॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Srimad Bhagavatam - Skandha XII.11 Part B Wednesday, 23 August 2023 - Bhagavan Sri Hari as the Sun god sustains the universe in a grand procession all around the year.
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The Suta concludes this portion with some lofty words:
द्विजऋषभ स एष ब्रह्मयोनि: स्वयंदृक् स्वमहिमपरिपूर्णो मायया च स्वयैतत् ।
सृजति हरति पातीत्याख्ययानावृताक्षो विवृत इव निरुक्तस्तत्परैरात्मलभ्य: ॥
श्रीकृष्ण कृष्णसख वृष्ण्यृषभावनिध्रुग् राजन्यवंशदहनानपवर्गवीर्य ।
गोविन्द गोपवनिताव्रजभृत्यगीततीर्थश्रव: श्रवणमङ्गल पाहि भृत्यान् ॥
य इदं कल्य उत्थाय महापुरुषलक्षणम् । तच्चित्त: प्रयतो जप्त्वा ब्रह्म वेद गुहाशयम् ॥
Oh noble Sage Shaunaka! It’s simple. He alone is the Self-luminous Progenitor of Vedas
Self-aware, self-complete, the master of Maya thereby creating, sustaining and destroying all.
Acting through creation, he is described as “the many”, when indeed he is One in pure transcendental bliss and self-knowledge. The Bhaktas can perceive him as their Paramatma!
My constant prayer is this:
Oh Bhagavan Sri Krishna! Arjuna’s friend, Vrishni’s scion,
The one who ended the tyranny of the despots ruling this earth!
The true hero of liberation, Govinda, the darling of the Gopis, extolled in song
By the Gopis and Gopas of Vraja! Emancipate me, dear Lord of holy name!
Anyone rising early, praying thus with a purified mind of the Supreme, dear Bhagavan
Will realise the Parabrahman in his own heart!
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Now Sage Shaunaka has a question.
सृजति हरति पातीत्याख्ययानावृताक्षो विवृत इव निरुक्तस्तत्परैरात्मलभ्य: ॥
श्रीकृष्ण कृष्णसख वृष्ण्यृषभावनिध्रुग् राजन्यवंशदहनानपवर्गवीर्य ।
गोविन्द गोपवनिताव्रजभृत्यगीततीर्थश्रव: श्रवणमङ्गल पाहि भृत्यान् ॥
य इदं कल्य उत्थाय महापुरुषलक्षणम् । तच्चित्त: प्रयतो जप्त्वा ब्रह्म वेद गुहाशयम् ॥
Oh noble Sage Shaunaka! It’s simple. He alone is the Self-luminous Progenitor of Vedas
Self-aware, self-complete, the master of Maya thereby creating, sustaining and destroying all.
Acting through creation, he is described as “the many”, when indeed he is One in pure transcendental bliss and self-knowledge. The Bhaktas can perceive him as their Paramatma!
My constant prayer is this:
Oh Bhagavan Sri Krishna! Arjuna’s friend, Vrishni’s scion,
The one who ended the tyranny of the despots ruling this earth!
The true hero of liberation, Govinda, the darling of the Gopis, extolled in song
By the Gopis and Gopas of Vraja! Emancipate me, dear Lord of holy name!
Anyone rising early, praying thus with a purified mind of the Supreme, dear Bhagavan
Will realise the Parabrahman in his own heart!
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Now Sage Shaunaka has a question.
श्रीशौनक उवाच
शुको यदाह भगवान् विष्णुराताय शृण्वते । सौरो गणो मासि मासि नाना वसति सप्तक: ॥
तेषां नामानि कर्माणि नियुक्तानामधीश्वरै: । ब्रूहि न: श्रद्दधानानां व्यूहं सूर्यात्मनो हरे: ॥
Sage, indeed Bhagavan Maha Vishnu is most visible in his manifestation as the Sun god!
Pray tell us the Sun god’s monthly transit with his retinue of holy beings
Serving the lord after emanating from Bhagavan himself in this Leela visible to all!
