The Vishnu Purana Book II- Chapter - X
Feb 13, 2015 14:23:22 GMT 1
Post by Anne Terri on Feb 13, 2015 14:23:22 GMT 1
p. 233
CHAP. X.
Names of the twelve Ádityas. Names of the Rishis, Gandharbhas, Apsarasas, Yakshas, Uragas, and Rákshasas, who attend the chariot of the sun in each month of the year. Their respective functions.
PARÁ?ARA.--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 Ádityas, Rishis, heavenly singers and nymphs, Yakshas, serpents, and Rákshasas (one of each being placed in it in every month). The Áditya Dhátri, the sage Pulastya, the Gandharba Tumburu, the nymph Kratust?halá, the Yaksha Rathakrit, the serpent Vásuki, and the Rákshas Heti, always reside in the sun's car, in the month of Madhu or Chaitra, as its seven guardians. In Vai?ákh or Mádhava the seven are Áryamat, Pulaha, Náreda, Punjikásthalí, Rathaujas, Kachaníra, and Praheti. In ?uchi or Jyesht?ha they are Mitra, Atri, Háhá, Mená, Rathaswana, Takshaka, and Paurusheya. In the month ?ukra or Áshádha they are Varun?a, Va?isht?ha, Huhu, Sahajanyá, Rathachitra, Nága, and Budha. In the month Nabhas (or Srávan?a) they are Indra, Angiras, Viswávasu, Pramlochá, ?rotas, and Elapatra (the name of both serpent and Rákshas). In the month Bhádrapada they are Vivaswat, Bhrigu, Ugrasena, Anumlocha, Ápúran?a, ?ankhapála, and Vyághra. In the month of Áswin they are Púshan, Gautama, Suruchi, Ghritáchí, Sushena, Dhananjaya, and Váta. In the month of Kártik they are Parjanya, Bharadwája, (another) Viswávasu, Viswáchí, Senajit, Airávata, and Chápa. In Agraháyana or Márga?írsha they are Ansu, Ka?yapa, Chitrasena, Urvasi, Tárkshya, Mahápadma, and Vidyut. In the month of Pausha, Bhaga, Kratu, Urn?áyu, Purvachittí,
p. 234
[paragraph continues] Arisht?anemi, Karkot?aka, and Sphúrja are the seven who abide in the orb of the sun, the glorious spirits who scatter light throughout the universe. In the month of Mágha the seven who are in the sun are Twasht?ri, Jamadagni, Dhritarasht?ra, Tilottamá, Ritajit, Kambala, and Brahmápeta. Those who abide in the sun in the month Phálguna are Vishn?u, Visvamitra, Súryaverchchas, Rambhá, Satyajit, Aswatara, and Yajnápeta.
In this manner, Maitreya, a troop of seven celestial beings, supported by the energy of Vishn?u, occupies during the several months the orb of the sun. The sage celebrates his praise, and the Gandharba sings, and the nymph dances before him: the Rákshas attends upon his steps, the serpent harnesses his steeds, and the Yaksha trims the reins: the numerous pigmy sages, the Bálakhilyas, 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
233:1 It might be doubted whether the text meant 180 in each hemisphere or in both, but the sense is sufficiently clear in the Váyu, &c., and the number of Man?d?alas travelled in the year is 360: the Man?d?alas, 'circles' or 'degrees,' being in fact the sun's diurnal revolutions, and their numbers corresponding with the days of the solar year; as in the Bhavishya P. 'The horses of the sun travel twice 180 degrees in a year, internal and external (to the equator), in the order of the days.'
234:2 A similar enumeration of the attendants upon the sun's car occurs in the Váyu, &c. For Yakshas, the generic term there employed is Gráman?ís, but the individuals are the same. The Kúrma and Bhavishya refer the twelve Ádityas to different months:--
Vishn?u. | Kúrma. | Bhavishya. | |
Dhátri | Chaitra | Vai?ákha | Kártika |
Áryamat | Vai?ákha | Chaitra | Vai?ákha |
Mitra | Jyesht?ha | Márga?írsha | Márga?írsha |
Varun?a | Áshád?ha | Mágha | Bhádra |
Indra | ?rávan?a | Jyesht?ha | Áswina |
Vivaswat | Bhádra | ?rávan?a | Jyesht?ha |
Púshan | Áswina | Phálguna | Pausha |
Parjanya | Kártika | Áswina | ?rávan?a |
Ansu | Márga?írsha | Áshád?ha | Áshád?ha |
Bhaga | Pausha | Bhádra | Mágha |
Twasht?ri | Mágha | Kártika | Phálguna |
Vishn?u | Phálguna | Pausha | Chaitra. |
The Vishnu Purana Book II- Chapter - XI
'The Vishnu Purana', translated by Horace Hayman Wilson, is public domain in the US because it was published prior to 1923.