Chapter 17 - The Worlds of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śivaśarman said:

1-3. O divine ones, the splendid story relating to Śukra has been heard by me. My ears are extremely pleased merely by hearing it. Who is that storehouse of merit, who has this pure and grief-dispelling world? Kindly endeavour to recount this to me. I am not satisfied by imbibing the nectar-like speech issuing out of your mouth, by taking it in the vessel in the form of my ears.

The Gaṇas said:

4. O Sivaśarman, know that this is the world of Lohitāṅga (Mars). We shall tell you his origin, how he became the son of the Earth.

5. Formerly, Śaṃbhu was performing a penance due to the separation from Dākṣāyaṇī. At that time, a drop of sweat fell on the ground from his forehead.

6. A boy, reddish in limbs, was born from the surface of the Earth. He was lovingly nourished and brought up by the Earth in the capacity of a nurse.

7. He has acquired a great celebrity as Māheya (=son of the Earth). O sinless one, he performed a very severe penance in the city of Śaṃbhu.

8. It is the place where there are the two splendid rivers Asi and Varaṇā. For the sake of the welfare of all the worlds they join with the celestial river (Gaṅgā) flowing northwards.

9. Although he is omnipresent, Viśveśa shines there always for the sake of (granting) salvation to all the creatures who cast off their bodies here at the proper time.

10. The embodied beings, who die here, attain immortality i.e., salvation (Mokṣa) by obtaining the blessings of Viśveśvara.

11. Those who cast off their bodies in Avimukta do not adopt bodies again. (They get salvation) without Sāṅkhya (knowledge discriminating the soul from the non-soul) and Yoga (the eight-limbed practice of restraint) and without the observance of various kinds of vows and pious practices.

12-13. In the great holy spot named Pāñcamudra to the north of Kaṃbala and Aśvatara (two prominent serpents in the form of deities), he duly installed the Liṅga Aṅgārakeśvara named after him. A severe penance was performed by that noble soul until a brilliance issued out of his body like a blazing coal.

14. Hence he is praised in all the worlds by the name Aṅgāraka. The delighted Mahādeva granted him the great status of a Planet.

15-21. Those excellent men who worship Aṅgārakeśāna after taking the holy ablution in Gaṅgā with its current flowing northwards on an Aṅgārakacaturthī day (i.e. Tuesday in combination with the fourth lunar day) will never experience the oppression caused by malignant Planets.

The fourth lunar day in combination with Tuesday is considered to be a holy day on a par with eclipse by those who know (auspicious) times. Whatever holy rite is performed on that day, such as monetary gift, Homa, Japa etc. will have never-ending benefit. The ancestors of those who perform Śrāddha rite with full faith on the day when the Caturthī coincides with Tuesday will have satisfaction lasting twelve years.

Formerly Gaṇeśvara was born on an Aṅgāraka Caturthī day. Hence that is mentioned as a festival day for the purpose of increasing merit.

A devotee who observes the holy vow of taking a single meal a day on that occasion, worships Gaṇanāyaka and makes some gift dedicating it to that Lord is never afflicted by obstacles.

Those excellent men who were devotees of Aṅgāreśvara in Vārāṇasī stay in this world of Aṅgāraka with the utmost prosperity.

Agastya said:

22. Even as the attendants of the Lord were recounting the sweet and meritorious story, the city of Guru (Jupiter) appeared before their eyes.

23. On seeing that city of the excellent one among Ācāryas (i.e., Guru), delighting the eyes, Śivaśarman asked: “Whose is this excellent city?”

The Gaṇas said:

24. O friend, there is nothing which cannot be described to you. We shall narrate with pleasure the story of this city for dispelling the fatigue of the journey.

25. Even as Brahmā was joyously desirous of creating the three worlds formerly, his seven mental sons appeared before him, all of them being on a par with him,

26-27. Marīci, Atri and Aṅgiras were the chief ones among them. All of them were engaged in creation. A son named Āṅgirasa was born of Aṅgiras, a patriarch among them. He was the most excellent among the brilliant ones. He was the foremost among scholars with high intelligence. He was calm with perfect control over the sense-organs. He had conquered anger. He was gentle in speech and pure in mind.

