eye, scripture, water, writing, and calculation, O best of sages.

पञ्चैते हेतवो ज्ञेया ज्योतिर्मानविनिर्णये

These five causes are to be known in the determination of the measure of the luminaries.

कथं विष्णोः प्रसादाद्वै ध्रुवो बुद्धिमतां वरः मेढीभूतो ग्राहाणां वै वक्तुमर्हसि सांप्रतम्

How, by the grace of Vishnu, did Dhruva, best of the wise, become the pillar among the planets? You should tell this now.

एतमर्थं मया पृष्टो नानाशास्त्रविशारदः मार्कण्डेयः पुरा प्राह मह्यं शुश्रूषवे द्विजाः

On this matter, I was once asked by Markandeya, expert in various scriptures, and he spoke to me, eager to listen, O twice-born ones.

सार्वभौमो महातेजाः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः उत्तानपादो राजा वै पालयामास मेदिनीम्

Uttānapāda, the sovereign of all, radiant with great splendor, foremost among all bearers of weapons, indeed ruled the earth.

तस्य भार्याद्वयम् अभूत् सुनीतिः सुरुचिस् तथा अग्रजायामभूत्पुत्रः सुनीत्यां तु महायशाः

He had two wives: Sunīti and Suruci; from the elder, Sunīti, a son of great fame was born.

ध्रुवो नाम महाप्राज्ञः कुलदीपो महामतिः कदाचित् सप्तवर्षे ऽपि पितुरङ्कम् उपाविशत्

Dhruva by name, highly wise, a lamp of his lineage, possessing great intellect, once, even at seven years of age, sat upon his father's lap.

सुरुचिस्तं विनिर्धूय स्वपुत्रं प्रीतिमानसा न्यवेशयत्तं विप्रेन्द्रा ह्य् अङ्कं रूपेण मानिता

Suruci, casting him aside, affectionately placed her own son upon the lap, honoring him with regard due to his appearance, O best of twice-born.