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.
उत्तानपादस्तस्याथ विज्ञेयः सोत्तरो हनुः यज्ञो ऽधरस्तु विज्ञेयो धर्मो मूर्धानमाश्रितः
Uttanapada is to be known as its upper jaw, Yajna as the lower; Dharma is established on its head.
हृदि नारायणः साध्या अश्विनौ पूर्वपादयोः वरुणश्चार्यमा चैव पश्चिमे तस्य सक्थिनी
Narayana is in its heart, the Sadhyas and Ashvins at its forefeet, Varuna and Aryaman at its hind thighs.
शिश्ने संवत्सरो ज्ञेयो मित्रश्चापानमाश्रितः पुच्छे ऽग्निश्च महेन्द्रश्च मरीचिः कश्यपो ध्रुवः
The year is to be known at its genital, Mitra at the anus; at the tail are Agni, Mahendra, Marichi, Kashyapa, and Dhruva.
एष तारामयः स्तम्भो नास्तमेति न वोदयम् नक्षत्रचन्द्रसूर्याश्च ग्रहास्तारागणैः सह
This is the starry pillar, which neither sets nor rises, along with the constellations, the Moon, the Sun, the planets, and the host of stars.
तन्मुखाभिमुखाः सर्वे चक्रभूता दिवि स्थिताः ध्रुवेणाधिष्ठिताश्चैव ध्रुवमेव प्रदक्षिणम्
All of them, facing toward that, stand in the sky like a wheel, established by Dhruva, and they circumambulate Dhruva alone.
परियान्ति सुरश्रेष्ठं मेढीभूतं ध्रुवं दिवि आग्नीध्रकाश्यपानां तु तेषां स परमो ध्रुवः
They revolve around Dhruva, the foremost among the gods, who is fixed in the heavens as a pillar; for the Agnīdhra and Kāśyapa people, he is the supreme Dhruva.
एक एव भ्रमत्येष मेरोरन्तरमूर्धनि ज्योतिषां चक्रमादाय आकर्षंस्तमधोमुखः मेरुमालोकयन्नेव प्रतियाति प्रदक्षिणम्
This one alone moves, taking the wheel of the stars at the summit between the ends of Meru, drawing it downward, gazing upon Meru, and proceeds in a circle.
यदेतद्भवता प्रोक्तं श्रुतं सर्वमशेषतः कथं देवगृहाणि स्युः पुनर्ज्योतींषि वर्णय
All that you have spoken has been heard completely; how do the abodes of the gods exist? Describe again the luminaries.
एतत्सर्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि सूर्याचन्द्रमसोर्गतिम् यथा देवगृहाणि स्युः सूर्याचन्द्रमसोस्तथा
I will explain all this—the course of the sun and moon, and how the abodes of the gods exist, just as for the sun and moon.
अग्नेर्व्युष्टौ रजन्यां वै ब्रह्मणाव्यक्तयोनिना अव्याकृतमिदं त्वासीन् नैशेन तमसा वृतम्
At the dawn of fire, during the night, by Brahman, whose origin is unmanifest, this undifferentiated world existed, covered by night’s darkness.
चतुर्भूतावशिष्टे ऽस्मिन् ब्रह्मणा समधिष्ठिते स्वयम्भूर् भगवांस्तत्र लोकतत्त्वार्थसाधकः
When only the four elements remained, and Brahman presided over them, the self-born Lord was there, accomplishing the purpose of the world and its principles.
खद्योतरूपी विचरन्न् आविर्भावं व्यचिन्तयत् ज्ञात्वाग्निं कल्पकालादाव् अपः पृथ्वीं च संश्रिता
Taking the form of a blazing fire, he wandered, contemplating manifestation; knowing fire from the beginning of the cycle, he resorted to water and earth.
स संभृत्य प्रकाशार्थं त्रिधा तुल्यो ऽभवत्पुनः पाचको यस्तु लोके ऽस्मिन् पार्थिवः सो ऽग्निरुच्यते
Having gathered it for the sake of illumination, he became threefold again: the one who cooks in this world, earthly, is called Agni.
यश्चासौ तपते सूर्ये शुचिरग्निश्च स स्मृतः वैद्युतो जाठरः सौम्यो वैद्युतश्चाप्यबिन्धनः
He who shines in the sun is remembered as pure Agni; the lightning, the digestive fire, the lunar fire, and the fire without fuel are also Agni.
तेजोभिश्चाप्यते कश्चित् कश्चिदेवाप्यनिन्धनः काष्ठेन्धनस्तु निर्मथ्यः सो ऽद्भिः शाम्यति पावकः
Some are ignited by brilliance, some are indeed without fuel; the fire produced by rubbing wood is extinguished by water.
अर्चिष्मान्पचनो ऽग्निस्तु निष्प्रभः सौम्यलक्षणः यश्चासौ मण्डले शुक्ले निरूष्मा न प्रकाशते
The fire that has flames and cooks is Agni, lacking brilliance, with lunar qualities; the one in the white orb, without heat, does not shine.
प्रभा सौरी तु पादेन अस्तं याति दिवाकरे अग्निमाविशते रात्रौ तस्मादग्निः प्रकाशते
The solar radiance, by its foot, goes to set in the sun; at night it enters Agni, therefore Agni shines.
उदिते तु पुनः सूर्ये ऊष्माग्नेस्तु समाविशत् पादेन तेजसश्चाग्नेस् तस्मात् संतपते दिवा
When the sun rises again, the heat of Agni enters it by its foot, and the brilliance of Agni, thus, burns during the day.
प्राकाश्यं च तथौष्ण्यं च सौर्याग्नेये तु तेजसी परस्परानुप्रवेशाद् आप्यायेते दिवानिशम्
Both brightness and heat, solar and fiery, are replenished day and night by their mutual interpenetration.
उत्तरे चैव भूम्यर्धे तथा ह्यस्मिंस्तु दक्षिणे उत्तिष्ठति पुनः सूर्ये रात्रिराविशते ह्य् अपः
In the northern half of the earth, and likewise in the southern, when the sun rises again, night enters the waters.