क्षीयन्ते च ताः शुक्लाः कृष्णा ह्याप्याययन्ति च एवं दिनक्रमात्पीते देवैश्चापि निशाकरे
Those bright phases wane, and the dark ones indeed increase; thus, by the course of days, as the gods drink the nectar of the night-maker.
पीत्वार्धमासं गच्छन्ति अमावास्यां सुराश्च ते पितरश्चोपतिष्ठन्ति अमावास्यां निशाकरम्
Having drunk for half a month, the gods depart at the new moon, and the ancestors approach the night-maker at the new moon.
ततः पञ्चदशे भागे किंचिच्छेषे निशाकरे ततो ऽपराह्णे पितरो जघन्यदिवसे पुनः
Then, in the fifteenth part, with a little remaining in the night-maker, on the next day, the ancestors again partake on the last day.
पिबन्ति द्विकलं कालं शिष्टास्तास्तु कलास्तु याः विनिःसृष्टं त्वमावास्यां गभस्तिभ्यस्तदामृतम्
They drink for two phases of time, and those phases that remain are released at the new moon as nectar from the rays.
अर्धमाससमाप्तौ तु पीत्वा गच्छन्ति ते ऽमृतम् सौम्या बर्हिषदश्चैव अग्निष्वात्ताश्च ये स्मृताः
At the completion of the half-month, having drunk, they depart with the nectar—those called Saumyas, Barhishads, and Agnishvattas.
काव्याश्चैव तु ये प्रोक्ताः पितरः सर्व एव ते संवत्सराश्च ये काव्याः पञ्चाब्दा वै द्विजाः स्मृताः
And those ancestors called Kavyas—all of them—and the Kavyas who are said to be of five years, O twice-born.
सौम्याः सुतपसो ज्ञेयाः सौम्या बर्हिषदस्तथा अग्निष्वात्तास् त्रयश्चैव पितृसर्गस्थिता द्विजाः
The Saumyas are to be known as great ascetics, and likewise the Saumya Barhishads; the three Agnishvattas are established in the ancestral lineage, O twice-born.
पितृभिः पीयमानायां पञ्चदश्यां तु वै कलाम् यावच्च क्षीयते तस्माद् भागः पञ्चदशस्तु सः
When the ancestors are drinking the phase on the fifteenth day, as long as it is diminished, that part is the fifteenth.
अमावास्यां तथा तस्य अन्तरा पूर्यते परः वृद्धिक्षयौ वै पक्षादौ षोडश्यां शशिनः मृतौ एवं सूर्यनिमित्ते ते क्षयवृद्धी निशाकरे
Likewise, at the new moon, the interval is filled by the other; waxing and waning occur at the beginning of the fortnight, and on the sixteenth day, the moon perishes—thus, due to the sun, there is decrease and increase in the night-maker.
ताराग्रहाणां वक्ष्यामि स्वर्भानोस्तु रथं पुनः अथ तेजोमयः शुभ्रः सोमपुत्रस्य वै रथः
I will now describe the chariot of the stars and planets, and again the chariot of Rahu; then, the radiant and shining chariot of the son of Soma.
युक्तो हयैः पिशङ्गस्तु दशभिर् वातरंहसैः श्वेतः पिशङ्गः सारङ्गो नीलः श्यामो विलोहितः
It is yoked with ten tawny horses, swift as the wind: white, tawny, spotted, blue, dark, and reddish.
श्वेतश्च हरितश्चैव पृषतो वृष्णिरेव च दशभिस्तु महाभागैर् उत्तमैर्वातसम्भवैः
White, green, dappled, and variegated—these ten noble, excellent horses, born of the wind, are yoked to it.
ततो भौमरथश्चापि अष्टाङ्गः काञ्चनः स्मृतः अष्टभिर् लोहितैरश्वैः सध्वजैर् अग्निसम्भवैः सर्पते ऽसौ कुमारो वै ऋजुवक्रानुवक्रगः
Then, the chariot of Mars is also said to be eightfold and golden, drawn by eight red horses with banners, born of fire; that youth moves straight, obliquely, and in reverse.
अतश्चाङ्गिरसो विद्वान् देवाचार्यो बृहस्पतिः गौराश्वेन तु रौक्मेण स्यन्दनेन विसर्पति
Next, the learned Angiras, the divine teacher Brihaspati, moves in a golden chariot drawn by pale horses.
