SECTION VIII.ParÄçara said:—I have described to you the system of the universe in general: I shall now describe the situations and dimensions of the sun and other luminaries.O foremost of Munis, the chariot of the sun is nine thousand leagues in length and the pole is of twice that size; the axle is more than fifteen millions and seven hundred thousandyojanaslong, on which a wheel is placed with three naves,[238]five spokes and six peripheries. It is undecaying and continues for the year and consequently all the cycles of the time are placed herein. The second axle of his chariot is forty five thousand, five hundred leagues long. O thou of great mind, the two halves of the yoke are respectively as long as two axles. The short axle and the short yoke are supported by pole star: the end of the longer axle to which is fixed the wheel is situate on Manasa mountain. The seven steeds which draw the sun's car are the metres of the Vedas GÄyatri, Vrihati, Ushnih, Jayati, Tristubh, Anustubh and Pankti.[238]The three naves are the three portions of the day namely, morning, noon and night; the five spokes are the five cyclic years and the six peripheries are the six seasons.The city of VÄsava is situated on the eastern side of the MÄnosottara mountain, on its southern side is the city of wealth, on its western side is the city of Varuna and on the northern side is the city of Soma. I shall relate the names of those cities; do thou hear them. The city of Sakra is named VaswoksÄrÄ, that of Yama is called Samyamani; that of Varuna is named MukhyÄ and that of Soma VibhÄvari.O Maitreya, the glorious sun moves speedily like a dart on his southern course attended by the constellations of the Zodiac; He creates day and night and is the divine path of the sages who have got over the worldly afflictions.O Maitreya, while in one insular continent the sun shines in midday, in the opposite Dwipas it will be midnight; rising and setting thus take place at all seasons and are always opposed in the different cardinal and intermediate points of horizon. Wherever the sun is visible he is said to rise there and wherever he disappears from view he is said to be set. In sooth, their is neither rising nor setting of the sun; for he always exists; the appearance and disappearance of the sun are merely called rising and setting.When the sun is in the cities of Sakra and others, the three cities and two intermediate points are illuminated; and when he is in an intermediate point he extends light to the two cities and three intermediate points. From the time of his rising till midday the rays of the sun gradually increase; and from then he moves towards setting with his diminishing rays. By the rising and the setting of the sun the east and west quarters are ascertained. As far as the sun shines in front so far he shines behind, and thus on both the sides illuminating all the places except the court of BrahmÄ which is situate on the summit of Meru—the mountain of the celestials. When the rays of the sun reach the court of BrahmÄ they are repelled and driven back by the radiance which prevails there. Consequently there is the alternation of day and night in northern quarter in as much as all the insular continents are situated on the north of Meru.The radiance of the sun, after its setting, is deposited in fire and hence fire is visible even at a greater distance in night. During day the rays of fire enter into the sun by virtue of which the sun becomes more brilliant. Elemental light and heat, proceeding respectively from the sun and fire and mixing with each other, prevail in diverse degrees both by day and night. When the sun prevails either in the northern or southern hemisphere day or night goes into waters according as they are attacked by darkness or light; it is for this reason that waters appear dark by day because night is within them and white by night because when the sun is set the light of the day enters therein.When the sun goes to Pushkara Dwipa, a thirtieth part of the circumference of the globe, his course is equal in time to one Muhurtta; and whirling round like the circumference of the wheel of a potter he alternately spreads day and night on the surface of the earth. At the beginning of his northern course the sun passes to Capricornus, thence to Aquarias, thence to Pisces, successively passing from one sign of the Zodiac to another. After he has gone through them the sun gets at the vernal equinox when he makes the day and night of equal duration. From then the length of the night decreases and the day grows longer until the sun reaches the end of Gemini when he follows a different course and entering Cancer begins his declension to the south. The sun moves quickly on his southern course like the circumference of a potter's wheel revolving respectively. He glides along his course with the velocity of the wind and traverses a great distance in a short time. In twelve Muhurttas it goes through thirteen lunar asterisms and a half during the day, and during the night, it goes through the same distance only in eighteen Muhurttas. As the centre of the potter's wheel revolves more slowly than the circumference so the sun in his northern course revolves with less rapidity and passes over a less space of the earth in a longer time, until at the end of his northern route the day is again eighteen Muhurttas long and the night twelve the sun passing through them by day and night respectively in those periods. As the lump of the clay on the centre of the potter's wheel revolves most slowly, so the polar star, which is the centre of the Zodiacal wheel, moves very slowly and always remains in the centre like the clay. The relative length of the day or night is dependant upon the greater or less motion with which the sun revolves through the degrees between the two points of horizon. During the midday when his diurnal course is quickest his nocturnal is slowest and when he moves quickly by night he moves slowly by day. The length of his journey in both the cases is the same; for during the day and night he travels through all the signs of the Zodiac or six by night and six by day. The length and shortness of the day are measured by the extent of the signs; and the duration of day and night is measured by the period which the sun takes to pass through them. When he declines towards the north the sun moves quickest by night and slowest by day and when he declines towards the south the case is thoroughly the reverse.The night is called UshÄ and the day is called Vyushta and the intervening time between them is called SandhyÄ. When the dreadful Sandhya sets in, the awful RÄkshasas named Mandehas attempt to devour the sun. O Maitreya, the Patriarch BrahmÄ imprecated this curse upon them that they should perish by day and revive at other times. For this reason a fierce contest takes place daily between them and the sun. At this time, O great Muni, the pious Brahmins scatter water purified by the mystical OmkÄra and consecrated by the Gayatri[239]and by means of this water as by a thunder-bolt the dreadful RÄkshasas are destroyed. While during the course of morning rites the first oblation is offered with solemn invocations, the sun, having thousand rays, appears with unclouded splendour. OmkÄra is the glorious Vishnu, the essence of the three Vedas, the lord of speech; and by its mention the RÄkshasas are slain. The sun is a principal portion of Vishnu and light is his immutable essence, the manifestation of which is made by the mystic syllable Om. Light, spread by the utterance of OmkÄra, becomes radiant and burns up completely the RÄkshasas denominated as Mandebas. Therefore one should not be dilatory in the performance of SandhyÄ sacrifice; for he, who neglects it, is guilty of the murder of the sun. Being thus protected by the Brahmanas called BÄlakhilyas the sun proceeds to protect the world.