सूत उवाच
अनाद्यविद्यया विष्णोरात्मन: सर्वदेहिनाम् । निर्मितो लोकतन्त्रोऽयं लोकेषु परिवर्तते ॥
एक एव हि लोकानां सूर्य आत्मादिकृद्धरि: । सर्ववेदक्रियामूलमृषिभिर्बहुधोदित: ॥
कालो देश: क्रिया कर्ता करणं कार्यमागम: । द्रव्यं फलमिति ब्रह्मन् नवधोक्तोऽजया हरि: ॥
मध्वादिषु द्वादशसु भगवान् कालरूपधृक् । लोकतन्त्राय चरति पृथग्द्वादशभिर्गणै: ॥
धाता कृतस्थली हेतिर्वासुकी रथकृन्मुने । पुलस्त्यस्तुम्बुरुरिति मधुमासं नयन्त्यमी ॥
अर्यमा पुलहोऽथौजा: प्रहेति: पुञ्जिकस्थली । नारद: कच्छनीरश्च नयन्त्येते स्म माधवम् ॥
मित्रोऽत्रि: पौरुषेयोऽथ तक्षको मेनका हहा: । रथस्वन इति ह्येते शुक्रमासं नयन्त्यमी ॥
वसिष्ठो वरुणो रम्भा सहजन्यस्तथा हुहू: । शुक्रश्चित्रस्वनश्चैव शुचिमासं नयन्त्यमी ॥
इन्द्रो विश्वावसु: श्रोता एलापत्रस्तथाङ्गिरा: । प्रम्लोचा राक्षसो वर्यो नभोमासं नयन्त्यमी ॥
विवस्वानुग्रसेनश्च व्याघ्र आसारणो भृगु: । अनुम्लोचा शङ्खपालो नभस्याख्यं नयन्त्यमी ॥
पूषा धनञ्जयो वात: सुषेण: सुरुचिस्तथा । घृताची गौतमश्चेति तपोमासं नयन्त्यमी ॥
ऋतुर्वर्चा भरद्वाज: पर्जन्य: सेनजित्तथा । विश्व ऐरावतश्चैव तपस्याख्यं नयन्त्यमी ॥
अथांशु: कश्यपस्तार्क्ष्य ऋतसेनस्तथोर्वशी । विद्युच्छत्रुर्महाशङ्ख: सहोमासं नयन्त्यमी ॥
भग: स्फूर्जोऽरिष्टनेमिरूर्ण आयुश्च पञ्चम: । कर्कोटक: पूर्वचित्ति: पुष्यमासं नयन्त्यमी ॥
त्वष्टा ऋचीकतनय: कम्बलश्च तिलोत्तमा । ब्रह्मापेतोऽथ शतजिद् धृतराष्ट्र इषम्भरा: ॥
विष्णुरश्वतरो रम्भा सूर्यवर्चाश्च सत्यजित् । विश्वामित्रो मखापेत ऊर्जमासं नयन्त्यमी ॥
एता भगवतो विष्णोरादित्यस्य विभूतय: । स्मरतां सन्ध्ययोर्नृणां हरन्त्यंहो दिने दिने ॥
द्वादशस्वपि मासेषु देवोऽसौ षड्भिरस्य वै । चरन् समन्तात्तनुते परत्रेह च सन्मतिम् ॥
सामर्ग्यजुर्भिस्तल्लिङ्गैऋर्षय: संस्तुवन्त्यमुम् । गन्धर्वास्तं प्रगायन्ति नृत्यन्त्यप्सरसोऽग्रत: ॥
उन्नह्यन्ति रथं नागा ग्रामण्यो रथयोजका: । चोदयन्ति रथं पृष्ठे नैऋर्ता बलशालिन: ॥
वालखिल्या: सहस्राणि षष्टिर्ब्रह्मर्षयोऽमला: । पुरतोऽभिमुखं यान्ति स्तुवन्ति स्तुतिभिर्विभुम् ॥
एवं ह्यनादिनिधनो भगवान् हरिरीश्वर: । कल्पे कल्पे स्वमात्मानं व्यूह्य लोकानवत्यज: ॥
The Suta said:
Indeed, the Sun is Bhagavan’s creation through his Prakriti Shakti-Maya
To transit among the planets, regulating them.
