Vishnu Purana
by Horace Hayman Wilson | 1840 | 287,946 words | ISBN-10: 8171102127
The English translation of the Vishnu Purana. This is a primary sacred text of the Vaishnava branch of Hinduism. It is one of the eighteen greater Puranas, a branch of sacred Vedic literature which was first committed to writing during the first millennium of the common era. Like most of the other Puranas, this is a complete narrative from the cr...
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Chapter X - Names of the twelve Adityas
Names of the twelve 膧诲颈迟测补蝉. Names of the 峁氠梗is, Gandharbhas, Apsarasas, 驰补办峁蝉, Uragas, and 搁腻办峁蝉补蝉, who attend the chariot of the sun in each month of the year. Their respective functions.
Par膩艣ara said:鈥�
Between the extreme northern and southern points the sun has to traverse in a year one hundred and eighty degrees, ascending and descending[1]. His car is presided over by divine 膧诲颈迟测补蝉, 峁氠梗is, heavenly singers and nymphs, 驰补办峁蝉, serpents, and 搁腻办峁蝉补蝉 (one of each being placed in it in every month). The 膧诲颈迟测补 顿丑腻迟谤颈, the sage Pulastya, the Gandharva Tumburu, the nymph Kratus峁環al膩, the 驰补办峁 Rathakrit, the serpent 痴腻蝉耻办颈, and the R膩k峁s Heti, always reside in the sun's car, in the month of Madhu or Caitra, as its seven guardians. In Vai艣膩kh or 惭腻诲丑补惫补 the seven are 膧ryamat, Pulaha, N膩reda, Punjik膩sthal墨, Rathaujas, Kacan墨ra, and Praheti. In 艢耻肠颈 or 闯测别峁ａ弓丑补 they are Mitra, Atri, 贬腻丑腻, 惭别苍腻, Rathaswana, 罢补办峁办补, and Paurusheya. In the month 艢耻办谤补 or 膧峁Ｄ乨ha they are 痴补谤耻峁嘺, 痴补艣颈峁ａ弓丑补, Huhu, 厂补丑补箩补苍测腻, Rathacitra, 狈腻驳补, and Budha. In the month Nabhas (or Sr膩va峁嘺) they are Indra, 础峁単颈谤补蝉, Visv膩vasu, 笔谤补尘濒辞肠腻, 艢谤辞迟补蝉, and Elapatra (the name of both serpent and R膩k峁s). In the month 叠丑腻诲谤补辫补诲补 they are Vivaswat, Bhrigu, Ugrasena, Anumlocha, 膧辫奴谤补峁嘺, 艢补峁卥丑补辫腻濒补, and 痴测腻驳丑谤补. In the month of 膧swin they are P奴峁n, Gautama, Suruci, Ghrit膩c墨, Sushena, 顿丑补苍补帽箩补测补, and 痴腻迟补. In the month of K膩rtik they are Parjanya, 叠丑补谤补诲惫腻箩补, (another) Visv膩vasu, Visv膩c墨, Senajit, 础颈谤腻惫补迟补, and 颁腻辫补. In Agrah膩yana or 惭腻谤驳补艣墨谤峁 they are Ansu, 碍补艣测补辫补, Citrasena, Urvasi, 罢腻谤办峁补, 惭补丑腻辫补诲尘补, and Vidyut. In the month of 笔补耻峁, Bhaga, Kratu, Ur峁嚹亂u, Purvacitt墨, 础峁涐梗峁璦苍别尘颈, 碍补谤办辞峁璦办补, and 厂辫丑奴谤箩补 are the seven who abide in the orb of the sun, the glorious spirits who scatter light throughout the universe. In the month of 惭腻驳丑补 the seven who are in the sun are Tva峁ａ弓ri, Jamadagni, Dhritara峁ａ弓ra, 罢颈濒辞迟迟补尘腻, Ritajit, Kambala, and 叠谤补丑尘腻辫别迟补. Those who abide in the sun in the month 笔丑腻濒驳耻苍补 are 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, Visvamitra, S奴ryaverccas, 搁补尘产丑腻, Satyajit, Aswatara, and 驰补箩帽腻辫别迟补.
In this manner, Maitreya, a troop of seven celestial beings, supported by the energy of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, occupies during the several months the orb of the sun. The sage celebrates his praise, and the Gandharva sings, and the nymph dances before him: the R膩k峁s attends upon his steps, the serpent harnesses his steeds, and the 驰补办峁 trims the reins: the numerous pigmy sages, the 叠腻濒补办丑颈濒测补蝉, ever surround his chariot. The whole troop of seven, attached to the sun's car, are the agents in the distribution of cold, heat, and rain, at their respective seasons[2].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
It might be doubted whether the text meant 180 in each hemisphere or in both, but the sense is sufficiently clear in the V膩yu, &c., and the number of Ma峁囜笉alas travelled in the year is 360: the Ma峁囜笉alas, 鈥榗ircles鈥� or 鈥榙egrees,鈥� being in fact the sun's diurnal revolutions, and their numbers corresponding with the days of the solar year; as in the Bhavi峁a P. 鈥楾he horses of the sun travel twice 180 degrees in a year, internal and external (to the equator), in the order of the days.鈥�
[2]:
A similar enumeration of the attendants upon the sun's car occurs in the V膩yu, &c. For 驰补办峁蝉, the generic term there employed is Gr膩ma峁嚹玸, but the individuals are the same. The K奴rma and Bhavi峁a refer the twelve 膧诲颈迟测补蝉 to different months:鈥