1
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 1:
Sri Paraasharah -
Taaraamayam bhagavatah shimshumaaraara aakrutih prabhoh |
Divi roopam hareh yat tu tasya pucche sthito dhruvah || ****Sri Paraasharar *- The entire nakshatra mandala is in the form of an animal called Shimshumaara, which is a kind of whale, mammal which lives in water. This is a form of Bhagavaan Himself, filled with nakshatraas. That form of Hari, Dhruva is located at the tail portion of that. Or also, that Dhruva is supported by Shimshumaara.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Atha dhruva prasangaat tat dvaaraa sarvaadhaaram taaraa punja kalpita
avayavam shimshumaara aakruti bhagavato roopam aaha - taaraamayam iti | ***While telling about Dhruva loka, through that, the part which is consisting of all the stars, constellations, in the form of Shimshumaara, form of Bhagavaan Himself, is told here.
2
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 2:
Saa esha bhraman bhraamayati chandra aadityaadikaan grahaan |
Bhramantam anu tam yaanti nakshatraani cha chakravat || ***Dhruva is rotating, and makes all rotate around him - Chandra, Aaditya, and all the planets. Stars also follow him, rotating around him. ***
3
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 3:
Sooryaachandramasou taaraa nakshatraani grahaih saha |
Vaataanekamayaih baddhaih dhruve baddhaani taani vai ||*** Soorya, Chandra, and the stars, are all held together by Dhruva, with reins made of Vaayu.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Sooryaachandramasou iti | Vaataaneekamayaih vaata skandha mayaih, oordhva [[163]]
kramaat saptasthaanastha megha arka indu nakshatra graha saptarshi dhruva
aashrayaih; * Aavahah pravahah cha eva tathaa eva anuvahah parah | Samvaho
vivahah cha eva tat oordhvam syaat paraavahah | Tathaa parivahah cha
oordhvam vaayoh vai sapta nemayah | iti koorma ukteh | Seven places located on top, above, in order - clouds, Soorya, Moon, stars, planets, Saptarshis and Dhruva. These are the names given - *Aavaha, Pravaha, *Anuvaha, Samvaha, Vivaha, Paraavaha, Parivaha. They are said to be seven nemis, orbs above. This is told in Koorma Puraana. ***
4
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 4:
Shimshumaara aakruti proktam yat roopam jyotishaam divi |
Naaraayano ayanam dhaamnaam tasyaa aadhaarah svayam hrudi ||*** That form of Shimshumaara, which was told, as being made of all the stars -Naaraayana is the support of all these. He is located in the place of heart of that. He supports the Shimshumaara.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Shimshumaara iti | Jyotishaam roopam iti anvayah | Dhaamnaam - tejasaam
lokaanaam cha ayanam - aashrayo naaraayanah, tasya hrudi aadhaara bhootah
tishthati |
5
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 5:
Uttaanapaada putrah tu tam aaraadhya jagat patim |
Sa taaraa shimshumaarasya dhruvah pucche vyavasthitah || ***Uttaanapaada’s son Dhruva worships Naaraayana with great devotion; Dhruva is located in the tail portion of that Shimshumaara.
6
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 6:
Aadhaarah shimshumaarasya sarvaadhyaksho janaardanah |
Dhruvasya shimshumaarah tu dhruva bhaanuh vyavasthitah || Sriman Naaraayana Himself is the support of *Shimshumaara. *Shimshumaara supports Dhruva. Dhruva supports Sun. ***
7
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 7:
Tat aadhaaram jagat cha idam sat eva aasura maanusham ||*** This whole world which is having Devaas, Asuraas, Manushyaas, and the varieties of beings, is supported by the Sun. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Tat aadhaaram iti | Tat aadhaaram bhaanu aadhaaram |***
8
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 8:
Yena vipra vidhaanena tat mama ekamanaah shrunu | [[164]]
Vivasvaan ashtabhih maasaih aadaaya aapo rasaatmikaah |
Varshati ambu tatah cha annam annaat api akhilam jagat || The Sun takes all the waters for eight months, and how the Sun supports the whole world is going to be told now. Sun is supporting the whole world with the rains, which is the source of water, this will be told now. How he is supporting, I will tell you, O Maitreya. For eight months, he absorbs all the waters, the essence. And then he converts it into rains, and brings rains, and because of the food, the whole world is able to live. Paraasharar says - Listen attentively, I am going to tell you in what way the Sun draws, collects the water for eight months, and then causes rain, pours that in the form of rains. Because of rains, food is grown, and food is the basic support for the living beings in the world.
