1
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 1:
Maitreyah -
Yat etat bhagavaan aaha ganah saptavidho raveh |
Mandale hima taapaadeh kaaranam tanmayaa shrutam || *Maitreyar *- O Bhagavaan Paraashara, whatever you told so far, about the seven groups of Mandala ganaas, seven types of groups of people who are there, and also the cause of hima, taapa, was also told. I listened to that. ***
2
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 2:
Vyaapaarah cha api kathito gandharava uraga rakshasaam |
Risheenaam vaalakhilyaanaam tathaa eva apsararasaam guro ||*** The gandharvaas, sarpaas, raakshasaas, what all they do was also told by you. Whatever the rishis do, the Vaalakhilyaas do, the apsarases do, …
3
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 3:
Yakshaanaam cha rathe bhaanoh vishnu shakti dhruta aatmanaam |
Kim cha aadityasya yat karma tat na uktam tvayaa mune || … the yakshaas, all these who are there on the chariot of the Sun, are being supported by the power of Vishnu. You did not tell me about what Aaditya does.
Paraasharar said that the rishis will be praising the Sun, Gandharvaas will be singing, Apsarases will be dancing, Raakshasaas are following the Sun, Sarpaas are all carrying the Sun, Yakshaas are taking care of the girdle, Vaalakhilyaas are following the Sun all around. ***
4
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 4:
Yadi saptagano vaari himam ushnam cha varshati |
Tat kim atra raveh yena vrushtih sooryaat iteeryate ||*** The rains, winter, snow - the seven groups of beings are responsible for all of this. The Sun is only the cause for the rains, is being told. What is the reason for that?
5
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 5:
Vivasvaan udito madhye yaati astam iti kim janah |
Braveeti etat samam karma yadi sapta ganasya tat || ***We say that the Sun rises, that it is noon, and the Sun sets. This is being done by all the seven classes of beings, but we say that only the Sun does this. What is the [[178]]
reason?
6
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 6:
Sri Paraasharah -
Maitreya shrooyataam etat yat bhavaan pariprucchati |
Yathaa sapta gane api ekah praadhaanyena adhiko raveh || ****Sri Paraasharar *- O Maitreyar, please listen to what I will tell you, what you are asking. Though there are seven classes, the Sun is the primary one, the most prominent one there. ***
7
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 7:
Sarvashaktih paraa vishnoh rik yajuh saama sanjnitaa |
Saa eshaa trayee tapati amho jagatah cha hinasti yaa ||*** Vishnu shakti is being told here, it is known by the name of Rig, Yajus, Saama. These Vedaas only are causing brightness of the Sun. This destroys all the sins of the people of the world.
Rig, Yajus, Saama are called Trayee.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Sarvashaktih ityaadi | Sarva shaktih sampoorna shaktih, yat tapati yat cha
jagato amho hinasti saa eshaa vishnoh paraa sarvashaktih rik yajuh saama
sanjnitaa trayee iti anvayah | ***The complete power of Vishnu is told here. That supreme power of Vishnu, and is called by the names of Rig, Yajus, Saama. Vishnu Shakti stays in the Sun, and the entire world gets light because of that only, and destroys the sins of all. He is present in the inner self of the Sun. ***
8
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 8:
Saa eshaa vishnuh stitah sthityaam jagatah paalanaa udyatah |
Rik yajuh saama bhooto antah savituh dvija tishthati ||*** Vishnu, who is engaged in the sustenance of the world, and nurturing the whole world; this shakti of Vishnu which is present in all the seven classes present in the Suns ratha, it is in abundance on the Sun only.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Saa eshaa iti | Jagatah paalanaa udyatah sthityaam sthito vishnuh sa vai
shaktih | Shaktishaktimatoh abhedaat saamaanaadhikaranya nirdeshah | Rik
yajuh saama shareero vishnuh savituh antah tishthati; ato raveh praadhaanyam
| ***Vishnu shakti only is engaged in the sustenance of the world. Vishnu has the three Vedaas as His shareera. This is told as " Yasya Vedaah shareeram". This is also told in the Upanishads, “Yat aatmaano vedaas”, they are all supported by Him; though Vedaas are eternal, and remains in the jnyaana of Paramaatman during pralaya, He only protects it and teaches it to Chaturmukha Brahma during srushti, and then the pravartana is continued. When [[179]]
they say shareera, it is Vedaabhimaani devataa. Shakti and Vishnu are to be addressed in the same vibhakti, with coordination; in saamaanaadhikaranya nirdesha; because the power and one who has the power - both are one only. Shareera is not like hand and leg, but it is because of the three relations - *aadhaara - aadheya *bhaava, niyaamaka - niyaamya bhaava, sheshi - shesha bhaava; this is *shareera-*shareeri bhaava. Shareera is said to be dravya; Vedaas are said to be shareera, so the Vedaabhimaani devataa can be taken. Vishnu is present as antaryaami, the Inner Self of the Sun. Therefore, the prominence for the Sun. Sun only is addressed in all the acts. ***
9
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 9:
Maasi maasi ravih yo yah tatra tatra hi saa paraa |
Trayeemayee vishnu shaktih avasthaanam karoti vai ||*** Whoever is the Aaditya in every month, Vishnu is present as inner self or antaryaami, and that is only responsible for their powers and functioning.
