Vayu Purana

सम्भृतञ्चार्द्धमासेन अमृतं सूर्यतेजसा । भक्षार्थममृतं सौम्यं पौर्णमास्यामुपासते ।। ५२.

Half a month’s worth of nectar, gathered by the sun’s radiance, is consumed; the gentle nectar of Soma is worshipped on the full moon for the purpose of eating.

एकरात्रं सुरैः सर्वैः पितृभिश्च महर्षिभिः। सोमस्य कृष्णपक्षादौ भास्कराभिमुखस्य च ।। ५२.

For one night, all the gods, ancestors, and great sages, at the beginning of the dark fortnight, facing the sun, partake of the moon.

प्रक्षीयते पुरस्यान्तः पीयमानाः कलाः क्रमात्। क्षीयन्ते तस्मात् कृष्णे याः शुक्ले ह्याप्याययन्ति ताः ।। ५२.

Within the orb, the phases are gradually consumed; thus, in the dark fortnight they decrease, while in the bright they increase.

एवं दिनक्रमातीते विबुधास्तु निशाकरम् । पीत्वाऽर्द्धमासङ्गच्छन्ति अमावास्यां सुरोत्तमाः । पितरश्चोपतिष्ठन्ति अमावास्यां निशाकरम् ।। ५२.

Thus, after the passage of days, the gods, having drunk the moon for half a month, depart at the new moon; the ancestors also approach the moon at the new moon.

ततः पञ्चदशे भागे किञ्चिच्छिष्टे कलात्मके। अपराह्ने पितृगणैर्जघन्यः पर्युपास्यते ।। ५२.

Then, when only a small portion remains, consisting of fifteen parts, in the afternoon, the lowest group of ancestors worship it.

पिबन्ति द्विकलाकालं शिष्टा तस्य तु या कला। निःसृतं तदमावास्याङ्गभस्तिभ्यः स्वधामृतम्। तां स्वधां मासतृप्त्यै तु पीत्वा गच्छन्ति तेऽमृतम् ।। ५२.

The remaining portion of his lunar phase, after the twice-daily consumption, flows out from the limbs of the new moon as the nectar of Svadhā; the ancestors drink this Svadhā for the satisfaction of the month and then attain immortality.

सौम्या बर्हिषदश्चैव अग्निष्वात्तास्तथैव च। कव्याश्चैव तु ये प्रोक्ताः पितरः सर्व एव ते ।। ५२.

The Saumyas, Barhiṣads, Agniṣvāttas, and those called Kavyas—all these are indeed the ancestors as declared.

संवत्सरास्तु वै कव्याः पञ्चाब्दा ये द्विजैः स्मृताः। सौम्यास्तु ऋतवो ज्ञेया मासा बर्हिषदः स्मृताः। अग्निष्वात्तार्तवश्चैव पितृसर्गा हि वै द्विजाः ।। ५२.

The Kavyas are to be known as the years, those remembered by the twice-born as spanning five years; the Saumyas are the seasons, the months are called Barhiṣads, and the Agniṣvāttas are also seasonal—the lineages of the ancestors, O twice-born.

पितृभिः पीयमानस्य पञ्चदश्यां कला तु वै। यावन्न क्षीयते तस्य भागः पञ्चदश स्तु सः ।। ५२.

As the ancestors drink on the fifteenth day, the portion of the lunar phase remains until it is exhausted; that portion is indeed the fifteenth part.

अमावस्यान्तदा तस्य अन्तमापूर्यते परम्। वृद्धिक्षयौ वै पक्षादौ षोडश्यां शशिनः स्मृतौ ।। ५२.

At the end of the new moon, that portion is completely filled; the waxing and waning at the beginning of each fortnight and on the sixteenth day are attributed to the moon.

एवं सूर्यनिमित्तैषा क्षयवृद्धि र्निशाकरे। ताराग्रहाणां वक्ष्यामि स्वर्भानोश्च रथं पुनः ।। ५२.

Thus, this waxing and waning of the moon is due to the sun; now I will describe the stars, planets, and again the chariot of Svarbhānu.

तोयतेजोमयः शुभ्रः सोमपुत्रस्य वै रथः। युक्तो हयैः पिशङ्गैस्तु अष्टाभिर्वातरंहसैः ।। ५२.

The chariot of Soma's son is composed of water and light, shining and pure, yoked with eight tawny horses, swift as the wind.

सवरूथः सानुकर्षः सूतो दिव्यो रथे महान्। सोपासङ्गपताकस्तु सध्वजो मेघसन्निभः ।। ५२.

It is equipped with a yoke and a pole, with a divine charioteer, a great celestial chariot, adorned with side standards and flags, resembling a cloud.

भार्गवस्य रथः श्रीणांस्तेजसा सूर्यसन्निभः। पृथिवीसम्भवैर्युक्तो नानावर्णैर्हयोत्तमैः ।। ५२.

The chariot of Bhārgava among the illustrious is radiant like the sun, yoked with excellent horses of various colors, born of the earth.