[239]It is a vedic verse in the shape of a short prayer to the sun.Fifteen Nimeshas (twinkling of the eye) make a KÄshthÄ; thirty KÄshthÄs make one KalÄ; thirty KalÄs a Muhurtta and thirty Muhurttas a day and night; the divisions of the day become longer or shorter in the way explained before. But as regards increase or decrease SandhyÄ is always the same for it is only one Muhurtta. From the time when half of the sun's orb is visible to the expiration of three Muhurttas the interval is called PrÄtar (morning) forming a fifth portion of the day. The next portion or three Muhurttas from morning is called Sangava (forenoon); the three next Muhurttas make the midday; the three next Muhurttas constitute the afternoon; the three next Muhurttas make the evening; and thus the fifteen Muhurttas of the day are divided into five portions of three each. But the day comprises fifteen Muhurttas only at the Equinoxes and increases and diminishes in number as the sun declines towards the north or the south, when the day encroaches upon the night and the night upon the day. The equinoxes take place during the spring and autumn when the sun enters the signs of Aries and Libra. When the sun enters Capricorn his progress towards the north begins and when he enters Cancer his progress towards the south commences. Fifteen days of thirty Muharttas each are called a Paksha (fortnight); two fortnights make one month and two months a solar season and three seasons make one Ayana (a northern or southern declination) and two Ayanas make one year. Years are made up of four kinds of months[240]and five years make one Yuga or cycle. The years are respectively called Samvatsara, Parivatsara, Idvatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara. This is the time called a Yuga.The mountain that is situate in the north of BhÄratvarsa is called SringavÄn for its having three principal horns or peaks, one to the north, one to the south and one in the centre. The last is called equinoctial for the sun goes there in the middle of the two seasons of spring and autumn, arriving at the equinoctical points in the first degrees of Aries and Libra and making day and night of equal duration of fifteen Muhurttas each. When the sun is in the first degree of KirtikÄ and the moon in the fourth of VisakhÄ or when the sun is in the third degree of VisakhÄ and the moon is in the head of KirtikÄ that equinoctial season is holy and is called the MahÄvishubha. At this time devout persons should make offering to the celestials and the manes and gifts to the Brahmans, for such gifts produce happiness. Liberality at the equinoxes is always fruitful to the donor, and day and night seconds, minutes and hours, intercalary months, the day at full moon (PaurnamÄsi); the day of conjunction, when the moon rises invisible, the day when it is first seen, the day when it first disappears, the day when the moon is quite round and the day when one digit is deficient are the seasons when gifts prove meritorious.[240]TheSauracontaining the sun's passage through a sign of zodiac; (b) Chandra containing thirty lunations; (c) Savana containing thirty days of sunrise and sunset; (d) Nakshatra or the moon's revolution through the twenty-eight lunar mansions.The sun declines towards the north in the months of Tapas, Tapasya, Madhu, MÄdhava, Sukra and Suchi and declines towards the south in the months of Nabhas, Nabhashya, Isha; Urja, Sahas, Sahasya.There live four devout protectors of the world on the mount LokÄloka of which I had mentioned to you formerly. These are severally named SudhÄman, SankhapÄd—the two sons of Kardama, Hiranyaroman and Ketumat. These four protectors of the world live around the mountain LokÄloka. They are devoid of malice, haughtiness, are active and have not taken to wives.On the north of Agastya, and south of Ajabithi (the line of the Goat) and outside the VaiswÄnarapath is situate the road of the Pitris. There live the great Rishis who offer oblations to the fire. They read those portions of the Vedas which contain injunctions for the multiplication of the progeny. They perform the duties of ministrant priests and at the end of yugas they make new rules of conduct and re-establish the interrupted ritual of the Vedas. And after their death they proceed by the southern course. Mutually descending from each other in successive births, progenitor coming from descendant and descendant from progenitor, they repeatedly appear in different houses and races along with their prosterity, austere practices and established rites, residing to the south of the solar orb as long as the moon and stars endure.The path of the celestials is situate on the north of the solar sphere of the NÄgavithi and south of the seven Rishis. There reside the Siddhas of subdued senses, continent and pure, not desirous of having offspring and consequently victorious over death. Eighty-eight thousand of these continent ascetics live in the regions north of the Sun till the time of dissolution. They are freed from covetousness and concupiscence, love and hatred and are not engaged in the work of procreation. They always detect the deficiency of the properties of elementary matter and being freed from these desires they do not meet with any obstacle in the way of asceticism. For these reasons they are highly pure and have attained to immortality. By immortality is meant existence to the end of the Kalpa: living as long as three regions exist is exemption from death. The consequences of the acts of impiety or piety such as Brahmanicide and Aswamedha last until the end of a Kalpa when all within the interval between Dhruva and the earth is destroyed. The region between the seven Rishis and Dhruva, the third region of the sky is the excellent celestial path of Vishnu and is the splendid abode, O twice-borne one, of the ascetics, who have controlled their senses and are freed from sins and in whom virtue and vice are annihilated. Those in whom virtue and vice are annihilated and who are freed from the consequences of piety or iniquity go to this excellent place of Vishnu where they never suffer sorrow. There live Dharma, Dhruva and other spectators of the world radiant with the superhuman faculties of Vishnu obtained by virtue, of religious meditation. With this excellent place of Vishnu, O Maitreya, are interwoven all that is and all that ever shall be, animate or inanimate. The seat of Vishnu is being meditated upon by the wisdom of Yogis at one with supreme light as the radiant eye of heaven. In this portion the splendid Dhruva is stationed as the pivot of atmosphere. On Dhruva are placed the seven great planets and on them depend the clouds. O great Muni, from clouds, proceed the rains; from them the water which is the nutriment and delight of all the celestials and the rest. The celestials who receive oblations, being pleased by burnt offerings, cause the rain to fall for the support of created beings. This holy seat of Vishnu is the stay of the three worlds as it is the source of the rain.From this region, O Brahman, proceeds the river Ganges, that removes ail sins, embrowned with the unguents of the nymphs of heaven. She issues from the nail of the great toe of Vishnu's left foot.Dhruva, with devotion, holds her on his crown day and night. And thence the seven Rishis practise their devout austerities in her water wreathing their braided locks with her waves. The orb of the moon, surrounded by her accumulated current, increased in lustre by her contact. Having issued from the moon she falls on the mount Sumeru and thence to purify the world, flows to the four quarters of the earth. SitÄ, AlakanandÄ, Chakshu and BhadrÄ are only the four divisions of one river and are named so after the regions towards which it proceeds. AlakanandÄ, which flows towards the south, was borne delightedly on his head by MahÄdeva for more than a hundred years. And having issued from the braided locks of Sambhu and washed the sins of the sinful sons of Sagara it raised them to heaven. O Maitreya, the iniquities of any man, who bathes in this river, are instantly removed and they obtain unprecedented virtue. And its water, if offered reverentially for three years by the sons to their manes, gives them rare gratification. Having worshipped the excellent Purusha, the lord of sacrifices, with sacrifices in this river, many, born in the race of twice-born ones, obtain whatever they desire either here or in heaven. Saints, who are purified by bathing in the waters of this river, and whose minds are devoted to Kesava, obtain final liberation. The sacred river, when heard of, desired, seen, touched, bathed in, or hymned, day by day purifies all beings. And those who living even at a distance of hundredyojanasexclaim "GangÄ and GangÄ" are relieved of the sins committed during the three previous existences. The place from which this river has issued for the purification of the three Worlds, is the third division of the celestial region—the seat of Vishnu.
