SECTION IX.Parāçara said:—The form of the glorious Hari containing the constellations, in the shape of a porpoise in the tail of which is attached Dhruva, is seen in heaven. As Dhruva revolves, it makes the moon, the sun and stars to revolve also, and all the planets follow in its circular path; for the sun, moon and all the luminaries are in sooth tied to the polar star by aerial cords. The porpoise figure of the celestial sphere, which has been described by me to you, is upheld by Nārāyana, who himself, the source of all radiance, is seated in its heart. And having worshipped the lord of people, Dhruva, the son of Uttānpāda shines in the tail of the steller porpoise. Janārddana, the lord of all, is the supporter of this porpoise-shaped sphere—and this sphere is the supporter of Dhruva; and by Dhruva the sun is upheld. O Brahman, I shall describe how this earth is upheld by the sun; do thou listen to it attentively.During eight months of the year the sun attracts the waters of the earth, and during the remaining four months he pours them upon the earth: from rain grows corn and by corn the whole world is upheld. The sun absorbs the moisture of the earth by means of his scorching rays and nourishes the moon thereby. And the moon through tubes of air distributes them to the clouds which are made of smoke, fire and wind. The clouds are called Abhras because their contents are not dispersed. The waters in the clouds, being driven by the wind, and freed from impurities by the sweetening process of the time, descend (upon earth), O Maitreya. The glorious sun, O Maitreya, exhales moisture from four sources, namely—seas, rivers, the earth and the living creatures. He immediately pours down on earth, without turning it into cloud, the water that he absorbs from Gangā of the skies, and people who are touched by this water are freed from all iniquities and are not constrained to see hell. This is called celestial ablution. When the sun comes in view and the water comes down from the sky without cloud then the waters of the Gangā in the skies are sprinkled by the rays of the sun. And the water that falls from the sky when the sun is in the mansion of Kirtikā and the other asterisms counted by odd numbers, the water of the Gangā is scattered by the elephants of the spheres. The water, that falls from the bright and cloudless sky when the sun is in the mansion of Rohini and other even asterisms, is distributed by his own beams. O twice-born one, both the waters are holy and they wash away the sins of the people: it is the water of the Gangā in the skies and is termed celestial ablution.The water that the clouds distribute upon earth is in fact the ambrosia of living beings, for it sustains the plants which are the support of their existence. By this water all vegetables grow and are matured and become the means of bringing about the well being of mankind, seen and unseen. Those men, who have got holy scriptures as their eyes, perform sacrifices with them and give gratification to the celestials. In this wise all sacrifices, all celestials, Brāhmanas and other castes, all infernal creatures, all animals and the whole world are supported by the rains which produce food. O great Muni, this rain, which is the source of manifold blessings, proceeds from the sun. And the sun, O foremost of Munis, is upheld by Dhruva, which is again supported by the porpoise-shaped sphere which is at one with Nārāyana; for the ever-existing glorious Nārāyana, the supporter of the universe and the primary deity, is seated in the heart of the porpoise-shaped steller sphere.