28-30. He was conversant with the Vedas and fully understood their meanings. He was free from impurities and was an expert in all arts. He had mastered all sacred lores. He was the most excellent one among those who knew excellent policies. He was an advisor of what is wholesome. He did everything beneficial (to others). He was always against those who acted prejudiciously to others welfare. He was handsome and endowed with good habits and conduct. He had good qualities. He knew the correct time and place (of action). He was a darling of his elders. He had all the good characteristics. Adopting the practice of great ascetics, he performed penance at Kāśī.

31. He installed a great Liṅga of Śaṃbhu and meditating a lot, performed great austerities for ten thousand divine years. With great penance he acquired divine brilliance.

32. Thereupon, Lord Viśveśa, the creator of the universe, became pleased. Manifesting himself from the Liṅga, the Lord, a mass of brilliance, spoke:

33. “I am pleased; speak out the boon you have mentally thought of.” On being told thus he was highly delighted and looking at Śaṃbhu he eulogized:

Āṅgirasa said:

[Prayer of Bṛhaspati: VV 34-41]

34. Be victorious, O Śaṅkara, O quiescent one, O Lord having the lustre of the moon, the bestower of beautiful objects (the four Puruṣārthas), destroyer of all, the purest of all. O Lord accepting the great adoration offered by the pure ones, O Lord dispelling the great distress of all the devotees.

35. O Lord pervading the firmament of the heart of everyone, O bestower of boons, O Lord humble to the humble ones, O Lord who act to burn the great forest of sins! O Lord, one with the body having diverse activities, O Lord with a handsome body, O storehouse of courage in the act of drying up (i.e., destroying) the Lord of Love having tender flowers for arrows!

36. O Lord, bowed down to by those devoid of death etc., O Lord fulfilling the desire of those who do their duty! O Lord, the wearer of serpents, O Lord with the Daughter of the Lord of Mountains stationed on the left side of the body, O Lord pervading the entire universe by means of your own body!

37. O Lord identical with the three worlds, O Lord without form, O perfect-visioned Lord, O Lord creating fire by means of opening and closing of the eyes, O Bhava, O Lord of Bhūtas, O sole Lord of Pramathas, O Lord lending a hand even unto the fallen ones!

38. O pervader of the entire extensive world, O abode of the sound of Praṇava, O holder of the Moon, O Lord gladdened all around by the great goddess, the Daughter of the Lord of the Mountains, O Śiva, I bow down.

39. O Lord Śiva, O great Lord Giriśa, O bestower of riches, O Īśa, Giriśa, O Śiva, O Mṛḍa, O supporter of the Lord of Constellations, protect the three worlds. O restrainer of those who cause obstruction to devotion!

40. O Hara, here I do not fear even the god of Death. O Lord with unfailing intelligence, strike (destroy) the great sin quickly. I do not know any other thing than bowing down to Śiva’s feet to bring about welfare. Hence I bow down.

41. In this entire extensive world, the propitiation of Hara alone is highly meritorious and destructive of sins. Hence, O Īśa, I bow down to the Lord of annihilation, devoid of attributes, having the lord of serpents for his great bracelat [bracelet?].

42. After eulogizing the great Lord, the son of Aṅgiras ceased. Delighted with the eulogy, the great Īśāna granted many boons.

Śrī Mahādeva said:

43. O Brāhmaṇa, become the preceptor of Devas, as a result of this elaborate penance. With the name of Bṛhaspatī be an adorable one among the Planets.

44. By the adoration of this Liṅga you have become my very vital life. So you will be known by the designation ‘Jīva’ in all the three worlds.

45. Since the Lord who is beyond phenomenal world had been eulogized by means of clever display of words, become Vācaspati, the lord of the world of words.

46. By recitation of this eulogy, the Goddess of Speech becomes manifest to the eulogizer. If he recites thrice (daily) for three years, his speech will be polished and cultured (even by listening to the recitation of the eulogy).

47. He who reads this prayer called Vāyavya^[1] everyday (does not) lose his presence of mind when a great task appears before him.