SECTION VIII.ParÄçara said:—I have described to you the system of the universe in general: I shall now describe the situations and dimensions of the sun and other luminaries.O foremost of Munis, the chariot of the sun is nine thousand leagues in length and the pole is of twice that size; the axle is more than fifteen millions and seven hundred thousandyojanaslong, on which a wheel is placed with three naves,[238]five spokes and six peripheries. It is undecaying and continues for the year and consequently all the cycles of the time are placed herein. The second axle of his chariot is forty five thousand, five hundred leagues long. O thou of great mind, the two halves of the yoke are respectively as long as two axles. The short axle and the short yoke are supported by pole star: the end of the longer axle to which is fixed the wheel is situate on Manasa mountain. The seven steeds which draw the sun's car are the metres of the Vedas GÄyatri, Vrihati, Ushnih, Jayati, Tristubh, Anustubh and Pankti.[238]The three naves are the three portions of the day namely, morning, noon and night; the five spokes are the five cyclic years and the six peripheries are the six seasons.The city of VÄsava is situated on the eastern side of the MÄnosottara mountain, on its southern side is the city of wealth, on its western side is the city of Varuna and on the northern side is the city of Soma. I shall relate the names of those cities; do thou hear them. The city of Sakra is named VaswoksÄrÄ, that of Yama is called Samyamani; that of Varuna is named MukhyÄ and that of Soma VibhÄvari.O Maitreya, the glorious sun moves speedily like a dart on his southern course attended by the constellations of the Zodiac; He creates day and night and is the divine path of the sages who have got over the worldly afflictions.O Maitreya, while in one insular continent the sun shines in midday, in the opposite Dwipas it will be midnight; rising and setting thus take place at all seasons and are always opposed in the different cardinal and intermediate points of horizon. Wherever the sun is visible he is said to rise there and wherever he disappears from view he is said to be set. In sooth, their is neither rising nor setting of the sun; for he always exists; the appearance and disappearance of the sun are merely called rising and setting.When the sun is in the cities of Sakra and others, the three cities and two intermediate points are illuminated; and when he is in an intermediate point he extends light to the two cities and three intermediate points. From the time of his rising till midday the rays of the sun gradually increase; and from then he moves towards setting with his diminishing rays. By the rising and the setting of the sun the east and west quarters are ascertained. As far as the sun shines in front so far he shines behind, and thus on both the sides illuminating all the places except the court of BrahmÄ which is situate on the summit of Meru—the mountain of the celestials. When the rays of the sun reach the court of BrahmÄ they are repelled and driven back by the radiance which prevails there. Consequently there is the alternation of day and night in northern quarter in as much as all the insular continents are situated on the north of Meru.The radiance of the sun, after its setting, is deposited in fire and hence fire is visible even at a greater distance in night. During day the rays of fire enter into the sun by virtue of which the sun becomes more brilliant. Elemental light and heat, proceeding respectively from the sun and fire and mixing with each other, prevail in diverse degrees both by day and night. When the sun prevails either in the northern or southern hemisphere day or night goes into waters according as they are attacked by darkness or light; it is for this reason that waters appear dark by day because night is within them and white by night because when the sun is set the light of the day enters therein.When the sun goes to Pushkara Dwipa, a thirtieth part of the circumference of the globe, his course is equal in time to one Muhurtta; and whirling round like the circumference of the wheel of a potter he alternately spreads day and night on the surface of the earth. At the beginning of his northern course the sun passes to Capricornus, thence to Aquarias, thence to Pisces, successively passing from one sign of the Zodiac to another. After he has gone through them the sun gets at the vernal equinox when he makes the day and night of equal duration. From then the length of the night decreases and the day grows longer until the sun reaches the end of Gemini when he follows a different course and entering Cancer begins his declension to the south. The sun moves quickly on his southern course like the circumference of a potter's wheel revolving respectively. He glides along his course with the velocity of the wind and traverses a great distance in a short time. In twelve Muhurttas it goes through thirteen lunar asterisms and a half during the day, and during the night, it goes through the same distance only in eighteen Muhurttas. As the centre of the potter's wheel revolves more slowly than the circumference so the sun in his northern course revolves with less rapidity and passes over a less space of the earth in a longer time, until at the end of his northern route the day is again eighteen Muhurttas long and the night twelve the sun passing through them by day and night respectively in those periods. As the lump of the clay on the centre of the potter's wheel revolves most slowly, so the polar star, which is the centre of the Zodiacal wheel, moves very slowly and always remains in the centre like the clay. The relative length of the day or night is dependant upon the greater or less motion with which the sun revolves through the degrees between the two points of horizon. During the midday when his diurnal course is quickest his nocturnal is slowest and when he moves quickly by night he moves slowly by day. The length of his journey in both the cases is the same; for during the day and night he travels through all the signs of the Zodiac or six by night and six by day. The length and shortness of the day are measured by the extent of the signs; and the duration of day and night is measured by the period which the sun takes to pass through them. When he declines towards the north the sun moves quickest by night and slowest by day and when he declines towards the south the case is thoroughly the reverse.The night is called UshÄ and the day is called Vyushta and the intervening time between them is called SandhyÄ. When the dreadful Sandhya sets in, the awful RÄkshasas named Mandehas attempt to devour the sun. O Maitreya, the Patriarch BrahmÄ imprecated this curse upon them that they should perish by day and revive at other times. For this reason a fierce contest takes place daily between them and the sun. At this time, O great Muni, the pious Brahmins scatter water purified by the mystical OmkÄra and consecrated by the Gayatri[239]and by means of this water as by a thunder-bolt the dreadful RÄkshasas are destroyed. While during the course of morning rites the first oblation is offered with solemn invocations, the sun, having thousand rays, appears with unclouded splendour. OmkÄra is the glorious Vishnu, the essence of the three Vedas, the lord of speech; and by its mention the RÄkshasas are slain. The sun is a principal portion of Vishnu and light is his immutable essence, the manifestation of which is made by the mystic syllable Om. Light, spread by the utterance of OmkÄra, becomes radiant and burns up completely the RÄkshasas denominated as Mandebas. Therefore one should not be dilatory in the performance of SandhyÄ sacrifice; for he, who neglects it, is guilty of the murder of the sun. Being thus protected by the Brahmanas called BÄlakhilyas the sun proceeds to protect the world.