9
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 9:
Vivasvaan amshubhih teekshnaih aadaaya jagato jalam |
Somam punyaat atha induh cha vaayu naadeemayaih divi |
Naalaih vikshipate abreshu dhooma agni anila moortishu || ***With his rays, which are very powerful, he sucks all the waters. He nurtures the moon and moon through the Vaayu naadis, through that path, he places all the waters in the clouds (one stage before it becomes rain), and has got three stages - like smoke or vapours, agni and anila. With his fierce rays, Sun collects waters from the world, and pours it on Soma. The Moon pours it in the sky, through the channel of Vaayu. He places it in the clouds. It has got three forms - dhooma, agni and anila; it is called *abhra *(clouds).
Rain bearing clouds are called abhra here.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Uktam varsha prakaaram prapanchayati vivasvaan amshubhih iti | Naalaih -
maargaih | ***
10
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 10:
Na bhrashyanti yatah tebhyo jalaani abhraani taanyatah |
Abhrastaa prapatanti aapo vaayunaa samudeeritaah |
Samskaaram kaala janitam maitraya aasaadya nirmalaah || Abhra is something from which water does not come out. Water does not come from that; it stays there, and at the right time, it starts to rain. When winds blow, they bring rains from the clouds which are carrying the water. Because waters don’t fall (from abhra), they are called abhra. Because the waters do not immediately pour down in the form of rain, from the clouds in that state ( abhra); the waters in the cloud, when the right time comes, [[165]]
being blown by the air, winds, at a particular time, they become purified and pour down, as pure water.
What all happens after the rains, and the various kinds of divya snaana, will be told here. We are studying Amsha 2, Chapter 9, where the Shimshumaara chakra is being described. Incidentally, Paraasharar tells about how Sun causes the rains, and about the divya snaana. Shimshumaara chakra is a jyotishchakra, a nakshtra mandala, in the form of a porpoise, aquatic animal, and Sriman Naaraayana is aadhaara for it; and Shimshumaara is aadhaara for Dhruva, who is located at the tail end of this Shimshumaara. The Sun is supported by Dhruva. Sun supports the whole world. How, he supports all the three worlds is going to be told now. ***
11
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 11:
Sarit samudra bhoumaah tu tathaa aapah praani sambhavaah |
Chatushprakaaraa bhagavaan aadatte savitaa mune ||*** O Maitreyar, Sun draws water from four sources, one is rivers and streams, another is oceans, another is from the earth itself, and from all the beings; in four different ways.
12
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 12:
Aakaasha gangaa salilam tathaa aadaaya gabhastimaan |
Anabhragatameva urvyaam sadyah kshipati rashmibhih || ***In the same way, he also draws water from the Aakaasha Gangaa, when there are no clouds also, and then he pours it down as rains, when there are no clouds, through his grace. ***
13
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 13:
Tasya samsparsha nirdhoota paapa panko dvijottama |
Na yaati narakam martyo divyam snaanam hi tat smrutam ||*** That water drawn from Aakaasha Gangaa, and which is poured down as rains by the Sun, when there are no clouds, is called as Divya Snaana. Whoever comes in contact with the waters, when it rains without clouds, but Sun being shining, all their sins get washed away, and they never go to naraka.
