Chapter 54 - Movements of Luminaries (jyotiścakra)

Sūta said:

1. In order to comprehend the movements of the planets^[1] after observing the holy centres of the lord I shall mention the movements of luminaries within the Cosmic Egg succinctly.

2-3. In the east of the Meru, the city of Mahendra is situated on the mountain Manasa; in the south the city of the son of the sun (i.e. Yama); in the west is the city of Varuṇa and in the north the city of Soma (Moon). In all these directions, the deities of the quarters are stationed. They are the cities of Amarāvatī, Saṃyamanī, Sukhā and Vibhā in order.

4. Understand the movement of the sun when he has reached quarter over and above the guardians of the quarters in the course of his southern transit.

5. In his southern transit the sun rushes on like an arrow that is shot. Taking the multitude of luminaries with him he revolves perpetually.

6. O brahmins, when the lordly sun comes to the extremity of the city of Indra the sunrise is seen by all the people in Saṃyamanī.

7. At the same time in Sukhāvatī the sun is seen as at the close of the night. But in Vibhā, the lord, the eye of the universe, i.e. the Sun sets.

8. It has been mentioned by me that just as he absorbs waters in Amarāvatī so also he, the traverser of the firmament, after reaching Saṃyamanī, Sukhā^[2] and Vibhā, absorbs waters.

9-11. When there is afternoon in Āgneyī (i.e. south-east), O brahmins, it is forenoon in the south-west. When it is terrible latter half of the night in the north-west, it is the earlier part of the night in the north-east. Similarly, when the sucker of waters (i.e. the sun) moves about in the middle of Puṣkara^[3] the mountain to the north of Manasa, he traverses a thirtieth part of the earth in a Muhūrta (48 mts). Understand this number in yojanas travelled in a Muhūrta.

12 -17. The speed of the noble-souled sun per Muhūrta is three million one hundred and fifty thousand yojanas. When the sun moves to the southern quarter with this speed from the north through the middle of Puṣkara during his northern transit and when he moves into the northern, direction (from the south) through the Mānasa hill in the course of his southern transit, he, of great splendour, passes over one hundred and eighty maṇḍalas (degrees of space). The northern and southern transits are called the exterior and interior (parts of the celestial sphere). The sun traverses through these (180) maṇḍalas everyday (both ways). Just as the end of the potters’ wheel whirls, more quickly (than its middle part), the lord (sun) traverses quickly in his southern transit.^[4]

18-19 Hence he traverses a greater area in a short time. In the course of Dakṣiṇāyana (southern, transit) the sun. traverses to the extent of thirteen and a half stars (i.e. star spaces) during the day time in only twelve muhūrtas; while during the night time of eighteen muhūrtas he covers as many stars (star spaces).^[5]

20. Just as the middle of the potter’s wheel moves more slowly (than the end part) so also in the Uttarāyaṇa (northern transit) the sun moves slowly.

21-25. Hence he traverses a smaller area in the course of a longer time. That chariot of the sun is occupied by Ādityas, sages, Gandharvas, Apsarases, Grāmaṇīs, Serpents, and Rākṣasas. The thousand-rayed sun emits his rays in front, behind, below and above. Thereby he illuminates the excellent assembly of Brahmā. During the sandhyās (dawn and dusk) the brahmins and sages offer water-libations. With these waters, the sun kills the demons as and when they come near him and then goes ahead.

During the latter part of the uttarāyaṇa the day extends to eighteen muhūrtas, during which the sun moves slowly. He covers the extent of thirteen and a half stars during the night consisting of twelve muhūrtas and as many stars during the day consisting of eighteen muhūrtas.

26. Just as the wheel whirls slowly at the nave, so also Dhruva whirls like the lump of clay in the middle.

27-28. Those who know the ancient lore, say that thirty muhūrtas constitute a day and a night during which the sun traverses the space in between the two limits (i.e. the solstitial points). Just as the nave of the wheel of the porter remains there alone (i.e. without moving) so also Auttānapāda (i.e. Dhruva) rotates (without moving) as the leader of the luminaries along with the planets.

