Vayu Purana

चन्द्रास्ता नामतः सर्वाः पीताभास्तु गभस्तयः। शुक्लाश्च ककुभश्चैव गावो विश्वभृतस्तथा ।। ५३.

All these are named Chandras, and their rays are yellowish; some are white, some are of the directions, and the cows are also called Vishvabhrit.

शुक्लास्ता नामतः सर्वास्त्रिशता घर्मसर्जनाः। समं बिभर्ति ताभिस्तु मनुष्यपितृदेवताः ।। ५३.

All these, named Shuklas, are three hundred in number, producers of heat; by them, humans, ancestors, and gods are equally sustained.

मनुष्यानौषधेनेह स्वधया च पितॄनपि। अमृतेन सुरान् सर्वांस्त्रींस्त्रिभिस्तर्पयत्यसौ ।। ५३.

Here, he satisfies humans with medicinal plants, ancestors with Svadha, and all the gods with nectar, by means of these three.

वसन्ते चैव ग्रीष्मे च सतैः सुतपते त्रिभिः। वर्षास्वथो शरदि च चतुर्भिः सम्प्रकर्षति ।। ५३.

In spring and summer, he draws forth with three hundred rays; in the rainy season and autumn, with four hundred.

हेमन्ते शिशिरे चैव हिमं स सृज ते त्रिभिः। ओषधीषु बलन्धत्ते स्वधया च पितॄनपि। सूर्योऽमरत्वममृतत्रयन्त्रिषु नियच्छति ।। ५३.

In winter and the cold season, he produces frost with three hundred rays; he gives strength to plants, satisfies the ancestors with Svadha, and the sun bestows immortality through the triple nectar.

एवं रश्मिसहस्रन्तत् सौरं लोकार्थ साधकम्। भिद्यते ऋतुमासाद्य जलशीतोष्णनिःस्रवम् ।। ५३.

Thus, the thousandfold network of solar rays, accomplishing the purpose of the worlds, is divided according to seasons, emitting water, cold, and heat.

इत्येतन्मण्डलं शुक्लं भास्वरं सूर्यसंज्ञितम्। नक्षत्रग्रहसोमानां प्रतिष्ठायोनिरेव च। ऋक्षचन्द्रग्रहाः सर्वे निज्ञेयाः सूर्यसम्भवाः ।। ५३.

Thus, this shining, radiant orb called the Sun is the foundation and source of the stars, planets, and the moon; all the constellations, lunar mansions, and planets are to be known as originating from the Sun.

नक्षत्राधिपतिः सोमो ग्रहराजो दिवाकरः। शेषाः पञ्चग्रहा ज्ञेया ईश्वराः कामरूपिणः ।। ५३.

The Moon is the lord of the stars, the Sun is the king of the planets; the remaining five planets are to be known as lords with forms according to their will.

पठ्यते चाग्निरादित्य औदकश्चन्द्रमाः स्मृतः। शेषाणां प्रकृतिं सम्यग्वर्ण्यमानां निबोधत ।। ५३.

Agni is called Aditya, and the Moon is said to be of water; now listen as I properly describe the nature of the remaining ones.

सुरसेनापति स्कन्दः पठ्यतेऽङ्गारको ग्रहः । नारायणं बुधं प्राहुर्देवं ज्ञानविदो विदुः ।। ५३.

Skanda, the commander of the gods, is called the planet Angaraka; those who know wisdom say that Budha is Narayana, the god.

रुद्रो वैवस्वतः साक्षाद्धर्मो लोके प्रभुः स्वयम्। महाग्रहो द्विजश्रेष्ठो मन्दगामी शनैश्चरः ।। ५३.

Rudra, the son of Vivasvat, is verily Dharma, the lord in the world; the great planet Shani, slow-moving, is the best among twice-born.

देवासुरगुरू द्वौ तु भानुमन्तौ महाग्रहौ। प्रजापतिसुतावेतावुभौ शुक्रबृहस्पती। दैत्यो महेन्द्रश्च तयोराधिपत्ये विनिर्मितौ ।। ५३.

The two great planets, Bhānumant, are the preceptors of gods and demons; these two, Shukra and Brihaspati, are sons of Prajapati; a demon and Indra were created as their overlords.

आदित्यमूलमखिलं त्रिलोकं नात्र संशयः। भवत्यस्य जगत्कृत्स्नं सदेवासुरमानुषम् ।। ५३.

All the three worlds have the Sun as their root—of this there is no doubt; the entire universe, with gods, demons, and humans, exists because of him.

रुद्रेन्द्रोपेन्द्रचन्द्राणां विप्रेन्द्रास्त्रिदिवौकसाम्। द्युतिर्द्युतिमतां कृत्स्ना यत्तेजः सार्वलौकिकम् ।। ५३.

The radiance of Rudra, Indra, Upendra, the Moon, the best of Brahmins, and the gods of heaven—all their brilliance is your universal light.

सर्वात्मा सर्वलोकेशो मूलं परमदैवतम्। ततः संजायते सर्वं तत्र चैव प्रलीयते ।। ५३.