14
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 14:
Drushta sooryam hi yat vaari patati abhraih vinaa divah |
Aakaasha gangaa salilam tadgobhih kshipyate raveh || ***When the Sun is seen, but there are no clouds, and it is raining, the waters are pouring down as rain, that is nothing but the waters of Aakaasha Gangaa, being poured down as rains by the grace of the Sun. ***
15
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 15:
Kruttikaadishu ruksheshu vishameshu ambu yat divah |
Drushta arka patitam jnyeyam tat gaangam diggajojjhitam ||*** [[166]]
The odd numbered nakshatraas, Ashvini, Kruttikaa, Mrugashiraa - when the Sun is in these odd positions, constellations, when the Sun is seen, but clouds are not seen, this is said to be Gangaa waters only, but it is poured by the Diggajaas in the four directions. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Kruttikaadishu iti | Kruttikaa mrugashirah prabhruti ayugma nakshatreshu arke
sthite |* These are the odd numbered stars ( ayugma). ***
16
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 16:
Yugmarksheshu cha yat toyam patati arkojjhitam divah |
Tat soorya rashmibhih sarvam samaadaaya nirasyate ||*** The even numbered stars, like Rohini, Aridra - when the Sun is in these stars, the Sun is seen, but the clouds are absent, this is through the rays of the Sun itself, and not the Diggajaas. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Yugmarksheshu iti | Evam rohini aardra aadishu yugmeshu arke sthite
arkaakraanta nakshatraat eva vrushti vyavahaara lingaat poorvaashaadhaa
aagato bhaanuh ityaadeh ||*
The odd stars - rain is through the Diggajaas. The even stars - rain is through the Sun itself. Both are waters of Gangaa when there are no clouds, when the Sun is seen. ***
17
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 17:
Ubhayam punyam atyartham nrunaam paapa bhayaapaham |
Aakaasha gangaa salilam divyam snaanam mahaa mune ||*** Both of these are known as Divya Snaana, and they wash away all the sins of humans here. It is very sacred, and is called as Divya Snaana. These are the waters of Aakaasha Gangaa itself. ***
18
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 18:
Yat tu meghaih samutsrushtam vaari tat praaninaam dvija |
Pushnaati oshadhayah sarvaah jeevanaaya amrutam hi tat ||*** The waters which come from the clouds, as rains, this is the cause of growth of all the plantation, and because of these, it helps in the living of all the beings, because they get all the food from that.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Yat tu iti | Oshadhayah oshadheeh | ***
19
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 19:
Tena vruddhim paraam neetah sakalah cha oushadheeganah |
Saadhakah phala paaka antah prajaanaam dvija jaayate || ***All the vegetation grows from these waters. This becomes the cause of birth, growth [[167]]
and living of all the beings. When it gives the fruits, like grains, this is used for cooking, and this is how all the beings live.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Tena iti | Saadhakah shareera utpatti poshanayoh | ***
20
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 20:
Tena yajnyaan yathaa proktaan maanavaah shaastra chakshushah |
Kurvanti ahah ahah taih cha devaan aapyaayayanti te || All the yajnyaas as told in the shaastraas, those who live keeping the shaastraas as their guide, who always tread on the path shown by the shaastraas only, every day they perform the yajnyaas as told in the shaastraas. Through those yajnyaas, they worship various gods, and please them. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Tena iti | Tena oshadhi ganena, taih yajnyaih |
21
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 21:
Evam yajnyaah cha vedaah cha varnaah cha dvija poorvakaah |
Sarve deva nikaayaah cha pashu bhoota ganaah cha ye || ***In this way, all the yajnyaas, all the Vedaas, all the varnaas, classes starting with Braahmana, the hosts of all gods also, all the animals, and all other beings, … ***
22
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 22:
Vrushtyaa dhrutam idam sarvam annam nishpaadyate yayaa |
Saa api nishpaadyate vrushtih savitraa munisattama ||*** … all these are supported and live because of the rains only; because of rains only, food is grown. That rain is caused by the Sun, O Maitreyar. ***
23
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 23:
Aadhaara bhootah savituh dhruvo munivarottama |
Dhruvasya shimshumaaro asou sah api naaraayanaatmakah ||*** That Sun is supported by Dhruva. Dhruva is supported by *Shimshumaara, nakshatra *mandala, and that is supported by none other than Naaraayana.
24
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 9, Shloka 24:
Hrudi naaraayanah tasya shimshumaarasya samsthitah |
Bibharti sarva bhootaanaam aadi bhootah sanaatanah || Naaraayana is located at the heart position of the Shimshumaara chakra; heart is the support of the body. Naaraayana is present as antaryaami in everything. He controls everything. He is Sanaatana, Aadibhoota, Jagat kaarana, He is the primeval cause of the entire creation. He supports everything. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Hrudi iti | Bibharti shimshumaaram |
[[168]]
This completes Chapter 9.
***|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraane Dviteeye Amshe Navamo Adhyaayah ||
|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraana Vyaakhyaane Vishnu Chitteeye Dviteeye Amshe Navamo
Adhyaayah || ***
*** [[169]]
|| Atha Dashamo Adhyaayah ||
Seven Beings on Sun’s Chariot***
Now Chapter 10.
Sri Paraasharar tells about the movement of the Sun from Uttaraayana to Dakshinaayana.