48. By reciting this eulogy regularly in my presence, even men of no discrimination will not become engaged in evil action.

49. Any living being reciting this hymn can ward off the affliction arising from (evil) Planets. Hence this eulogy must be recited in front of me.

50. If a man gets up early in the morning everyday and reads this prayer, I shall remove all his terrible obstacles.

51. One who recites this eulogy after scrupulously performing the adoration of the Liṅga installed by you, shall acquire whatever he mentally desires.

52. After granting the boons thus, Śaṃbhu summoned Brahmā again along with all the groups of Devas including Indra, Yakṣas, serpents and Kinnaras.

53-54. On seeing them arrived, Śiva told Brahmā: “O Brahmā, at my instance make this sage Bṛhaspatī, weighty with his good qualities, the preceptor of all leading Suras for the pleasure (of all). Crown him in the office of the preceptor of Devas in accordance with the injunctions.

55-59. This lord of intellect will become a great favourite of mine.”

“It is your great favour”, saying thus and receiving the behest by (bent) head, instantly Brahmā made Āṅgirasa, the preceptor of Suras. The divine drums were struck. The groups of celestial damsels danced. All the Devas with their faces beaming with delight performed the adoration of Guru. He was sprinkled with water sanctified with Mantras by Vasiṣṭha and others.

Then Giriśa granted another boon to the Lord of Speech (i.e., Bṛhaspatī): “Listen, O pious-souled son of Aṅgiras, the teacher of Devas, the delighter of (all the members of) the family. This Liṅga installed by you will cause the increase of excellent intellect. It will become well-known as Bṛhaspatīśvara at Kāśī.

60. Whatever men do after worshipping this Liṅga when Guru and Puṣya are in conjunction, will attain great fulfilment.

61. The Liṅga Bṛhaspatīśvara should be guarded very well by me in Kali age. Merely by the sight of this, great intellect is obtained.

62. By worshipping Dhiṣaṇeśa situated to the south of Candreśvara and to the south-west of Vīreśa, one is honoured in the world of Guru.

63. The sin incurred by the carnal intimacy with the wife of the preceptor shall certainly be dispelled by resorting (to the Liṅga) for six months, like the darkness at sunrise.

64. For the same reason, the Bṛhaspatīśvara Liṅga that destroys great sins should be well guarded. It should not be mentioned to anyone and everyone.”

65-66. After saying this and granting boons thus, the Lord vanished there itself. Accompanied by the elders and Indra and Upendra too, Brahmā crowned Bṛhaspatī in this city. Then he sent off Indra and other Suras. After that, on being permitted by Viṣṇu, O Brāhmaṇa, he adorned his own world.

Agastya said:

67. O Lopāmudrā, after passing beyond the world of Guru, Śivaśarman saw the city of Śani (Saturn) embellished with a circle of brilliant splendour.

68. On being asked by that Brāhmaṇa, O lady of pure smiles, those two excellent Gaṇas pointed out that city to the excellent Brāhmaṇa.

The Gaṇas said:

69. O Brāhmaṇa, the hot-rayed Sun was born as the son of Kaśyapa (son of Marīci) and Dākṣāyaṇī (daughter of Dakṣa i.e., Aditi). Saṃjñā, the daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ, the patriarch, became his wife.^[2]

70. Hence she was a great favourite of her husband. She was endowed with beauty and youth. Due to a very brilliant penance, Saṃjñā became endowed with brilliance.

71. The form of the disc of the Sun along with the splendour, (Saṃjñā) retained in her limbs, but her complexion was not as refulgent as it was. [v.l. Though her body was scorched by his refulgence, her mind remained attached to him.]

72. Out of love (Kaśyapa) spoke: “Stationed in the egg, he did not die.” Ever since then he is called Mārtaṇḍa in the world.

73. She was unable to bear that super-abundance of refulgence of Vivasvān (Sun), whereby he blazed the three worlds with hot rays.

74. The storehouse of refulgence, Āditya, begot of her three children, O Brāhmaṇa: a daughter and two partriarchs (i.e., sons).