29-33. The group of the sages and the luminaries moves in accordance with his will (mind). Presided over by him the sun, along with the wind, takes up water from everywhere.

The son of Uttānapāda attained the state of Dhruva, thanks to the favour of Viṣṇu. It was obtained by Auttānapāda on account of his father.

The waters drunk by the sun penetrate the moon gradually and from the moon they drip down to the clouds. On being tossed about by the wind, the cluster of clouds causes shower on the earth. The word bhāskara (sun) is derived as follows:—[bhāsayet tena bhāskaraḥ]—(He who illuminates is bhāskara). There is no destruction of water. The same water revolves.

34-38. For the welfare of creatures, the waters have been evolved by lord Śiva as their ultimate resort. The waters alone constitute Bhū, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ, anna (cooked rice) as well as nectar. The waters are the vital breaths of the worlds, the living beings, the worlds themselves. Of what avail is much talk? The world of mobile and immobile beings is constituted by the waters.

Lord Śiva is the overlord of the waters. He is glorified as such. The universe is identical with him. What is there to wonder at in this? The designation Nārāyaṇa was acquired by Viṣṇu by the grace of the waters. Viṣṇu is the abode of worlds and the waters constitute his abode. When the mobile and immobile beings are being burned by the fire and tossed up as smoke by the wind, the vapours that go up urged by the wind form the clouds.

39-40. Hence the mixture of smoke, fire and wind is called cloud. The word abhra (cloud) is derived as follows: “that which showers water.” The lord of the clouds is the thousand-eyed Indra. The cloud originating from sacrificial smoke is conducive to the welfare of the twice-born. The cloud originating from the smoke of the forest fires, is conducive to the welfare of the forests.

41. O brahmins, the cloud originating from the smoke of the dead bodies brings about evil. The cloud originating from the smoke of the fire during magic rites brings about the destruction of living beings.

42. Thus there is weal or woe unto the worlds due to different kinds of smokes. Hence a man shall stifle the smoke arising from the black magic rites.

43. If a brahmin were to perform black magic rites without covering up the smoke thereof, he will wantonly become the cause of destruction of the world.

44. O men of holy rites, the clouds that are receptacles of waters shower waters at the behest of the wind for six months for the welfare of the worlds.

45. The thunder pertains to the wind; the lightning arises from fire. O leading sages, the origin of snow from those clouds is in three ways.

46-48. The word abhra is derived thus:—[na bhraśyanti yataḥ] (since they do not become destroyed).

The word megha is derived as [mehanāt meghaḥ]—It is called megha because it makes waters.

The clouds are of different kinds, viz.,—Kāṣṭhāvāhas, Vairiñcyas and Pākṣas.

When kāṣṭhās (sacrificial wigs) soaked in ghee come into contact with fire, smoke is generated (and this smoke forms the clouds). The origin of the second type of clouds is from the exhaled breath of Brahmā. The origin of the third type of clouds is from the wings of mountains chopped off by Indra.

The clouds arising from fires are auspicious and their place of resort is Āvaha (a particular region of wind).

49-53a. All those clouds arising from the breath of Brahmā are in the layer of the wind Pravaha, while the clouds originating from Pakṣa (wings)^[6] —Puṣkara and others—shower water. They are respectively silent, noisy and destructive^[7]. The different clouds behave differently—Some rain in showers; some have cool winds blowing for a long time, some are enliveners; some are weak being devoid of lightning and thunder. Some stay here and there in the sky within a krośa (3 kms) from the surface of the earth. All the clouds clinging to the mountains are within half a krośa. The clouds (called) meghas stay within a yojana from the surface of the earth. They shower much water on the earth because it is possible for them to do so. They are equipped with lightning.

53b-56. Their way of making downpours of three types has thus been narrated to you. The clouds of the Pakṣaja type originate from the clipped wings of the mountains. They are called kalpajas (born in the kalpas). These autumnal clouds shower at night towards the close of the kalpa bringing about destruction.