[239]It is a vedic verse in the shape of a short prayer to the sun.Fifteen Nimeshas (twinkling of the eye) make a KÄshthÄ; thirty KÄshthÄs make one KalÄ; thirty KalÄs a Muhurtta and thirty Muhurttas a day and night; the divisions of the day become longer or shorter in the way explained before. But as regards increase or decrease SandhyÄ is always the same for it is only one Muhurtta. From the time when half of the sun's orb is visible to the expiration of three Muhurttas the interval is called PrÄtar (morning) forming a fifth portion of the day. The next portion or three Muhurttas from morning is called Sangava (forenoon); the three next Muhurttas make the midday; the three next Muhurttas constitute the afternoon; the three next Muhurttas make the evening; and thus the fifteen Muhurttas of the day are divided into five portions of three each. But the day comprises fifteen Muhurttas only at the Equinoxes and increases and diminishes in number as the sun declines towards the north or the south, when the day encroaches upon the night and the night upon the day. The equinoxes take place during the spring and autumn when the sun enters the signs of Aries and Libra. When the sun enters Capricorn his progress towards the north begins and when he enters Cancer his progress towards the south commences. Fifteen days of thirty Muharttas each are called a Paksha (fortnight); two fortnights make one month and two months a solar season and three seasons make one Ayana (a northern or southern declination) and two Ayanas make one year. Years are made up of four kinds of months[240]and five years make one Yuga or cycle. The years are respectively called Samvatsara, Parivatsara, Idvatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara. This is the time called a Yuga.The mountain that is situate in the north of BhÄratvarsa is called SringavÄn for its having three principal horns or peaks, one to the north, one to the south and one in the centre. The last is called equinoctial for the sun goes there in the middle of the two seasons of spring and autumn, arriving at the equinoctical points in the first degrees of Aries and Libra and making day and night of equal duration of fifteen Muhurttas each. When the sun is in the first degree of KirtikÄ and the moon in the fourth of VisakhÄ or when the sun is in the third degree of VisakhÄ and the moon is in the head of KirtikÄ that equinoctial season is holy and is called the MahÄvishubha. At this time devout persons should make offering to the celestials and the manes and gifts to the Brahmans, for such gifts produce happiness. Liberality at the equinoxes is always fruitful to the donor, and day and night seconds, minutes and hours, intercalary months, the day at full moon (PaurnamÄsi); the day of conjunction, when the moon rises invisible, the day when it is first seen, the day when it first disappears, the day when the moon is quite round and the day when one digit is deficient are the seasons when gifts prove meritorious.[240]TheSauracontaining the sun's passage through a sign of zodiac; (b) Chandra containing thirty lunations; (c) Savana containing thirty days of sunrise and sunset; (d) Nakshatra or the moon's revolution through the twenty-eight lunar mansions.The sun declines towards the north in the months of Tapas, Tapasya, Madhu, MÄdhava, Sukra and Suchi and declines towards the south in the months of Nabhas, Nabhashya, Isha; Urja, Sahas, Sahasya.There live four devout protectors of the world on the mount LokÄloka of which I had mentioned to you formerly. These are severally named SudhÄman, SankhapÄd—the two sons of Kardama, Hiranyaroman and Ketumat. These four protectors of the world live around the mountain LokÄloka. They are devoid of malice, haughtiness, are active and have not taken to wives.On the north of Agastya, and south of Ajabithi (the line of the Goat) and outside the VaiswÄnarapath is situate the road of the Pitris. There live the great Rishis who offer oblations to the fire. They read those portions of the Vedas which contain injunctions for the multiplication of the progeny. They perform the duties of ministrant priests and at the end of yugas they make new rules of conduct and re-establish the interrupted ritual of the Vedas. And after their death they proceed by the southern course. Mutually descending from each other in successive births, progenitor coming from descendant and descendant from progenitor, they repeatedly appear in different houses and races along with their prosterity, austere practices and established rites, residing to the south of the solar orb as long as the moon and stars endure.The path of the celestials is situate on the north of the solar sphere of the NÄgavithi and south of the seven Rishis. There reside the Siddhas of subdued senses, continent and pure, not desirous of having offspring and consequently victorious over death. Eighty-eight thousand of these continent ascetics live in the regions north of the Sun till the time of dissolution. They are freed from covetousness and concupiscence, love and hatred and are not engaged in the work of procreation. They always detect the deficiency of the properties of elementary matter and being freed from these desires they do not meet with any obstacle in the way of asceticism. For these reasons they are highly pure and have attained to immortality. By immortality is meant existence to the end of the Kalpa: living as long as three regions exist is exemption from death. The consequences of the acts of impiety or piety such as Brahmanicide and Aswamedha last until the end of a Kalpa when all within the interval between Dhruva and the earth is destroyed. The region between the seven Rishis and Dhruva, the third region of the sky is the excellent celestial path of Vishnu and is the splendid abode, O twice-borne one, of the ascetics, who have controlled their senses and are freed from sins and in whom virtue and vice are annihilated. Those in whom virtue and vice are annihilated and who are freed from the consequences of piety or iniquity go to this excellent place of Vishnu where they never suffer sorrow. There live Dharma, Dhruva and other spectators of the world radiant with the superhuman faculties of Vishnu obtained by virtue, of religious meditation. With this excellent place of Vishnu, O Maitreya, are interwoven all that is and all that ever shall be, animate or inanimate. The seat of Vishnu is being meditated upon by the wisdom of Yogis at one with supreme light as the radiant eye of heaven. In this portion the splendid Dhruva is stationed as the pivot of atmosphere. On Dhruva are placed the seven great planets and on them depend the clouds. O great Muni, from clouds, proceed the rains; from them the water which is the nutriment and delight of all the celestials and the rest. The celestials who receive oblations, being pleased by burnt offerings, cause the rain to fall for the support of created beings. This holy seat of Vishnu is the stay of the three worlds as it is the source of the rain.From this region, O Brahman, proceeds the river Ganges, that removes ail sins, embrowned with the unguents of the nymphs of heaven. She issues from the nail of the great toe of Vishnu's left foot.Dhruva, with devotion, holds her on his crown day and night. And thence the seven Rishis practise their devout austerities in her water wreathing their braided locks with her waves. The orb of the moon, surrounded by her accumulated current, increased in lustre by her contact. Having issued from the moon she falls on the mount Sumeru and thence to purify the world, flows to the four quarters of the earth. SitÄ, AlakanandÄ, Chakshu and BhadrÄ are only the four divisions of one river and are named so after the regions towards which it proceeds. AlakanandÄ, which flows towards the south, was borne delightedly on his head by MahÄdeva for more than a hundred years. And having issued from the braided locks of Sambhu and washed the sins of the sinful sons of Sagara it raised them to heaven. O Maitreya, the iniquities of any man, who bathes in this river, are instantly removed and they obtain unprecedented virtue. And its water, if offered reverentially for three years by the sons to their manes, gives them rare gratification. Having worshipped the excellent Purusha, the lord of sacrifices, with sacrifices in this river, many, born in the race of twice-born ones, obtain whatever they desire either here or in heaven. Saints, who are purified by bathing in the waters of this river, and whose minds are devoted to Kesava, obtain final liberation. The sacred river, when heard of, desired, seen, touched, bathed in, or hymned, day by day purifies all beings. And those who living even at a distance of hundredyojanasexclaim "GangÄ and GangÄ" are relieved of the sins committed during the three previous existences. The place from which this river has issued for the purification of the three Worlds, is the third division of the celestial region—the seat of Vishnu.
