This Vishnu is the supreme spirit (Brahma), from whence all this world proceeds, who is the world, by whom the world subsists,* and in whom it will be resolved. That spirit (or Brahma) is the supreme state of Vishnu, which is the essence of all that is visible or invisible, with which all that is is identical, and whence all animate and inanimate existence is derived.† He is primary nature; he, in a perceptible form, is the world; and in him all finally melts: through him all things endure. He is the performer of the rites of devotion; he is the rite; he is the fruit which it bestows; he is the implements by which it is performed. There is nothing besides the illimitable Hari. + तद्ब्रह्म तत्परं धाम सदसत्परमं पदम् । 'He is that Brahma which the Vedas establish. His is that supreme effulgence; for he is the supreme abode of the existent and of the nonexistent. He it is by whose non-difference from Brahma this entire universe, moveable and immoveable, has its being.' Such is the explanation of the smaller commentary. Rather, ‘and he is the sacrifice that is offered': ʼn ▼ xuâ ng:. CHAPTER VIII. Description of the sun: his chariot; its two axles: his horses. The cities of the regents of the cardinal points. The sun's course: nature of his rays: his path along the ecliptic. Length of day and night. Divisions of time: equinoxes and solstices, months, years, the cyclical Yuga or age of five years. Northern and southern declinations. Saints on the Lokáloka mountain. Celestial paths of the Pitris, gods, Vishnu. Origin of Gangá, and separation, on the top of Meru, into four great rivers. PARÁSARA. Having thus described to you the system of the world in general, I will now explain to you the dimensions and situations of the sun and other luminaries. The chariot of the sun is nine thousand leagues in length; and the pole* is of twice that longitude;1 the axle is fifteen millions and seven hundred thousand leagues long;' on which is fixed a wheel+- with three 1 The sun's car is 10.000 Yojanas broad, and as many deep, according to the Váyu‡ and Matsya. The Bhagavata § makes it thirty-six hundred thousand long, and one fourth that broad. The Linga agrees with the text. 2 There is no great difference in this number, in other accounts. The length of this axle, which extends from Meru to Mánasa, is nearly equal to the semi-diameter of the earth, which, according to the Matsya Puráňa, is 18.950.000 Yojanas. + See Professor Wilson's Translation of the Rig-veda, Vol. I., p. 78, note a. : चक्रेण भास्वता सूर्यः स्यन्दनेन प्रसर्पति । § V., XXI., 15. naves, * five spokes, and six peripheries – consisting of the ever-during year: the whole constituting the circle or wheel of time.1 The chariot has another axle, which is forty-five thousand, five hundred leagues long. 2 The two halves of the yoke are of the same length, respectively, as the two axles (the longer and the shorter). The short axle, with the (short) yoke, is 1 The three naves are the three divisions of the day, - morning, noon, and night; the five spokes are the five cyclic years; and the six peripheries are the six seasons. The Bhagavata† explains the three naves to be three periods of the year, of four months each, and gives twelve spokes as types of the twelve months. The Vayu, Matsya, and Bhavishya Puránas enter into much more detail. According to them, the parts of the wheel are the same as above described: the body of the car is the year; its upper and lower half are the two solstices; Dharma is its flag; Artha and Káma, the pins of the yoke and axle; night is its fender; Nimeshas form its floor ; a moment is the axle-tree; an instant, the pole; minutes are its attendants; and hours, its harness. 