103 - Hymn to the Sun.

Brahma, finding the Sun’s glory too great for creation, offered a hymn to the Sun.—The Sun contracted his glory, and Brahma accomplished the creation. 

Markandeya spoke:

1 Now when the egg was being heated by his glory above and beneath, the lotus-born Forefather, being desirous of 

2 creating, pondered— “My creation although accomplished will assuredly pass to destruction through the intense glory* of the Sun, who is the cause of creation, dissolution and permanence, 

         * Abhi-tejasah; a word not in the dictionary.

3 great of soul. Breathing beings will all be bereft of breath, the waters will dry up through his glory, and

4 without water there will be no creation of this universe.” Pondering thus the adorable Brahma, Forefather of the world, becoming intent thereon, composed a hymn to the adorable Sun. 

Brahma spoke:

5       I pay reverence to thee of whom everything consists Here, and who consistest of everything; 

Whose body is the universe, who art the sublime Light Whereon religious devotees meditate; 

6       Who art composed of the Richhymns, who art the repository of the Yajus hymns, 

And who art the origin of the Saman hymns; whose power passes thought 

Who consistest of the three Vedas:* who art half a short syllable as touching grossness,† 

*For trayi-mayi read trayi-mayo as in the Bornbay edition.

 † Sthulatayardha-matra; this seems obscure. 

Whose nature is sublime, who art worthy of the fullness of good qualities.†† 

††Guna-para-yogyah. This may be taken in several ways; “who art adapted to the fullest measure of a sikppliant’s good qualities,” or  “who art worthy of religious devotion by reason of the fullness of thy good qualities,”or “who art worthy of religious devotion with the fullness of a suppliant’s good qualities.”

7       To thee,§ the cause of all, who art to be known as supremely worthy of praise,|| 

§ For tam read tvam as in the Bornbay edition. 

|| The Bornbay edition reads, but not so well, paramam ch’a vedyam, “and who art to be known as the sublimest one.”

The supreme Light that was at the beginning, not in the form of fire; ¶ 

¶ The Bombay edition reads instead, adyam param jyotir a-vedya-rupam, “the supreme Light that was in the beginning, whose form passes knowledge."

And who art gross by reason that thy spirit is in the gods — to thee I pay reverence,

 The shining one, who wast in the beginning, the sublimest beyond the sublime! 

8       Thine is the primeval power, in that urged on thereby I achieve this creation, which is in the forms of water, earth, wind and fire, 

Which has those elements, the gods and other beings for its objects, and which is complete with the word “Om” and other sounds— 

Not at my own wish; and that I effect its continuance and dissolution in the self-same manner. 

9       Thou verily art fire. By reason of thy drying up of the water thou achievest* 

* For karomi, “I achieve,” the Bornbay edition reads karoshi, which I have adopted as preferable.

The creation of the earth and the primeval completion of the worlds. 

Thou indeed, lord, pervadest the very form of the sky. Thou in five ways protectest ajl this world. 

10 They who know the Supreme Soul sacrifice with sacrifices 

to thee, 

Who hast the nature of Vishnu, who consistest of all sacrifices, O Sun!

And self-subdued ascetics, who curb their souls and thoughts, meditate 

On thee, the lord of all, the supremest, while they desire final emancipation from existence for themselves. 

11 Reverence to thee, whose form is divine: 

To thee, whose form is sacrifice, be reverence;

Yea to thee who in thy very nature art the Supreme Spirit, Who art meditated upon by religious devotees! 

12 Contract thy glory, since the abundance of thy glory Tends to obstruct creation, O lord, and I am ready to begin creation 

Markandeya spoke:

13     Being praised thus by the Creator Brahma, the Sun contracted his supreme glory and retained but very little.

14 And the lotus-born god accomplished the creation of the world. Thus in those intervals of the former kalpas

15 illustrious Brahma created indeed, as before, the gods, Asuras and other beings, and mortals, cattle and other animals, trees and shrubs and the hells, O great muni.