75-77a. They were Manu Vaivasvata, who was the eldest and then Yama and Yamunā. She was not capable of enduring the highly refulgent form of Vivasvān. Therefore, she created her own shadow with the same colour by means of her magical power. Then the shadow (Chāyā) bowed down to Saṃjñā with joined palms and said: “O goddess, command me who will carry out your behest. What shall I do?”

77b-81. Then Saṃjñā spoke to Chāyā: “O beautiful lady of the same complexion (as mine), listen. I will go to the abode of Tvaṣṭṛ. O fair lady, at my behest, you stay here in my abode without any hesitation. This Manu and the twins named Yamunā and Yama—these three children should be viewed by you as though they were your own children. This fact should not be mentioned to your (i.e., my) husband, O lady of pure smiles.”

On hearing this, Chāyā said to the noble lady, the daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ: “Until and unless my tresses of hairs are pulled, or I am threatened with a curse, I will not mention this conduct of yours. O fair lady, go away happily.”

82. Thus, after commanding Savarṇā (i.e., Chāyā) and after being told, “Let it be so” by Savarṇā, she approached her father. After bowing down to him, she spoke to Tvaṣṭṛ:

83. “O father, I am unable to endure the refulgence of the storehouse of refulgence, the bright splendour of the son of the noble-souled Kaśyapa, O noble Sir.”

84. After hearing what was spoken by her, she was rebuked by the father very much. She was again and again urged, “Go to your husband.”

85. She was worried very much. “Fie upon the activity (life) of women!” She thus cursed and censured herself. She very much blamed her womanhood too.

86. ‘There is no freedom to women at any time anywhere. Fie upon a freedom-less life! She has to fear her father, husband and son in childhood, youth and ultimately in old age.

87-90. Alas! Out of foolishness the house of the husband has been abandoned by me, doing everything without proper reflection. If without being found out I were to go back to my husband’s abode, that Savarṇā whose desire has been fulfilled is present there. If after being rebuked by my father, I were to stay here itself, the hot-rayed Sun will become more fierce than my parents. He will become terrible. Alas! This is the same story as is mentioned by the common people, that is handling a burning coal with one’s own hands. This has been clearly seen by me today. Husband’s abode is lost due to foolishness. There is no welfare in the abode of father (the abode of father is no better).

91-92. My stage of life is youth; the beauty is splendid, worthy of being desired by the three worlds. My womanhood and the pure family surpasses all. My husband is such (a splendid person). He is omniscient. He is the eye of the world. He dispels darkness. He is the witness of all activities. He is identical with all (because he is a form of Lord Aṣṭamūrti). He is capable of moving about everywhere.

93-94. ‘What shall be conducive to my welfare?’ Thinking thus she, not censured anywhere around, assumed the form of a mare and went to the Northern Kurus for performing penance. She grazed dry grass. ‘By the power of penance, I will be sufficiently able to bear that excessive brilliance of my husband.’ Deciding thus she performed a severe penance keeping her husband in the mind.

95-99. The Sun-god considered Savarṇā to be the real Saṃjñā. He begot of her the eighth excellent Manu i.e., Sāvarṇi, the second, a son Śanaiścara (Saturn) and the third child, a girl named Bhadrā (i.e., Tapatī). Due to co-wifely feeling and natural feelings of women (for their own children) Savarṇā loved her own children more than the earlier ones. Manu, the eldest, endured, though he saw the feeding, embellishing and fondling more directed towards Sāvarṇi and others; but Yama did not (brook it).

Once due to anger, born out of childishness or the gravity of the inevitable future, Yama threatened with his (raised) foot the lady in the guise of Saṃjñā. Then the mother of Sāvarṇi angrily cursed him:

100. “O sinful one, you were desirous of killing me. Since the foot was raised by you, let it fall ere long.” After cursing, she became excessively grief-stricken.

101. Afraid of his mother’s curse, Yama narrated the whole incident to his father and said, “Save me, save me.”

102. “Equal treatment should be meted out to all the children by a mother. Though the foot was raised by me it was not caused to fall on (did not touch) her body.