Thus the Sun is the primordial Avatara, verily the soul of creation,
The basis of all worship and ritual in the Vedas!
Nine aspects are prescribed in Sun worship – the place and time,
The ritual, the ritualist devotee, what he does, and with what paraphernalia
The actions, the chants, and what is the desired result of that Sun worship.
In the course of twelve months, the Lord traverses through the stars,
Accompanied by six aspects/attendants each month.
The Sun as Dhata with Kritasthali Apsara, Heti Rakshasa, Vasuki snake, Raktakrit Yaksha, Pulastya the sage and Tumburu the Gandharva traverses the month of Madhu.
As Aryama, with Pulaha the sage, Athauja Yaksha, Praheti Rakshasa, Punjasthali the Apsara, Narada the Gandharva and Kacchanira serpent, he passes the month of Madhava.
As Mitra with Atri as the sage, Paurusheya Rakshasa, Takshaka snake, Menaka Apsara, Haha Gandharva and Rathasvana Yaksha, he rules rule the month of Shukra.
As Varuna, with Vasishtha as the sage, Rambha Apsara, Sahajanya Rakshasa, Huhu Gandharva, Shukra serpent and Chitrasvana Yaksha, he transits the month of Shuchi.
As Indra, with Vishwavasu Gandharva, Srota Yaksha, Elapatra snake Angiras as the sage, Pramlocha Apsara, and Varya Rakshasa, he rules the month of Nabhas.
As Vivasvan, Ugrasena Gandharva, Vyaghra Rakshasa, Asarana Yaksha, Bhrigu as the sage, Anumlocha Apsara, Shankhapala snake, he rules the month of Nabhasa.
As Pusha, Dhananjaya ssnake, Vata Rakshasa, Sushena Gandharva, Suruchi Yaksha, Ghritachi Apsara and Gautama as the sage, he rules the month of Tapas.
As Parjanya, with Bharadwaja the sage, Ritu Yaksha, Varcha Rakshasa, Senajit Apsara, Vishva Gandharva and Airavata snake, he rules the month of Tapasya.
As Amshu, with Kashyapa as the sage, Rarkshya Yaksha, Ritasena Gandharva, Urvashi Apsara, Vidyucchatru Rakshasa and Mahashanka snake, he rules Sahas.
As Bhaga, Sphurja Rakshasa, Arishtanemi Gandharva, Urna Yaksha,Ayur as the sage, Karkotaka the snake, Purvachitti Apsara, he rules Pushya.
As Tvashta, with Jamadagni as the sage; Kambalashva snake, Tilottama Apsara, Brahmapera Rakshasa, Shatajit Yaksha, Dhritarashtra Gandharva, he rules the month of Isha.
As Vishnu, with Ashvatara serpent, Rambha Apsara, Suryavarcha Gandharva, Satyajit Yaksha, Vishwamitra as the sage, Makhapeta Rakshasa, he rules the month of Urja.
Being the manifestations of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu himself as the Sun god, and the attendants, the Sun god sanctifies all life all year round. Thus praying to him at dawn and dusk removes all sins.
The Sun god purifies all and instils the Sattva consciousness for the here and the hereafter.
The sages, therefore, worship him with hymns from the Sama, Rik and Yajur Vedas. The Gandharvas sing his glories, and the Apsaras dance ahead of his chariot. The snakes are the chariot reins! The Yakshas control the horses, and the Rakshasas push from behind. Thus it is a year-round grand procession of the Sun god!
There are sixty thousand Valakhilya Brahmins going in front chanting vedic mantras in praise of the Sun!
Holy Sage! Now you know how Bhagavan Sri Hari sustains this universe, himself being without beginning and end, during each day of Brahma through his special manifestations.
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