SECTION IX.Parāçara said:—The form of the glorious Hari containing the constellations, in the shape of a porpoise in the tail of which is attached Dhruva, is seen in heaven. As Dhruva revolves, it makes the moon, the sun and stars to revolve also, and all the planets follow in its circular path; for the sun, moon and all the luminaries are in sooth tied to the polar star by aerial cords. The porpoise figure of the celestial sphere, which has been described by me to you, is upheld by Nārāyana, who himself, the source of all radiance, is seated in its heart. And having worshipped the lord of people, Dhruva, the son of Uttānpāda shines in the tail of the steller porpoise. Janārddana, the lord of all, is the supporter of this porpoise-shaped sphere—and this sphere is the supporter of Dhruva; and by Dhruva the sun is upheld. O Brahman, I shall describe how this earth is upheld by the sun; do thou listen to it attentively.During eight months of the year the sun attracts the waters of the earth, and during the remaining four months he pours them upon the earth: from rain grows corn and by corn the whole world is upheld. The sun absorbs the moisture of the earth by means of his scorching rays and nourishes the moon thereby. And the moon through tubes of air distributes them to the clouds which are made of smoke, fire and wind. The clouds are called Abhras because their contents are not dispersed. The waters in the clouds, being driven by the wind, and freed from impurities by the sweetening process of the time, descend (upon earth), O Maitreya. The glorious sun, O Maitreya, exhales moisture from four sources, namely—seas, rivers, the earth and the living creatures. He immediately pours down on earth, without turning it into cloud, the water that he absorbs from Gangā of the skies, and people who are touched by this water are freed from all iniquities and are not constrained to see hell. This is called celestial ablution. When the sun comes in view and the water comes down from the sky without cloud then the waters of the Gangā in the skies are sprinkled by the rays of the sun. And the water that falls from the sky when the sun is in the mansion of Kirtikā and the other asterisms counted by odd numbers, the water of the Gangā is scattered by the elephants of the spheres. The water, that falls from the bright and cloudless sky when the sun is in the mansion of Rohini and other even asterisms, is distributed by his own beams. O twice-born one, both the waters are holy and they wash away the sins of the people: it is the water of the Gangā in the skies and is termed celestial ablution.The water that the clouds distribute upon earth is in fact the ambrosia of living beings, for it sustains the plants which are the support of their existence. By this water all vegetables grow and are matured and become the means of bringing about the well being of mankind, seen and unseen. Those men, who have got holy scriptures as their eyes, perform sacrifices with them and give gratification to the celestials. In this wise all sacrifices, all celestials, Brāhmanas and other castes, all infernal creatures, all animals and the whole world are supported by the rains which produce food. O great Muni, this rain, which is the source of manifold blessings, proceeds from the sun. And the sun, O foremost of Munis, is upheld by Dhruva, which is again supported by the porpoise-shaped sphere which is at one with Nārāyana; for the ever-existing glorious Nārāyana, the supporter of the universe and the primary deity, is seated in the heart of the porpoise-shaped steller sphere.
SECTION IX.Parāçara said:—The form of the glorious Hari containing the constellations, in the shape of a porpoise in the tail of which is attached Dhruva, is seen in heaven. As Dhruva revolves, it makes the moon, the sun and stars to revolve also, and all the planets follow in its circular path; for the sun, moon and all the luminaries are in sooth tied to the polar star by aerial cords. The porpoise figure of the celestial sphere, which has been described by me to you, is upheld by Nārāyana, who himself, the source of all radiance, is seated in its heart. And having worshipped the lord of people, Dhruva, the son of Uttānpāda shines in the tail of the steller porpoise. Janārddana, the lord of all, is the supporter of this porpoise-shaped sphere—and this sphere is the supporter of Dhruva; and by Dhruva the sun is upheld. O Brahman, I shall describe how this earth is upheld by the sun; do thou listen to it attentively.During eight months of the year the sun attracts the waters of the earth, and during the remaining four months he pours them upon the earth: from rain grows corn and by corn the whole world is upheld. The sun absorbs the moisture of the earth by means of his scorching rays and nourishes the moon thereby. And the moon through tubes of air distributes them to the clouds which are made of smoke, fire and wind. The clouds are called Abhras because their contents are not dispersed. The waters in the clouds, being driven by the wind, and freed from impurities by the sweetening process of the time, descend (upon earth), O Maitreya. The glorious sun, O Maitreya, exhales moisture from four sources, namely—seas, rivers, the earth and the living creatures. He immediately pours down on earth, without turning it into cloud, the water that he absorbs from Gangā of the skies, and people who are touched by this water are freed from all iniquities and are not constrained to see hell. This is called celestial ablution. When the sun comes in view and the water comes down from the sky without cloud then the waters of the Gangā in the skies are sprinkled by the rays of the sun. And the water that falls from the sky when the sun is in the mansion of Kirtikā and the other asterisms counted by odd numbers, the water of the Gangā is scattered by the elephants of the spheres. The water, that falls from the bright and cloudless sky when the sun is in the mansion of Rohini and other even asterisms, is distributed by his own beams. O twice-born one, both the waters are holy and they wash away the sins of the people: it is the water of the Gangā in the skies and is termed celestial ablution.The water that the clouds distribute upon earth is in fact the ambrosia of living beings, for it sustains the plants which are the support of their existence. By this water all vegetables grow and are matured and become the means of bringing about the well being of mankind, seen and unseen. Those men, who have got holy scriptures as their eyes, perform sacrifices with them and give gratification to the celestials. In this wise all sacrifices, all celestials, Brāhmanas and other castes, all infernal creatures, all animals and the whole world are supported by the rains which produce food. O great Muni, this rain, which is the source of manifold blessings, proceeds from the sun. And the sun, O foremost of Munis, is upheld by Dhruva, which is again supported by the porpoise-shaped sphere which is at one with Nārāyana; for the ever-existing glorious Nārāyana, the supporter of the universe and the primary deity, is seated in the heart of the porpoise-shaped steller sphere.