103. Whether this is due to my childishness or delusion, you will please forgive me, O lord of rays. Save me from the curse of my mother. Let not my foot fall down.”

Vivasvān said:

104-105. Though a thousand crimes might have been committed, a mother shall not curse her son. Hence, O my boy, there will be some (real) reason wherefor [wherefore?] she cursed you agrily [angrily], though you are conversant with piety and truthful in speech. A mother’s curse cannot be altered (or nullified) by anyone anywhere.

106. Worms will take away some flesh from this foot and pass on to the ground. Thus the curse can be fulfilled. You will also be saved.

107. After consoling his son thus, the Sun-god went to the inner apartment. After staring at her for a long time, Savitṛ spoke these words to his wife:

108. “O wrathful lady, when all the children are equal to you why is more affection shown towards Sāvarṇi and others who are not the elders?”

109. When she did not say anything to the Sun-god though he insisted on the question, he concentrated his mind and came to know everything.

110. Then she confessed everything to the lord who was about to curse. She told him the truth as it had happened. The lord became pleased.

111. From the utterance of the truth, Ravi knew her to be sinless. Though he was angry, he did not curse her. He went to Tvaṣṭṛ.

112. Tvaṣṭṛ at the outset worshipped the hot-splendoured Sun who was about to curse. He consoled him befìttingly and joyously. After knowing his intention Tvaṣṭṛ spoke to Ravi:

Tvaṣṭṛ said:

113. O Ravi, she was afraid of your excessive brilliance. Assuming the form of a mare, she has gone to Northern Kurus. She is roaming about in the grassy tract.

114. You will see her today. Your wife is of noble conduct. She is unassailable to all living beings due to the restraint of the refulgence.

115. With the permission of the Sun, Tvaṣṭṛ pared him carefully after placing him on the lathe. Then he became more pleasingly brilliant.

116-117. After getting the permission, Savitṛ went to the Northern Kurus hurriedly. He saw her performing great penance. She was as if the personified glory of penance. She had the splendour of the submarine fire. In the form of a mare, she was grazing only the dry grass by means of her Yogic Māyā.

118-120. Coming to know that she was the daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ and free from sins, moving about in the form of a mare, the Sun-god assumed the form of a horse and cohabited with her in the mouth. Suspecting him to be another male, she hurriedly whirled round and hurled out the semen of Vivasvān through her nostrils. The divine beings, Aśvins, the foremost among physicians were born of that. The jewel of the firmament (the Sun-god) revealed his befitting form to her.

121-122. On seeing the Sun giving delight to her eyes, she became pleased. The chaste lady saw her husband with gentle brilliance, dispelling the distress in her mind. She attained great delight. What is it that is difficult to obtain through penance? Penance is the greatest welfare. Penance is the greatest wealth.

123-124. Penance alone is considered the great cause of divinity.

O Śivaśarman what is seen here as highly dazzling in the form of a circular refulgence above and below in the sky, know it to be the great refulgence of penance.

125-126. It was thus that Śanaiścara was born of Savarṇā and Vivasvān. Śani went to Vārāṇasī, respected by all the Devas, performed an extensive penance after installing the Liṅga of Śaṅkara, and obtained this world and the lofty status of a Planet by worshipping Hara.

127. By visiting the highly splendid Śanaiścareśvara in Vārāṇasī and worshipping him on a Saturday, one can ward off the oppression caused by Saturn.

128. By worshipping Śanaiścareśvara lying to the south of Viśveśa and north of Śukreśa, one rejoices in this world.

129. On listening to this chapter of great merit, one can ward off the affliction caused by (malignant) Planets. To him who lives in Kāśī, there is no fear from evil portentous phenomena.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The commentary gives various far-fetched interpretations of the word. Two are accepted here: (i) which is able to bestow the position of Hiraṇyagarbha and (ii) which gives immediate benefit.

[2]:

The story of the Sun-god and Saṃjñā and the birth of Aśvìns and Śani is given in Mbh, Ādi 66.35, Anuśāsna 150. 17-18. VāP. 11.22.30-85 confirms the details of this story.