2 This shorter axle is, according to the Bhagavata, § one fourth of the longer. Rather, a triple nave, or three naves in one. † Not the Bhāgavata, but Sridhara's commentary thereon, V., XXI., 13. * अथेमानि तु सूर्यस्य प्रत्यङ्गानि रथस्य तु । संवत्सरस्यावयवैः कल्पितानि यथाक्रमम् ॥ अहस्तुलाभिः सूर्यस्य एकचक्रः स वै स्मृतः । आराः पञ्चर्तवस्तस्य नेमिः षडृतवः स्मृताः ॥ रथनीडः स्मृतो ह्यब्दस्त्वयने कूबरावुभौ । मुहूर्ती बन्धरास्तस्य शस्य तेऽस्य कलाः स्मृताः ॥ तस्य काष्ठाः स्मृता घोणा ईषादण्डः क्षणास्तु वै 1 निमेषाश्चानुकर्षोऽस्य ईषा चास्य लवाः स्मृताः ॥ रात्रिर्वरूथो धर्मोऽस्य ध्वन ऊर्ध्वः समुच्छ्रितः । युगाचकोटी ते तस्य अर्थकामावुभौ स्मृतौ ॥ § V., XXI., 14. supported by the pole-star: the end of the (longer) axle, to which the wheel of the car is attached, moves on the Mánasa mountain. 1* The sevent horses of the sun's car are the metres of the Vedas: Gáyatrí, Bŕihatí, Ushnih, Jagatí, Trishtubh, Anushtubh, and Pankti. The city of Indra§ is situated on the eastern side of the Mánasottara mountain; that of Yama, on the southern face; that of Varuna, on the west; and that 1 We are to understand, here, both in the axle and yoke, two levers, one horizontal, the other, perpendicular. The horizontal arm of the axle has a wheel at one end; the other extremity is connected with the perpendicular arm. To the horizontal arm of the yoke are harnessed the horses; and its inner or right extremity is secured to the perpendicular. The upper ends of both perpendiculars are supposed to be attached to Dhruva, the polestar, by two aerial cords, which are lengthened in the sun's southern course, and shortened in his northern; and, retained by which to Dhruva, as to a pivot, the wheel of the car traverses the summit of the Mánasottara mountain, on Pushkara-dwípa, which runs, like a ring, round the several continents and oceans. The contrivance is commonly compared to an oil-mill, and was, probably, suggested by that machine, as constructed in India. As the Mánasottara mountain is but 50.000 leagues high, and Meru, 84.000, whilst Dhruva is 1.500.000, both levers are inclined at obtuse angles to the nave of the wheel and each other. In images of the sun, two equal and semi-circular axles connect a central wheel with the sides of the car. द्वितीयेऽक्षे तु तच्चक्रं संस्थितं मानसाचले । 'And as to the second axle, its wheel rests on Mount Mánasa.' †The original characterizes these horses as 'tawny', hari. Here-as before: Vol. I., p. 85-I have corrected the "Jayati" of the former edition. § Vasavi puri, 'the city of Vasava, i. e., Indra.' of Soma, on the north : named, severally, Vaswaukasárá,* Samyamaní, Mukhyá, and Vibhávarí.1 .' In the Linga, † the city of Indra is called Amarávati; and, in it and the Váyu, that of Varuna is termed Sukhá. § Corrected from "Vaswokasárá". This is called, in the original, the city of Śakra, a name of Indra. † Prior Section, LIV., 1–3: ज्योतिर्गणप्रचारं वै संक्षिप्याण्डे ब्रवीम्यहम् | सौम्ये सोमस्य विपुला तासु दिग्देवताः स्थिताः । Here the four cities referred to bear the appellations of Amaravati, Samyamani, Sukhá and Vibhá. ‡ The following extract is from the Váyu-purdña : पुराणि लोकपालानां प्रवच्यामि यथाक्रमम् । In the sequel to these verses, Vibhavarí is also called Vibha; and some MSS. consulted by me give, there, Amaravati as convertible with Vaswaukasárá. Mukhya is, further, interchanged, in several MSS., with Sukhá, the city of Varuna. In the Matsya-puráňa there is a passage differing by scarcely a word from that just cited, beginning at its second stanza. In this Purána, also, we find Vibhávarí and Vibhȧ,-synonymous terms, importing 'bright',- and likewise both Vaswaukasárá and Amaravati. $ The Bhagavata-purana, V., XXI., 7, calls the city of Indra, Devadháni, and that of Varuna, Nimlochani. As to Yama's and Soma's cities, it agrees with our text. |