Parāçara said:—The form of the glorious Hari containing the constellations, in the shape of a porpoise in the tail of which is attached Dhruva, is seen in heaven. As Dhruva revolves, it makes the moon, the sun and stars to revolve also, and all the planets follow in its circular path; for the sun, moon and all the luminaries are in sooth tied to the polar star by aerial cords. The porpoise figure of the celestial sphere, which has been described by me to you, is upheld by Nārāyana, who himself, the source of all radiance, is seated in its heart. And having worshipped the lord of people, Dhruva, the son of Uttānpāda shines in the tail of the steller porpoise. Janārddana, the lord of all, is the supporter of this porpoise-shaped sphere—and this sphere is the supporter of Dhruva; and by Dhruva the sun is upheld. O Brahman, I shall describe how this earth is upheld by the sun; do thou listen to it attentively.
During eight months of the year the sun attracts the waters of the earth, and during the remaining four months he pours them upon the earth: from rain grows corn and by corn the whole world is upheld. The sun absorbs the moisture of the earth by means of his scorching rays and nourishes the moon thereby. And the moon through tubes of air distributes them to the clouds which are made of smoke, fire and wind. The clouds are called Abhras because their contents are not dispersed. The waters in the clouds, being driven by the wind, and freed from impurities by the sweetening process of the time, descend (upon earth), O Maitreya. The glorious sun, O Maitreya, exhales moisture from four sources, namely—seas, rivers, the earth and the living creatures. He immediately pours down on earth, without turning it into cloud, the water that he absorbs from Gangā of the skies, and people who are touched by this water are freed from all iniquities and are not constrained to see hell. This is called celestial ablution. When the sun comes in view and the water comes down from the sky without cloud then the waters of the Gangā in the skies are sprinkled by the rays of the sun. And the water that falls from the sky when the sun is in the mansion of Kirtikā and the other asterisms counted by odd numbers, the water of the Gangā is scattered by the elephants of the spheres. The water, that falls from the bright and cloudless sky when the sun is in the mansion of Rohini and other even asterisms, is distributed by his own beams. O twice-born one, both the waters are holy and they wash away the sins of the people: it is the water of the Gangā in the skies and is termed celestial ablution.
The water that the clouds distribute upon earth is in fact the ambrosia of living beings, for it sustains the plants which are the support of their existence. By this water all vegetables grow and are matured and become the means of bringing about the well being of mankind, seen and unseen. Those men, who have got holy scriptures as their eyes, perform sacrifices with them and give gratification to the celestials. In this wise all sacrifices, all celestials, Brāhmanas and other castes, all infernal creatures, all animals and the whole world are supported by the rains which produce food. O great Muni, this rain, which is the source of manifold blessings, proceeds from the sun. And the sun, O foremost of Munis, is upheld by Dhruva, which is again supported by the porpoise-shaped sphere which is at one with Nārāyana; for the ever-existing glorious Nārāyana, the supporter of the universe and the primary deity, is seated in the heart of the porpoise-shaped steller sphere.