60 - The Solar Sphere 

Sūtu said: 

1. It is cited357 that the sun is fire, and the moon is water. The other five planets are known as lords who move about as they please. 

357. For the celestial fire as identical with the sun, cf.

2. Understand the source of origin of the remaining planets which is clearly being recounted now. It is cited that the planet Mars is Skanda (Karttikeya) the commander-in-chief of the army of Devas. 

3-5. People of perfect knowledge say that Mercury is lord Nārāyana. O excellent brahmins, the great planet Shanaishchara, the slow-moving Saturn is Yama, the lord of the worlds. The preceptors of Devas and Asuras are the great planets Venus and Jupiter with (refulgent) rays. They are mentioned as the sons of Prajāpati.358 

358. Shukra (Venus) and Bruhaspati (Jupiter), the preceptors of Dānavas and Devas are respectively the sons of patriarchs Bhrugu and Angiras. 

There is no doubt that the three worlds have their source in the sun. 

6-8. The entire universe including Devas, Asuras and human beings originates from him. He is the lustre of all luminaries and the universal refulgence. The refulgence of Rudra, Indra, Upendra, the moon, the leading brahmins, the fire and the heaven-dwellers comes from the sun. He is the soul of all. He is the lord of all worlds. He alone is Mahadeva, Prajapati and the lord of the three worlds. He is the original great deity. Everything originates from him and dissolves in him. 

9. The existence and non-existence of the worlds originated froin the sun formerly. O brahmins, this refulgent sun of great lustre is an incomprehensible planet. 

10-11. All these units of time begin from him and end in him again and again, viz., kşhaņas (moments), muhurtas a unit of 48 mts.), days, nights, fortnights, months, years, seasons and yugas. Hence without the sun there is no reckoning of time. 

12-15. Without Käla (time) there is no order, no initiation, no daily ritual. How can there be the division of the sea sons? Whence are these flowers, roots and fruits? Whence is the outcome of plants? How can there be the different kinds of grass and medicinal plants? The dealings of the creatures in heaven and here too will be non-existent without the sun who is the form of Rudra, the scorcher of the universe. He alone is time, fire, Dvādaśhātman (one having twelve forms) and Prajāpati. O excellent brahmins, he scorches the three worlds including the mobile and immobile beings. He is the mine of splendour. He is all in all, the whole set of worlds. 

16. Adopting the excellent path, he scorches the entire universe from the sides, from above and from below in the course of nights and days. 

17. If a bright lamp is hung in the middle of the house, it dispels darkness from the sides, the portion above and the portion below, at the same time. 

18. In the same manner the thousand-rayed sun, the king of planets, the lord of the universe, illuminates the entire universe by means of his rays. 

19. Seven rays, that are the source of origin of the planets are the most excellent ones among the thousand rays mentioned by me before.359 

359. The principal seven rays, Suşhumna etc., of the thousand-rayed sun are the source of energy and movement of stars, planets and constellations. For instance, the solar ray, called Susumna, causes the movement of the moon. 

20-21. They are Suşhumna, Harikeśha, Viśhvakarman, Viśhva vyachas, Sannaddha, Sarvāvasu and Svarāt. 

The sun's ray Susumna makes the southern region flourish.360 Suşhumna is glorified as the ray that moves about above, below and on the sides. 

360. dakşhinām rãšhim i.e., the moon. The Lingapurâna describes vividly the respective functions of the seven solar rays. 

22-26. Harikeśha which is in front (in the east) is glorified as the source of origin of constellations.360a in the south, the ray Viśhvakarmā develops Budha (Mercury). The ray Vishvavyachas which is in the west (behind) is the source of origin of Shukra (Venus). The ray Sannaddha is the source of origin of Mars. The ray Sarvavasu is the source of origin of Bruhaspati (Jupiter). The ray Svarāt nourishes Shanaishchara (Saturn). Thus, it is due to the power of the sun that the constellations, planets and stars are seen in the heaven. This entire universe is sustained by him. The constellations are called Nakşhatras. The word is derived from kşhi with the prohibitive particle 'na' i.e., na ksīyante (i.e., those which do not perish). 

360a. Each planet or star has its respective sphere (deva-sthāna) in which its influence reigns supreme. These spheres are established by the Creator in the beginning of a kalpa and they last till the dissolution of that kalpa.