SECTION VIII.ParÄçara said:—I have described to you the system of the universe in general: I shall now describe the situations and dimensions of the sun and other luminaries.O foremost of Munis, the chariot of the sun is nine thousand leagues in length and the pole is of twice that size; the axle is more than fifteen millions and seven hundred thousandyojanaslong, on which a wheel is placed with three naves,[238]five spokes and six peripheries. It is undecaying and continues for the year and consequently all the cycles of the time are placed herein. The second axle of his chariot is forty five thousand, five hundred leagues long. O thou of great mind, the two halves of the yoke are respectively as long as two axles. The short axle and the short yoke are supported by pole star: the end of the longer axle to which is fixed the wheel is situate on Manasa mountain. The seven steeds which draw the sun's car are the metres of the Vedas GÄyatri, Vrihati, Ushnih, Jayati, Tristubh, Anustubh and Pankti.[238]The three naves are the three portions of the day namely, morning, noon and night; the five spokes are the five cyclic years and the six peripheries are the six seasons.The city of VÄsava is situated on the eastern side of the MÄnosottara mountain, on its southern side is the city of wealth, on its western side is the city of Varuna and on the northern side is the city of Soma. I shall relate the names of those cities; do thou hear them. The city of Sakra is named VaswoksÄrÄ, that of Yama is called Samyamani; that of Varuna is named MukhyÄ and that of Soma VibhÄvari.O Maitreya, the glorious sun moves speedily like a dart on his southern course attended by the constellations of the Zodiac; He creates day and night and is the divine path of the sages who have got over the worldly afflictions.O Maitreya, while in one insular continent the sun shines in midday, in the opposite Dwipas it will be midnight; rising and setting thus take place at all seasons and are always opposed in the different cardinal and intermediate points of horizon. Wherever the sun is visible he is said to rise there and wherever he disappears from view he is said to be set. In sooth, their is neither rising nor setting of the sun; for he always exists; the appearance and disappearance of the sun are merely called rising and setting.When the sun is in the cities of Sakra and others, the three cities and two intermediate points are illuminated; and when he is in an intermediate point he extends light to the two cities and three intermediate points. From the time of his rising till midday the rays of the sun gradually increase; and from then he moves towards setting with his diminishing rays. By the rising and the setting of the sun the east and west quarters are ascertained. As far as the sun shines in front so far he shines behind, and thus on both the sides illuminating all the places except the court of BrahmÄ which is situate on the summit of Meru—the mountain of the celestials. When the rays of the sun reach the court of BrahmÄ they are repelled and driven back by the radiance which prevails there. Consequently there is the alternation of day and night in northern quarter in as much as all the insular continents are situated on the north of Meru.The radiance of the sun, after its setting, is deposited in fire and hence fire is visible even at a greater distance in night. During day the rays of fire enter into the sun by virtue of which the sun becomes more brilliant. Elemental light and heat, proceeding respectively from the sun and fire and mixing with each other, prevail in diverse degrees both by day and night. When the sun prevails either in the northern or southern hemisphere day or night goes into waters according as they are attacked by darkness or light; it is for this reason that waters appear dark by day because night is within them and white by night because when the sun is set the light of the day enters therein.When the sun goes to Pushkara Dwipa, a thirtieth part of the circumference of the globe, his course is equal in time to one Muhurtta; and whirling round like the circumference of the wheel of a potter he alternately spreads day and night on the surface of the earth. At the beginning of his northern course the sun passes to Capricornus, thence to Aquarias, thence to Pisces, successively passing from one sign of the Zodiac to another. After he has gone through them the sun gets at the vernal equinox when he makes the day and night of equal duration. From then the length of the night decreases and the day grows longer until the sun reaches the end of Gemini when he follows a different course and entering Cancer begins his declension to the south. The sun moves quickly on his southern course like the circumference of a potter's wheel revolving respectively. He glides along his course with the velocity of the wind and traverses a great distance in a short time. In twelve Muhurttas it goes through thirteen lunar asterisms and a half during the day, and during the night, it goes through the same distance only in eighteen Muhurttas. As the centre of the potter's wheel revolves more slowly than the circumference so the sun in his northern course revolves with less rapidity and passes over a less space of the earth in a longer time, until at the end of his northern route the day is again eighteen Muhurttas long and the night twelve the sun passing through them by day and night respectively in those periods. As the lump of the clay on the centre of the potter's wheel revolves most slowly, so the polar star, which is the centre of the Zodiacal wheel, moves very slowly and always remains in the centre like the clay. The relative length of the day or night is dependant upon the greater or less motion with which the sun revolves through the degrees between the two points of horizon. During the midday when his diurnal course is quickest his nocturnal is slowest and when he moves quickly by night he moves slowly by day. The length of his journey in both the cases is the same; for during the day and night he travels through all the signs of the Zodiac or six by night and six by day. The length and shortness of the day are measured by the extent of the signs; and the duration of day and night is measured by the period which the sun takes to pass through them. When he declines towards the north the sun moves quickest by night and slowest by day and when he declines towards the south the case is thoroughly the reverse.The night is called UshÄ and the day is called Vyushta and the intervening time between them is called SandhyÄ. When the dreadful Sandhya sets in, the awful RÄkshasas named Mandehas attempt to devour the sun. O Maitreya, the Patriarch BrahmÄ imprecated this curse upon them that they should perish by day and revive at other times. For this reason a fierce contest takes place daily between them and the sun. At this time, O great Muni, the pious Brahmins scatter water purified by the mystical OmkÄra and consecrated by the Gayatri[239]and by means of this water as by a thunder-bolt the dreadful RÄkshasas are destroyed. While during the course of morning rites the first oblation is offered with solemn invocations, the sun, having thousand rays, appears with unclouded splendour. OmkÄra is the glorious Vishnu, the essence of the three Vedas, the lord of speech; and by its mention the RÄkshasas are slain. The sun is a principal portion of Vishnu and light is his immutable essence, the manifestation of which is made by the mystic syllable Om. Light, spread by the utterance of OmkÄra, becomes radiant and burns up completely the RÄkshasas denominated as Mandebas. Therefore one should not be dilatory in the performance of SandhyÄ sacrifice; for he, who neglects it, is guilty of the murder of the sun. Being thus protected by the Brahmanas called BÄlakhilyas the sun proceeds to protect the world.