When the Pakṣaja, Puṣkara and other clouds shower water, everything becomes a vast sea of water. During the night, the lord lies down there.

O leading brahmins, the smoke of the clouds arising from fire, from the exhaled breath and from the clipped wings, is refreshingly enlivening.

57. The showers of the clouds Pauṇḍras, (i.e., those falling in the land of Puṇḍra) are accompanied by lightning, are cool and hence conducive to plant (growth). They are ice-cool and look like the spray of waters from elephants’ trunks.

58. The clouds called Gāṅgas originate from the waters of Gaṅgā. Through the wind in the Parāvaha region these agitate the mountains, rivers and elephants of the quarters.

59. The water separated from the clouds goes from one mountain to another. The wind Parāvaha takes the cloud to the Himavat mountain.

60. O brahmins, the remaining shower after crossing the Himavat approaches the sub-continent Bhārata in order to make the other side flourish.

61. The showers have been recounted now. They are of two types being conducive to the increase of two types of vegetation. I shall mention them briefly according to my knowledge.

62. The sun of great splendour, the lord with the eye of the universe is the creator of rains. O excellent brahmins, he is the great Īśāna, Śiva himself.

63-64. He alone is the splendour, power and strength, O brahmins. He is fame himself. He is the eye, ear, mind, Mṛtyu, soul, Manyu, the quarters and the interstices, truth, order, discipline, wind, firmament, planets, the guardians of the quarters, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Rudra and Maheśvara himself.

65-68. This glorious thousand-rayed deity lord Śiva is very auspicious. He has eight hands, a body semi-female and three eyes. He is the overlord of Devas. O brahmins, it is due to his favour alone that rain of various kinds occurs. The sun takes up water by his rays in order to give it back thousandfold. There is neither increase nor decrease of water, if we consider it duly. The wind presided over by Dhruva withdraws the rain. It falls off the planet sun and spreads through the sphere of the stars. At the close of the movement, it re-enters the sun and is presided over by Dhruva.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The system of stars, planets and constellations known as Śiṃśumāra-cakra is conceived as rotating like the potter’s wheel. In the vast space the stars are arranged like the body of an alligator. They move around Dhruva (i.e. the fixed centre). But it should be known that Dhruva is relatively fixed, for, in fact, it itself moves in the heavens. (Cf. Liṅga. 55.10; Matsya 125.6) For detail, Matsya. Chapters 124-128.

[2]:

Sukhā or Suṣā. It is the capital of Varuṇa in the western direction and is the same as Susa of the ancient Achemenian empire in Iran.

[3]:

Puṣkara or sky, atmospheric region. Cf. Viśva cited in Śivatoṣiṇī. “puṣkaram paṅkaje vyomni”.

[4]:

The text here appears highly defective. Uttarāyaṇa or northern transit is the period from 22nd Dec. to 21st June and Dakṣiṇāyana or southern transit is from 22nd June to 21st Dec. During the former, the sun appears to travel from Capricorn to Cancer (through Aquanus, Pisces etc.) and during the latter from Cancer to Capricorn. But as the earth revolves round all the signs of the Zodiac once a day, the sun is said to travel over these, every day. The word maṇḍala is used in the peculiar sense of degree as no other meaning will suit the context.

[5]:

A star space is 360°27 or 13⅓° 13½ Star space is thus equal to 180°. In other words the whole consists of 360° which is the space of the 27 constellations Aśvinī etc. The sun is visible at any time only on half of the sphere (called day). Hence half of the sphere is 180° or 13½ star spaces. The reference here is to that day when the day time is shortest (i.e. 9 hours 36 minutes) and night longest (14 hours 24 minutes) which occurs in India in Kashmir.

[6]:

Puṣkarādi [puṣkarādyāḥ]: Puṣkara, Āvarta, etc. coinprise a class of clouds that rain in torrents at the dissolution of the world.

[7]:

duṣṭāśāḥ-duṣṭā āśā yeṣām, pralayakarāh Śivatoṣiṇī. of wicked intention since they cause destruction of the world.