The Self of all, Lord of all worlds, the supreme root and highest deity—from him everything arises, and into him all is dissolved.

बावाभावौ हि लोकानामादित्यान्निः सृतौ पुरा। जगज्ज्ञेयो ग्रहो विप्रा दीप्तिमान् सुग्राहो रविः ।। ५३.

The creation and dissolution of worlds are indeed from the Sun; know, O Brahmins, that the shining planet Ravi is the grasping force of the universe.

यत्र गच्छन्ति निधनं जायन्ते च पुनः पुनः। क्षणा मुहूर्त्ता दिवसा निशाः पक्षाश्च कृत्स्नशः। मासाः संवत्सराश्चैव ऋतवोऽन्दयुगानि च ।। ५३.

Where all go to dissolution and are born again and again—moments, muhurtas, days, nights, fortnights, months, years, seasons, and the cycles of time—all occur there in their entirety.

तदादित्यादृते तेषां कालसंख्या न विद्यते। कालादृते न निगमो न दीक्षा नाह्निकक्रमः ।। ५३.

Except for the sun, there is no reckoning of time for them; without time, there is no scripture, no initiation, nor daily ritual sequence.

ऋतुनामविभागश्च पुष्पमूलफलं कुतः। कुतः सस्याभिनिष्पत्तिर्गुणौषधिगणादि वा ।। ५३.

Without the division of seasons, how could there be flowers, roots, or fruits? How could crops arise, or groups of qualities and medicinal plants?

अभावो व्यवहाराणां देवानां दिवि चेह च। जगत्प्रतापनमृते भास्करं वारितस्करम् ।। ५३.

Without the sun heating the world, there would be no activity among gods in heaven or here; the sun is the remover of darkness.

स एव कालश्चाग्निश्च द्वादशात्मा प्रजापतिः। तपत्येष द्विजश्रेष्टास्त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् ।। ५३.

He alone is time and fire, the twelvefold Prajapati; O best of twice-born, he heats the three worlds, both moving and unmoving.

स एष तेजसां राशिः समस्तः सार्वलौकिकः। उत्तमं मार्गमास्थाय वायोभाभिरिदञ्जगत्। पार्श्वमूर्द्ध्वमधश्चैव तापयत्येष सर्वशः ।। ५३.

He is the complete mass of all radiance, universal; taking the highest path, with the brilliance of wind, he heats this world on every side—lateral, above, and below.

रवेरश्मिसहस्रं यत् प्राङ्मया समुदाहृतम् । तेषां श्रेष्ठाः पुनः सप्त रश्मयो ग्रहयोनयः ।। ५३.

The thousand rays of the sun that I previously described—among them, seven are foremost, and these rays are the sources of the planets.

सुषुम्नो हरिकेशश्च विश्वकर्मा तथैव च। विश्वश्रवाः पुनश्चान्यः संयद्वसुरतः परम् । अर्वावसुः पुनश्चान्यो मया चात्र प्रकीर्त्तितः ।। ५३.

Suṣumna, Harikeśa, Viśvakarma likewise, Viśvaśrava, another called Saṃyadvasu, and Arvāvasu, another, are mentioned here by me.

सुषुम्नः सूर्यरश्मिस्तु क्षीणं शशिनमेधयन्। तिर्यगूर्द्ध्वप्रभावोऽसौ सुषुम्नः परिकीर्त्यते ।। ५३.

Suṣumna is the solar ray that nourishes the waning moon; its radiance spreads horizontally and upward, and this is called Suṣumna.

हरिकेशः पुरस्त्वाद्या ऋक्षयोनिः प्रकीर्त्यते। दक्षिणे विश्वकर्मा तु रश्मिर्वर्द्धयते बुधम् ।। ५३.

Harikeśa, first and foremost, is said to be the origin of the stars; Viśvakarma, on the southern side, is the ray that increases Mercury.

विश्वश्रवास्तु यः पश्चात् शुक्रयोनिः स्मृतो बुधैः। संयद्वसुश्च यो रश्मिः सा योनिर्लोहितस्य च ।। ५३.

Viśvaśrava, which is in the west, is known by the wise as the origin of Venus; Saṃyadvasu is the ray that is the origin of Mars.

षष्ठस्त्वर्वावसू रश्मिर्योनिस्तु स बृहस्पतेः। शनैश्चरं पुनश्चापि रश्मिराप्यायते स्वराट् ।। ५३.

The sixth ray, Arvāvasu, is the origin of Jupiter; again, there is a ray that nourishes Saturn, called Svarāṭ.

एवं सूर्यप्रभावेण ग्रहनक्षत्रतारकाः। वर्द्धन्ते विदिताः सर्वा विश्वञ्चैदं पुनर्जगत् । नक्षीयन्ते पुनस्तानि तस्मान्नक्षत्रता स्मृता ।। ५३.

Thus, by the radiance of the sun, the planets, stars, and constellations all grow, as is known; and this entire world is renewed; again, those stars diminish, hence they are called constellations.