[239]It is a vedic verse in the shape of a short prayer to the sun.Fifteen Nimeshas (twinkling of the eye) make a KÄshthÄ; thirty KÄshthÄs make one KalÄ; thirty KalÄs a Muhurtta and thirty Muhurttas a day and night; the divisions of the day become longer or shorter in the way explained before. But as regards increase or decrease SandhyÄ is always the same for it is only one Muhurtta. From the time when half of the sun's orb is visible to the expiration of three Muhurttas the interval is called PrÄtar (morning) forming a fifth portion of the day. The next portion or three Muhurttas from morning is called Sangava (forenoon); the three next Muhurttas make the midday; the three next Muhurttas constitute the afternoon; the three next Muhurttas make the evening; and thus the fifteen Muhurttas of the day are divided into five portions of three each. But the day comprises fifteen Muhurttas only at the Equinoxes and increases and diminishes in number as the sun declines towards the north or the south, when the day encroaches upon the night and the night upon the day. The equinoxes take place during the spring and autumn when the sun enters the signs of Aries and Libra. When the sun enters Capricorn his progress towards the north begins and when he enters Cancer his progress towards the south commences. Fifteen days of thirty Muharttas each are called a Paksha (fortnight); two fortnights make one month and two months a solar season and three seasons make one Ayana (a northern or southern declination) and two Ayanas make one year. Years are made up of four kinds of months[240]and five years make one Yuga or cycle. The years are respectively called Samvatsara, Parivatsara, Idvatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara. This is the time called a Yuga.The mountain that is situate in the north of BhÄratvarsa is called SringavÄn for its having three principal horns or peaks, one to the north, one to the south and one in the centre. The last is called equinoctial for the sun goes there in the middle of the two seasons of spring and autumn, arriving at the equinoctical points in the first degrees of Aries and Libra and making day and night of equal duration of fifteen Muhurttas each. When the sun is in the first degree of KirtikÄ and the moon in the fourth of VisakhÄ or when the sun is in the third degree of VisakhÄ and the moon is in the head of KirtikÄ that equinoctial season is holy and is called the MahÄvishubha. At this time devout persons should make offering to the celestials and the manes and gifts to the Brahmans, for such gifts produce happiness. Liberality at the equinoxes is always fruitful to the donor, and day and night seconds, minutes and hours, intercalary months, the day at full moon (PaurnamÄsi); the day of conjunction, when the moon rises invisible, the day when it is first seen, the day when it first disappears, the day when the moon is quite round and the day when one digit is deficient are the seasons when gifts prove meritorious.[240]TheSauracontaining the sun's passage through a sign of zodiac; (b) Chandra containing thirty lunations; (c) Savana containing thirty days of sunrise and sunset; (d) Nakshatra or the moon's revolution through the twenty-eight lunar mansions.The sun declines towards the north in the months of Tapas, Tapasya, Madhu, MÄdhava, Sukra and Suchi and declines towards the south in the months of Nabhas, Nabhashya, Isha; Urja, Sahas, Sahasya.There live four devout protectors of the world on the mount LokÄloka of which I had mentioned to you formerly. These are severally named SudhÄman, SankhapÄd—the two sons of Kardama, Hiranyaroman and Ketumat. These four protectors of the world live around the mountain LokÄloka. They are devoid of malice, haughtiness, are active and have not taken to wives.On the north of Agastya, and south of Ajabithi (the line of the Goat) and outside the VaiswÄnarapath is situate the road of the Pitris. There live the great Rishis who offer oblations to the fire. They read those portions of the Vedas which contain injunctions for the multiplication of the progeny. They perform the duties of ministrant priests and at the end of yugas they make new rules of conduct and re-establish the interrupted ritual of the Vedas. And after their death they proceed by the southern course. Mutually descending from each other in successive births, progenitor coming from descendant and descendant from progenitor, they repeatedly appear in different houses and races along with their prosterity, austere practices and established rites, residing to the south of the solar orb as long as the moon and stars endure.The path of the celestials is situate on the north of the solar sphere of the NÄgavithi and south of the seven Rishis. There reside the Siddhas of subdued senses, continent and pure, not desirous of having offspring and consequently victorious over death. Eighty-eight thousand of these continent ascetics live in the regions north of the Sun till the time of dissolution. They are freed from covetousness and concupiscence, love and hatred and are not engaged in the work of procreation. They always detect the deficiency of the properties of elementary matter and being freed from these desires they do not meet with any obstacle in the way of asceticism. For these reasons they are highly pure and have attained to immortality. By immortality is meant existence to the end of the Kalpa: living as long as three regions exist is exemption from death. The consequences of the acts of impiety or piety such as Brahmanicide and Aswamedha last until the end of a Kalpa when all within the interval between Dhruva and the earth is destroyed. The region between the seven Rishis and Dhruva, the third region of the sky is the excellent celestial path of Vishnu and is the splendid abode, O twice-borne one, of the ascetics, who have controlled their senses and are freed from sins and in whom virtue and vice are annihilated. Those in whom virtue and vice are annihilated and who are freed from the consequences of piety or iniquity go to this excellent place of Vishnu where they never suffer sorrow. There live Dharma, Dhruva and other spectators of the world radiant with the superhuman faculties of Vishnu obtained by virtue, of religious meditation. With this excellent place of Vishnu, O Maitreya, are interwoven all that is and all that ever shall be, animate or inanimate. The seat of Vishnu is being meditated upon by the wisdom of Yogis at one with supreme light as the radiant eye of heaven. In this portion the splendid Dhruva is stationed as the pivot of atmosphere. On Dhruva are placed the seven great planets and on them depend the clouds. O great Muni, from clouds, proceed the rains; from them the water which is the nutriment and delight of all the celestials and the rest. The celestials who receive oblations, being pleased by burnt offerings, cause the rain to fall for the support of created beings. This holy seat of Vishnu is the stay of the three worlds as it is the source of the rain.From this region, O Brahman, proceeds the river Ganges, that removes ail sins, embrowned with the unguents of the nymphs of heaven. She issues from the nail of the great toe of Vishnu's left foot.Dhruva, with devotion, holds her on his crown day and night. And thence the seven Rishis practise their devout austerities in her water wreathing their braided locks with her waves. The orb of the moon, surrounded by her accumulated current, increased in lustre by her contact. Having issued from the moon she falls on the mount Sumeru and thence to purify the world, flows to the four quarters of the earth. SitÄ, AlakanandÄ, Chakshu and BhadrÄ are only the four divisions of one river and are named so after the regions towards which it proceeds. AlakanandÄ, which flows towards the south, was borne delightedly on his head by MahÄdeva for more than a hundred years. And having issued from the braided locks of Sambhu and washed the sins of the sinful sons of Sagara it raised them to heaven. O Maitreya, the iniquities of any man, who bathes in this river, are instantly removed and they obtain unprecedented virtue. And its water, if offered reverentially for three years by the sons to their manes, gives them rare gratification. Having worshipped the excellent Purusha, the lord of sacrifices, with sacrifices in this river, many, born in the race of twice-born ones, obtain whatever they desire either here or in heaven. Saints, who are purified by bathing in the waters of this river, and whose minds are devoted to Kesava, obtain final liberation. The sacred river, when heard of, desired, seen, touched, bathed in, or hymned, day by day purifies all beings. And those who living even at a distance of hundredyojanasexclaim "GangÄ and GangÄ" are relieved of the sins committed during the three previous existences. The place from which this river has issued for the purification of the three Worlds, is the third division of the celestial region—the seat of Vishnu.