श्वेतः पिशङ्गः सारङ्गो नीलः पीतो विलोहितः। कृष्णश्च हरितश्चैव पृषतः पृष्णिरेव च। दशभि स्तैर्महाभागैरकृशैर्वातवेगितैः ।। ५२.

White, tawny, spotted, blue, yellow, reddish, black, green, dappled, and speckled—these ten noble, sturdy, wind-swift horses draw it.

अष्टाश्वः काञ्चनः श्रीमान् सोमस्यापि रथोऽभवत्। असङ्गैर्लौहितैरश्वैः सर्वगैरग्निसम्भवैः। सर्पतेऽसौ कुमारो वै ऋजुवक्रानुचक्रगः ।। ५२.

The splendid golden chariot of Soma also has eight horses, unattached, red, all-pervading, born of fire; the youth rides it, with straight and curved wheels.

ततस्त्वाङ्गिरसो विद्वान् देवाचार्यो बृहस्पतिः। शोणैरश्वैः काञ्चनेन स्यन्दनेन प्रसर्पति ।। ५२.

Then the wise descendant of Aṅgiras, the divine teacher Bṛhaspati, advances in a golden chariot drawn by red horses.

युक्तस्तु वाजिभिर्दिव्यैरष्टाभिर्वातसम्मितैः। नक्षत्रेऽब्दन्निवसति सवेगस्तेन गच्छति ।। ५२.

Yoked with eight divine horses, swift as the wind, he resides in the constellation for a year and moves with great speed.

ततः शनैश्वरोप्यश्वैः शबलैर्व्योमसम्भवैः। कार्ष्णायसं समारुह्य स्यन्दनं याति वै शनैः ।। ५२.

Then Śanaiścara, too, rides slowly in a chariot of black iron, drawn by dappled horses born of the sky.

स्वर्भानोस्तु तथैवाश्वाः कृष्णा ह्यष्टौ मनोजवाः। रथन्तमोमयन्तस्य सकृद्युक्ता वहन्त्युत ।। ५२.

Similarly, Svarbhānu's horses are eight, black, and swift as thought; they draw his chariot, called Rathantama, all at once.

आदित्यान्निःसृतो राहुः सोमं गच्छति पर्वसु। आदित्यमेति सोमाच्च पुनः सौरेषु पर्वसु ।। ५२.

Rāhu, having emerged from the Ādityas, approaches Soma at the junctions; from Soma he again reaches the sun at the solar junctions.

अथ केतुरथस्याश्वा अष्टाष्टौ वातरंहसः। पलालधूमसङ्काशाः शबला रासभारुणाः ।। ५२.

Now, the horses of Ketu's chariot are eight pairs, swift as the wind, dappled, resembling the color of chaff smoke, and of the donkey species.

एते वाहा ग्रहाणां वै मया प्रोक्ता रथैः सह। सर्वे ध्रुवनिबद्धास्ते प्रबद्धा वातरश्मिभिः ।। ५२.

These are the steeds of the planets, described by me along with their chariots; all are fixed to the pole star and bound by the threads of the wind.

एते वै भ्राम्यमाणास्तु यथा योगं भ्रमन्ति वै। वायव्याभिरदृश्याभिः प्रबद्धा वातरश्मिभिः ।। ५२.

These indeed, being whirled about, move according to their order, bound by invisible threads of wind.

परिभ्रमन्ति तद्बद्धाश्चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहा दिवि। भ्रमन्तमनुगच्छन्ति ध्रुवन्ते ज्योतिषां गणाः ।। ५२.

Bound by those, the moon, sun, and planets revolve in the sky; as they move, the hosts of stars follow them, with Dhruva at the center.

यथा नद्युदके नौस्तु सलिलेन सहोह्यते। तथा देवालया ह्येते उह्यन्ते वातरश्मिभिः। तस्मात्सर्वेण दृस्यन्ते व्योम्नि देवगणास्तु ते ।। ५२.

Just as a boat on a river is carried along with the water, so too these abodes of the gods are borne by the currents of wind; therefore, all those hosts of gods are seen in the sky.

यावन्त्यश्चैव तारास्तु तावन्तो वातरश्मयः। सर्वा ध्रुवनिबद्धास्ता ब्रमन्त्यो भ्रामयन्ति तम् ।। ५२.

As many as there are stars, so many are the threads of wind; all are bound to Dhruva, revolving and causing him to revolve.

तैलपीडाकरं चक्रं भ्रमद्भ्रामयते यथा। तथा भ्रमन्ति ज्योतींषि वायबद्धानि सर्वशः ।। ५२.

Just as a wheel is made to spin by the pressure of oil, so too all the lights revolve, bound by the wind.

अलातचक्रवद्यान्ति वातचक्रेरितानि तु। तस्माज्ज्योतींषि वहते प्रवहंस्तेन स स्मृतः ।। ५२.

They move like a wheel of firebrands, driven by the wheel of wind; thus, the current carries the lights, and for that reason it is so called.