युक्तेनाष्टाभिरश्वैश्च ध्वजैरग्निसमुद्भवैः अब्दं वसति यो राशौ स्वदिशं तेन गच्छति
Yoked with eight horses and banners, born of fire, he dwells in a sign for a year and moves in his own direction.
युक्तेनाष्टाभिर् अश्वैश्च सध्वजैरग्निसंनिभैः रथेन क्षिप्रवेगेण भार्गवस्तेन गच्छति
Yoked with eight horses and banners, resembling fire, the swift-moving Bhargava travels in that chariot.
ततः शनैश्चरो ऽप्यश्वैः सबलैर् वातरंहसैः कार्ष्णायसं समारुह्य स्यन्दनं यात्यसौ शनिः
Then Saturn, too, with his swift and powerful black iron chariot drawn by horses, proceeds onward.
स्वर्भानोस्तु यथाष्टाश्वाः कृष्णा वै वातरंहसः रथं तमोमयं तस्य वहन्ति स्म सुदंशिताः
For Svarbhanu, eight black, swift horses, sharp-toothed, draw his chariot made of darkness.
आदित्यनिलयो राहुः सोमं गच्छति पर्वसु आदित्यमेति सोमाच्च तमसो ऽन्तेषु पर्वसु
Rahu, dwelling among the Adityas, approaches the Moon at the lunar phases, and at the end of the phases, he moves from the Moon to the Sun, and from the Sun to darkness.
ततः केतुमतस्त्वश्वा अष्टौ ते वातरंहसः पलालधूमवर्णाभाः क्षामदेहाः सुदारुणाः
Then, Ketumat has eight horses, swift as the wind, with bodies thin and dreadful, colored like the smoke of chaff.
एते वाहा ग्रहाणां वै मया प्रोक्ता रथैः सह सर्वे ध्रुवे निबद्धास्ते निबद्धा वातरश्मिभिः
These are the steeds of the planets, together with their chariots, as I have described; all are bound to the pole, fastened by cords of wind.
एते वै भ्राम्यमाणास्ते यथायोगं वहन्ति वै वाय याभिरदृश्याभिः प्रबद्धा वातरश्मिभिः
These, being whirled around, carry the planets according to their order, bound by invisible cords of wind.
परिभ्रमन्ति तद्बद्धाश् चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहा दिवि यावत्तमनुपर्येति ध्रुवं च ज्योतिषां गणः
Thus bound, the Moon, Sun, and planets revolve in the sky, as long as the host of stars follows the pole.
यथा नद्युदके नोस्तु उदकेन सहोह्यते तथा देवगृहाणि स्युर् उह्यन्ते वातरंहसा तस्माद्यानि प्रगृह्यन्ते व्योम्नि देवगृहा इति
Just as a log in a river is carried along with the water, so too are the celestial abodes moved by the force of the wind; therefore, those which are carried in the sky are called the abodes of the gods.
यावत्यश्चैव ताराः स्युस् तावन्तो ऽस्य मरीचयः सर्वा ध्रुवनिबद्धास्ता भ्रमन्त्यो भ्रामयन्ति च
As many as there are stars, so many are its rays; all are bound to the pole, revolving and causing others to revolve.
तैलपीडं यथा चक्रं भ्रमते भ्रामयन्ति वै तथा भ्रमन्ति ज्योतींषि वातबद्धानि सर्वशः
Just as a wheel smeared with oil spins and makes others spin, so do the luminaries, bound by the wind, revolve entirely.
अलातचक्रवद्यान्ति वातचक्रेरितानि तु यस्मात्प्रवहते तानि प्रवहस्तेन स स्मृतः
They move like a firebrand wheel, set in motion by the wind; because the wind drives them, it is called Pravaha.
एवं ध्रुवे नियुक्तो ऽसौ भ्रमते ज्योतिषां गणः एष तारामयः प्रोक्तः शिशुमारे ध्रुवो दिवि
Thus, appointed at the pole, the host of luminaries revolves; this is called the starry pillar, the Dhruva in the constellation of the Shishumara in the sky.
यदह्ना कुरुते पापं तं दृष्ट्वा निशि मुञ्चति शिशुमारशरीरस्था यावत्यस्तारकास्तु ताः
Whatever sin is committed by day, upon seeing it at night, the stars residing in the body of the Shishumara release it.
वर्षाणि दृष्ट्वा जीवेत तावदेवाधिकानि तु शिशुमाराकृतिं ज्ञात्वा प्रविभागेन सर्वशः
Seeing the years, one lives for just so many more; knowing the form of the Shishumara in all its divisions.