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.
पुष्करा नाम ते पक्षा बृहन्तस्तोयधारिणः पुष्करावर्तका नाम कारणेनेह शब्दिताः
Your wings are called Puṣkarā, vast and water-bearing; they are named Puṣkarāvartakā for this reason.
नानारूपधराश्चैव महाघोरस्वराश्च ते कल्पान्तवृष्टिकर्तारः कल्पान्ताग्नेर् नियामकाः
They assume various forms and have terrifying sounds; they bring the rains at the end of an age and restrain the fire of dissolution.
वाय्वाधारा वहन्ते वै सामृताः कल्पसाधकाः यान्यस्याण्डस्य भिन्नस्य प्राकृतान्यभवंस्तदा
Supported by the wind, they move, immortal and fulfilling the course of the age; when the cosmic egg was broken, these were its natural products.
यस्मिन् ब्रह्मा समुत्पन्नश् चतुर्वक्त्रः स्वयं प्रभुः तान्येवाण्डकपालानि सर्वे मेघाः प्रकीर्तिताः
From which Brahmā, the self-born Lord with four faces, arose—those very shell fragments of the egg are all declared to be clouds.
तेषामाप्यायनं धूमः सर्वेषाम् अविशेषतः तेषां श्रेष्ठश्च पर्जन्यश् चत्वारश्चैव दिग्गजाः
Their nourishment is smoke, without exception; among them, Parjanya is the best, along with the four elephants of the directions.
गजानां पर्वतानां च मेघानां भोगिभिः सह कुलमेकं द्विधा भूतं योनिरेका जलं स्मृतम्
The families of elephants, mountains, and clouds, together with serpents, are of one kind, divided in two; their single origin is said to be water.
पर्जन्यो दिग्गजाश्चैव हेमन्ते शीतसम्भवम् तुषारवर्षं वर्षन्ति वृद्धा ह्यन्नविवृद्धये
Parjanya and the elephants of the directions, in winter, produce cold-born frost and rain for the increase of crops.
षष्ठः परिवहो नाम वायुस्तेषां परायणः यौ ऽसौ बिभर्ति भगवान् गङ्गामाकाशगोचराम्
The sixth, called Parivaha, is the wind that is their support, who, as the Lord, bears the Ganges moving through the sky.
दिव्यामृतजलां पुण्यां त्रिपथामिति विश्रुताम् तस्या विस्पन्दितं तोयं दिग्गजाः पृथुभिः करैः
That sacred, divine, nectar-like water, renowned as Tripathā, its trembling drops are scattered by the elephants of the directions with their broad hands.
शीकरान् सम्प्रमुञ्चन्ति नीहार इति स स्मृतः दक्षिणेन गिरिर्यो ऽसौ हेमकूट इति स्मृतः
They release droplets, which are called mist; to the south is the mountain known as Hemakūṭa.
उदग्धिमवतः शैलस्य्-ओत्तरे चैव दक्षिणे पुण्ड्रं नाम समाख्यातं सम्यग्वृष्टिविवृद्धये
To the north of that southern mountain lies the region called Puṇḍra, renowned for the abundant increase of rainfall.
तस्मिन्प्रवर्तते वर्षं तत्तुषारसमुद्भवम् ततो हिमवतो वायुर् हिमं तत्र समुद्भवम्
There, rain arises, originating from frost; then, from the wind of the Himalaya, snow is produced there.
आनयत्यात्मवेगेन सिञ्चयानो महागिरिम् हिमवन्तमतिक्रम्य वृष्टिशेषं ततः परम्
Driven by its own force, it brings and pours down upon the great mountain, crossing the Himalaya, and then the remaining rain proceeds further.
इभास्ये च ततः पश्चाद् इदं भूतविवृद्धये वर्षद्वयं समाख्यातं सम्यग्वृष्टिविवृद्धये
Afterwards, on the face of the elephant, for the growth of beings, a double rain is declared, for the abundant increase of rainfall.
मेघाश्चाप्यायनं चैव सर्वमेतत्प्रकीर्तितम् सूर्य एव तु वृष्टीनां स्रष्टा समुपदिश्यते
The clouds and their nourishment have all been described; but the Sun alone is taught as the creator of rains.
वर्षं घर्मं हिमं रात्रिं संध्ये चैव दिनं तथा शुभाशुभफलानीह ध्रुवात्सर्वं प्रवर्तते
Rain, heat, cold, night, twilight, and day, as well as auspicious and inauspicious results, all proceed here from Dhruva.
ध्रुवेणाधिष्ठिताश्चापः सूर्यो वै गृह्य तिष्ठति सर्वभूतशरीरेषु त्व् आपो ह्यनुश्रिताश्च याः
Presided over by Dhruva, the Sun holds the waters; and those waters, which are present in the bodies of all beings, are indeed established.
दह्यमानेषु तेष्वेव जङ्गमस्थावरेषु च धूमभूतास्तु ता ह्यापो निष्क्रामन्तीह सर्वशः
When those moving and unmoving beings are burned, those waters, having become smoke, depart from here entirely.
तेन चाभ्राणि जायन्ते स्थानमभ्रमयं स्मृतम् तेजोभिः सर्वलोकेभ्य आदत्ते रश्मिभिर्जलम्
From that, clouds are produced; the place where clouds are formed is called 'cloud-region.' By means of rays, the sun draws water from all worlds.
समुद्राद्वायुसंयोगाद् वहन्त्यापो गभस्तयः ततस्त्वृतुवशात्काले परिवर्तन्दिवाकरः
From the ocean, through the union with wind, the rays carry water; then, according to the seasons and time, the sun revolves.