ParÄçara said:—I have described to you the system of the universe in general: I shall now describe the situations and dimensions of the sun and other luminaries.
O foremost of Munis, the chariot of the sun is nine thousand leagues in length and the pole is of twice that size; the axle is more than fifteen millions and seven hundred thousandyojanaslong, on which a wheel is placed with three naves,[238]five spokes and six peripheries. It is undecaying and continues for the year and consequently all the cycles of the time are placed herein. The second axle of his chariot is forty five thousand, five hundred leagues long. O thou of great mind, the two halves of the yoke are respectively as long as two axles. The short axle and the short yoke are supported by pole star: the end of the longer axle to which is fixed the wheel is situate on Manasa mountain. The seven steeds which draw the sun's car are the metres of the Vedas GÄyatri, Vrihati, Ushnih, Jayati, Tristubh, Anustubh and Pankti.
The city of VÄsava is situated on the eastern side of the MÄnosottara mountain, on its southern side is the city of wealth, on its western side is the city of Varuna and on the northern side is the city of Soma. I shall relate the names of those cities; do thou hear them. The city of Sakra is named VaswoksÄrÄ, that of Yama is called Samyamani; that of Varuna is named MukhyÄ and that of Soma VibhÄvari.
O Maitreya, the glorious sun moves speedily like a dart on his southern course attended by the constellations of the Zodiac; He creates day and night and is the divine path of the sages who have got over the worldly afflictions.
O Maitreya, while in one insular continent the sun shines in midday, in the opposite Dwipas it will be midnight; rising and setting thus take place at all seasons and are always opposed in the different cardinal and intermediate points of horizon. Wherever the sun is visible he is said to rise there and wherever he disappears from view he is said to be set. In sooth, their is neither rising nor setting of the sun; for he always exists; the appearance and disappearance of the sun are merely called rising and setting.
When the sun is in the cities of Sakra and others, the three cities and two intermediate points are illuminated; and when he is in an intermediate point he extends light to the two cities and three intermediate points. From the time of his rising till midday the rays of the sun gradually increase; and from then he moves towards setting with his diminishing rays. By the rising and the setting of the sun the east and west quarters are ascertained. As far as the sun shines in front so far he shines behind, and thus on both the sides illuminating all the places except the court of BrahmÄ which is situate on the summit of Meru—the mountain of the celestials. When the rays of the sun reach the court of BrahmÄ they are repelled and driven back by the radiance which prevails there. Consequently there is the alternation of day and night in northern quarter in as much as all the insular continents are situated on the north of Meru.
The radiance of the sun, after its setting, is deposited in fire and hence fire is visible even at a greater distance in night. During day the rays of fire enter into the sun by virtue of which the sun becomes more brilliant. Elemental light and heat, proceeding respectively from the sun and fire and mixing with each other, prevail in diverse degrees both by day and night. When the sun prevails either in the northern or southern hemisphere day or night goes into waters according as they are attacked by darkness or light; it is for this reason that waters appear dark by day because night is within them and white by night because when the sun is set the light of the day enters therein.
When the sun goes to Pushkara Dwipa, a thirtieth part of the circumference of the globe, his course is equal in time to one Muhurtta; and whirling round like the circumference of the wheel of a potter he alternately spreads day and night on the surface of the earth. At the beginning of his northern course the sun passes to Capricornus, thence to Aquarias, thence to Pisces, successively passing from one sign of the Zodiac to another. After he has gone through them the sun gets at the vernal equinox when he makes the day and night of equal duration. From then the length of the night decreases and the day grows longer until the sun reaches the end of Gemini when he follows a different course and entering Cancer begins his declension to the south. The sun moves quickly on his southern course like the circumference of a potter's wheel revolving respectively. He glides along his course with the velocity of the wind and traverses a great distance in a short time. In twelve Muhurttas it goes through thirteen lunar asterisms and a half during the day, and during the night, it goes through the same distance only in eighteen Muhurttas. As the centre of the potter's wheel revolves more slowly than the circumference so the sun in his northern course revolves with less rapidity and passes over a less space of the earth in a longer time, until at the end of his northern route the day is again eighteen Muhurttas long and the night twelve the sun passing through them by day and night respectively in those periods. As the lump of the clay on the centre of the potter's wheel revolves most slowly, so the polar star, which is the centre of the Zodiacal wheel, moves very slowly and always remains in the centre like the clay. The relative length of the day or night is dependant upon the greater or less motion with which the sun revolves through the degrees between the two points of horizon. During the midday when his diurnal course is quickest his nocturnal is slowest and when he moves quickly by night he moves slowly by day. The length of his journey in both the cases is the same; for during the day and night he travels through all the signs of the Zodiac or six by night and six by day. The length and shortness of the day are measured by the extent of the signs; and the duration of day and night is measured by the period which the sun takes to pass through them. When he declines towards the north the sun moves quickest by night and slowest by day and when he declines towards the south the case is thoroughly the reverse.
The night is called UshÄ and the day is called Vyushta and the intervening time between them is called SandhyÄ. When the dreadful Sandhya sets in, the awful RÄkshasas named Mandehas attempt to devour the sun. O Maitreya, the Patriarch BrahmÄ imprecated this curse upon them that they should perish by day and revive at other times. For this reason a fierce contest takes place daily between them and the sun. At this time, O great Muni, the pious Brahmins scatter water purified by the mystical OmkÄra and consecrated by the Gayatri[239]and by means of this water as by a thunder-bolt the dreadful RÄkshasas are destroyed. While during the course of morning rites the first oblation is offered with solemn invocations, the sun, having thousand rays, appears with unclouded splendour. OmkÄra is the glorious Vishnu, the essence of the three Vedas, the lord of speech; and by its mention the RÄkshasas are slain. The sun is a principal portion of Vishnu and light is his immutable essence, the manifestation of which is made by the mystic syllable Om. Light, spread by the utterance of OmkÄra, becomes radiant and burns up completely the RÄkshasas denominated as Mandebas. Therefore one should not be dilatory in the performance of SandhyÄ sacrifice; for he, who neglects it, is guilty of the murder of the sun. Being thus protected by the Brahmanas called BÄlakhilyas the sun proceeds to protect the world.
