निर्द्वंद्वा निरभीमाना निस्तन्द्रा निष्परिग्रहाः लोकपालाः स्थितास्त्वेते लोकालोके चतुर्दिशम्
These guardians of the worlds, established in the four directions of the world and darkness, are free from duality, pride, fatigue, and possessions.
उत्तरं यदगस्त्यस्य शृङ्गं देवर्षिसेवितम् पितृयानः स्मृतः पन्था वैश्वानरपथाद्बहिः
The northern peak of Agastya, revered by the divine sages, is known as the path of the ancestors, lying beyond the path of Vaiśvānara.
तत्रासते प्रजाकामा ऋषयो ये ऽग्निहोत्रिणः लोकस्य संतानकराः पितृयाने पथि स्थिताः
There dwell the sages who desire offspring, those who perform the Agnihotra; they, who sustain the world, remain on the path of the ancestors.
भूतारम्भकृतं कर्म आशिषश्च विशां पते प्रारभन्ते लोककामास् तेषां पन्थाः स दक्षिणः
O lord of the people, those who desire worldly beginnings and blessings undertake actions; their path is the southern one.
चलितं ते पुनर्धर्मं स्थापयन्ति युगे युगे संतप्ततपसा चैव मर्यादाभिः श्रुतेन च
Whenever righteousness declines, they restore it in every age, through intense austerity, established boundaries, and sacred knowledge.
जायमानास्तु पूर्वे वै पश्चिमानां गृहेषु ते पश्चिमाश्चैव पूर्वेषां जायन्ते निधनेष्विह
Those born earlier are reborn in the houses of the later ones, and the later ones are born in the houses of the earlier, at the time of death here.
एवमावर्तमानास्ते वर्तन्त्याभूतसंप्लवम् अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि ऋषीणां गृहमेधिनाम्
Thus, revolving in this way, they continue until the dissolution of beings—eighty-four thousand householding sages.
सवितुर्दक्षिणं मार्गम् आश्रित्याभूतसंप्लवम् क्रियावतां प्रसंख्यैषा ये श्मशानानि भेजिरे
Having taken the southern path of the sun, they reach the dissolution of beings; this is the reckoning for those who performed rites and entered the cremation grounds.
लोकसंव्यवहारार्थं भूतारम्भकृतेन च इच्छाद्वेषरताच्चैव मैथुनोपगमाच्च वै
For the sake of worldly dealings, for the initiation of beings, out of desire and aversion, and through sexual union—
तथा कामकृतेनेह सेवनाद्विषयस्य च इत्येतैः कारणैः सिद्धाः श्मशानानीह भेजिरे
Likewise, through actions born of desire, enjoyment of sense objects, and these causes, they entered the cremation grounds here.
प्रजौषणिः सप्तर्षयो द्वापरेष्विह जज्ञिरे संततिं ते जुगुप्सन्ते तस्मान्मृत्युर्जितस्तु तैः
In the Dvāpara ages, the seven sages known as Prajauṣaṇi were born here; they shunned procreation, and thus they conquered death.
अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि तेषामप्यूर्ध्वरेतसाम् उदक्पन्था न पर्यन्तम् आश्रित्याभूतसंप्लवम्
Of those celibate sages, eighty-four thousand in number, the path of water does not reach its end, even up to the dissolution of beings.
ते संप्रयोगाल्लोकस्य मिथुनस्य च वर्जनात् ईर्ष्याद्वेषनिवृत्त्या च भूतारम्भविवर्जनात्
Through their union, by abstaining from sexual intercourse, by the cessation of envy and hatred, and by refraining from harming living beings,
ततो ऽन्यकामसंयोगशब्दादेर् दोषदर्शनात् इत्येतैः कारणैः शुद्धैस् ते ऽमृतत्वं हि भेजिरे
Then, by recognizing the faults in union with others, in sound and the like, and through these pure causes, they indeed attained immortality.
आभूतसम्प्लवस्थानाम् अमृतत्वं विभाव्यते त्रैलोक्यस्थितिकालो हि न पुनर्मारगामिणाम्
The immortality of those who remain until the dissolution of beings is to be understood; for the duration of the three worlds is not for those who go the path of death.