Fifteen Nimeshas (twinkling of the eye) make a KÄshthÄ; thirty KÄshthÄs make one KalÄ; thirty KalÄs a Muhurtta and thirty Muhurttas a day and night; the divisions of the day become longer or shorter in the way explained before. But as regards increase or decrease SandhyÄ is always the same for it is only one Muhurtta. From the time when half of the sun's orb is visible to the expiration of three Muhurttas the interval is called PrÄtar (morning) forming a fifth portion of the day. The next portion or three Muhurttas from morning is called Sangava (forenoon); the three next Muhurttas make the midday; the three next Muhurttas constitute the afternoon; the three next Muhurttas make the evening; and thus the fifteen Muhurttas of the day are divided into five portions of three each. But the day comprises fifteen Muhurttas only at the Equinoxes and increases and diminishes in number as the sun declines towards the north or the south, when the day encroaches upon the night and the night upon the day. The equinoxes take place during the spring and autumn when the sun enters the signs of Aries and Libra. When the sun enters Capricorn his progress towards the north begins and when he enters Cancer his progress towards the south commences. Fifteen days of thirty Muharttas each are called a Paksha (fortnight); two fortnights make one month and two months a solar season and three seasons make one Ayana (a northern or southern declination) and two Ayanas make one year. Years are made up of four kinds of months[240]and five years make one Yuga or cycle. The years are respectively called Samvatsara, Parivatsara, Idvatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara. This is the time called a Yuga.
The mountain that is situate in the north of BhÄratvarsa is called SringavÄn for its having three principal horns or peaks, one to the north, one to the south and one in the centre. The last is called equinoctial for the sun goes there in the middle of the two seasons of spring and autumn, arriving at the equinoctical points in the first degrees of Aries and Libra and making day and night of equal duration of fifteen Muhurttas each. When the sun is in the first degree of KirtikÄ and the moon in the fourth of VisakhÄ or when the sun is in the third degree of VisakhÄ and the moon is in the head of KirtikÄ that equinoctial season is holy and is called the MahÄvishubha. At this time devout persons should make offering to the celestials and the manes and gifts to the Brahmans, for such gifts produce happiness. Liberality at the equinoxes is always fruitful to the donor, and day and night seconds, minutes and hours, intercalary months, the day at full moon (PaurnamÄsi); the day of conjunction, when the moon rises invisible, the day when it is first seen, the day when it first disappears, the day when the moon is quite round and the day when one digit is deficient are the seasons when gifts prove meritorious.
The sun declines towards the north in the months of Tapas, Tapasya, Madhu, MÄdhava, Sukra and Suchi and declines towards the south in the months of Nabhas, Nabhashya, Isha; Urja, Sahas, Sahasya.
There live four devout protectors of the world on the mount LokÄloka of which I had mentioned to you formerly. These are severally named SudhÄman, SankhapÄd—the two sons of Kardama, Hiranyaroman and Ketumat. These four protectors of the world live around the mountain LokÄloka. They are devoid of malice, haughtiness, are active and have not taken to wives.
On the north of Agastya, and south of Ajabithi (the line of the Goat) and outside the VaiswÄnarapath is situate the road of the Pitris. There live the great Rishis who offer oblations to the fire. They read those portions of the Vedas which contain injunctions for the multiplication of the progeny. They perform the duties of ministrant priests and at the end of yugas they make new rules of conduct and re-establish the interrupted ritual of the Vedas. And after their death they proceed by the southern course. Mutually descending from each other in successive births, progenitor coming from descendant and descendant from progenitor, they repeatedly appear in different houses and races along with their prosterity, austere practices and established rites, residing to the south of the solar orb as long as the moon and stars endure.
The path of the celestials is situate on the north of the solar sphere of the NÄgavithi and south of the seven Rishis. There reside the Siddhas of subdued senses, continent and pure, not desirous of having offspring and consequently victorious over death. Eighty-eight thousand of these continent ascetics live in the regions north of the Sun till the time of dissolution. They are freed from covetousness and concupiscence, love and hatred and are not engaged in the work of procreation. They always detect the deficiency of the properties of elementary matter and being freed from these desires they do not meet with any obstacle in the way of asceticism. For these reasons they are highly pure and have attained to immortality. By immortality is meant existence to the end of the Kalpa: living as long as three regions exist is exemption from death. The consequences of the acts of impiety or piety such as Brahmanicide and Aswamedha last until the end of a Kalpa when all within the interval between Dhruva and the earth is destroyed. The region between the seven Rishis and Dhruva, the third region of the sky is the excellent celestial path of Vishnu and is the splendid abode, O twice-borne one, of the ascetics, who have controlled their senses and are freed from sins and in whom virtue and vice are annihilated. Those in whom virtue and vice are annihilated and who are freed from the consequences of piety or iniquity go to this excellent place of Vishnu where they never suffer sorrow. There live Dharma, Dhruva and other spectators of the world radiant with the superhuman faculties of Vishnu obtained by virtue, of religious meditation. With this excellent place of Vishnu, O Maitreya, are interwoven all that is and all that ever shall be, animate or inanimate. The seat of Vishnu is being meditated upon by the wisdom of Yogis at one with supreme light as the radiant eye of heaven. In this portion the splendid Dhruva is stationed as the pivot of atmosphere. On Dhruva are placed the seven great planets and on them depend the clouds. O great Muni, from clouds, proceed the rains; from them the water which is the nutriment and delight of all the celestials and the rest. The celestials who receive oblations, being pleased by burnt offerings, cause the rain to fall for the support of created beings. This holy seat of Vishnu is the stay of the three worlds as it is the source of the rain.
From this region, O Brahman, proceeds the river Ganges, that removes ail sins, embrowned with the unguents of the nymphs of heaven. She issues from the nail of the great toe of Vishnu's left foot.
Dhruva, with devotion, holds her on his crown day and night. And thence the seven Rishis practise their devout austerities in her water wreathing their braided locks with her waves. The orb of the moon, surrounded by her accumulated current, increased in lustre by her contact. Having issued from the moon she falls on the mount Sumeru and thence to purify the world, flows to the four quarters of the earth. SitÄ, AlakanandÄ, Chakshu and BhadrÄ are only the four divisions of one river and are named so after the regions towards which it proceeds. AlakanandÄ, which flows towards the south, was borne delightedly on his head by MahÄdeva for more than a hundred years. And having issued from the braided locks of Sambhu and washed the sins of the sinful sons of Sagara it raised them to heaven. O Maitreya, the iniquities of any man, who bathes in this river, are instantly removed and they obtain unprecedented virtue. And its water, if offered reverentially for three years by the sons to their manes, gives them rare gratification. Having worshipped the excellent Purusha, the lord of sacrifices, with sacrifices in this river, many, born in the race of twice-born ones, obtain whatever they desire either here or in heaven. Saints, who are purified by bathing in the waters of this river, and whose minds are devoted to Kesava, obtain final liberation. The sacred river, when heard of, desired, seen, touched, bathed in, or hymned, day by day purifies all beings. And those who living even at a distance of hundredyojanasexclaim "GangÄ and GangÄ" are relieved of the sins committed during the three previous existences. The place from which this river has issued for the purification of the three Worlds, is the third division of the celestial region—the seat of Vishnu.