भ्रूणहत्याश्वमेधादिपापपुण्यनिभैः परम् आभूतसम्प्लवान्ते तु क्षीयन्ते चोर्ध्वरेतसः
The results, whether sin or merit, equal to acts like abortion or the horse sacrifice, are exhausted at the end of the dissolution of beings for those of upward-flowing seed.
ऊर्ध्वोत्तरमृषिभ्यस्तु ध्रुवो यत्रानुसंस्थितः एतद्विष्णुपदं दिव्यं तृतीयं व्योम्नि भास्वरम्
But above them are the sages, where the steadfast Dhruva abides; this is the divine third radiant realm of Viṣṇu in the sky.
यत्र गत्वा न शोचन्ति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् धर्मे ध्रुवस्य तिष्ठन्ति ये तु लोकस्य काङ्क्षिणः
Having reached that highest abode of Viṣṇu, they do not grieve; but those who desire the world remain fixed in the realm of Dhruva through righteousness.
एवं श्रुत्वा कथां दिव्याम् अब्रुवंल्लौमहर्षणिम् सूर्याचन्द्रमसोश् चारं ग्रहाणां चैव सर्वशः
Having heard this divine story, I asked Lomaharṣaṇa about the course of the sun and moon, and of all the planets.
भ्रमन्ति कथमेतानि ज्योतींषि रविमण्डले अव्यूहेनैव सर्वाणि तथा चासंकरेण वा
How do these luminaries move within the solar orb, all in order and without confusion?
कश्च भ्रामयते तानि भ्रमन्ति यदि वा स्वयम् एतद्वेदितुम् इच्छामस् ततो निगद सत्तम
Who causes them to revolve, or do they move by themselves? We wish to know this, so tell us, O best of the good.
भूतसंमोहनं ह्येतद् ब्रुवतो मे निबोधत प्रत्यक्षमपि दृश्यं तत् संमोहयति वै प्रजाः
Understand this bewilderment of beings as I explain it; even what is seen directly bewilders people.
यो ऽसौ चतुर्दशर्क्षेषु शिशुमारो व्यवस्थितः उत्तानपादपुत्रो ऽसौ मेढीभूतो ध्रुवो दिवि
He who is established among the fourteen stars as the dolphin, the son of Uttānapāda, that Dhruva who stands firm in the sky,
सैष भ्रमन्भ्रामयते चन्द्रादित्यौ ग्रहैः सह भ्रमन्तमनुसर्पन्ति नक्षत्राणि च चक्रवत्
He, revolving, causes the sun and moon to revolve along with the planets; the stars follow his movement like a wheel.
ध्रुवस्य मनसा यो वै भ्रमते ज्योतिषां गणः वातानीकमयैर् बन्धैर् ध्रुवे बद्धः प्रसर्पति
The host of luminaries that moves by the mind of Dhruva is bound to Dhruva by bonds made of wind and moves forth.
तेषां भेदश्च योगश्च तथा कालस्य निश्चयः अस्तोदयास्तथोत्पाता अयने दक्षिणोत्तरे
Their separation and conjunction, as well as the determination of time, risings and settings, and portents, and the southern and northern solstices,
विषुवद्ग्रहवर्णश्च सर्वमेतद्ध्रुवेरितम् जीमूता नाम ते मेघा यदेभ्यो जीवसम्भवः
The equinox, the color of the planets—all this is caused by Dhruva. Those clouds called Jīmūtas are the source of living beings.
द्वितीय आवहन्वायुर् मेघास्ते त्वभिसंश्रिताः इतो योजनमात्राच्च अध्यर्धविकृता अपि
The second is the inviting wind; those clouds take refuge in it, and at a distance of a yojana and a half, they are also divided.
वृष्टिसर्गस्तथा तेषां धारासारः प्रकीर्तितः पुष्करावर्तका नाम ये मेघाः पक्षसम्भवाः
The creation of rain among them is described as a continuous downpour; those clouds called Puṣkarāvartakas arise from the wings.
शक्रेण पक्षाश्छिन्ना वै पर्वतानां महौजसा कामगानां समृद्धानां भूतानां नाशमिच्छताम्
By Indra, the wings of those clouds, which were abundant, wish-fulfilling, and powerful, were cut off with great force, as they sought the destruction of beings.