First, Paraasharar tells that Bhagavaan is only present as *antaryaami, *Sooryanaaraayana present as antaryaami of the Sun.
10
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 10:
Ruchah stuvanti poorvaahne madhyaahne atha yajoomshi vai |
Bruhadratahantaraadeeni saamaani ahnah kshaye ravim || That Sooryanaaraayana is praised by the Rig Veda at the early morning time, the Yajurveda in the afternoon, and by the *Saamaveda *( Bruhadratahantara and others) in the evening.
Shruti also says this.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Ruchah iti | Ruchah stuvanti, ravou tishthantam vishnum iti sheshah | ***Rigveda and others praise the Sun, but the antaryaami of the Sun, Sooryanaaraayana. ***
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 11:
Angameshaa trayee vishno rik yajuh saama sanjnitaa |
Vishnu shaktih avasthaanam sadaa aaditye karoti saa ||*** The three Vedaas, known as Rig, Yajus, Saama, is a part of Vishnu Himself. Anga also means shareera here. This is always present in the Sun.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Anga iti | Anga shakti shabdou shareera paryaayou * Shabda moorti dharasya
etat roopam iti hi uktam | Amsha eshaa iti cha paathah | ***Anga and shakti mean shareera. Anga means shareera shareeri bhaava. There is another paathaantara, amsha esha.
Bhagavad Ramanuja shows in various works - *Vedarthasangraha, Sribhashya *- that many words are used to denote *shareera - tanu, vapu, shakti, amsha, aatma, *[[180]]
shareera itself.
12
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 12:
Na kevalam raveh shaktih vaishnavee saa trayeemayee |
Brahma atha purusho rudrah trayam etat trayeemayam || ***This kind of Vishnu Shakti, made of three Vedaas, is present not only in the Sun. Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra are also *trayee mayaas *- they are told as *Rig Veda, Yajur *Veda and Saama Veda maya.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Saa vaishnavee trayeemayee shaktih na kevalam raveh eva antasthaa, kintu
brahmaadeenaam api iti aaha - na kevalam iti | ***
13
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 13:
Sarga aadou rungmayo brahmaa sthitou vishnuh yajurmayah |
Rudrah saamamayo antaaya tasmaat tasya ashuchih dhvanih || ***Chaturmukha Brahma being Rig Veda maya, does the creation. During sustenance, Vishnu will be Yajur veda maya. Rudra being Saama veda maya, does the dissolution. These are the Vishnu shaktis present in Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. They do all the functioning with that power. Because Saama Veda is used for dissolution, Paraasharar says that it is ashuchi, ashuddhi.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Sarga aadou iti | Tasmaat anta hetu rudra sambandhaat, tasya saamnah | ***Being connected with Rudra, who does the dissolution, Paraasharar calls *Saama *dhvani as ashuddhi.
Saama Veda is praised everywhere - Vedaanaam Saamavedo Asmi, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10. But here, as Rudra being Saama Veda maya does the dissolution, Paraasharar is telling that it is ashuchi.
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***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 14:
Evam saa saatvikee shaktih vaishnavee yaa trayeemayee |
Aatma sapta ganastham tam bhaasvantam adhitishthati || ***The saatvika shakti of Vishnu, which is made of three Vedaas, along with the seven groups of people who are there, including Him, presides over the Sun.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Upasamharati evam iti | Saatvikee shuddha sattva mayee vaishnavee shaktih,
aatma sapta ganastham sva shareera bhoota sapta varga antargatam
bhaasvantam adhitishthati - bhaasvati atishayena tishthati | ***Saatvika shakti means sattva is shuddha sattva maya, which is apraakruta or divya. They are all Bhagavaan’s shareera, along with the Sun, who is a part of the seven classes. It is excelling, present there.
15
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 15: [[181]]
Tayaa cha adhisthitah sah api jaajavalee iti sva rashmibhih |
Tamah samasta jagataam naasham nayati cha akhilam || Being presided over by the supreme Saatvika shakti of Vishnu, the Sun is burning bright. He destroys all the world’s darkness, burning bright with his rays.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 16:
Stuvanti cha enam munayo gandharvaih geeyate purah |
Nrutyanti apsaraso yaanti tasya cha anu nishaacharaah || All the rishis are always praising him, doing His stotra. Gandharvaas are singing songs. Apsarases are all dancing in front. The raakshasaas all go following him.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 17:
Vahanti panaagaa yakshaih kriyate abheeshu sangrahah |
Vaalakhilyaah tathaa eva enam parivaarya samaasate || The sarpaas carry the chariot, and the yakshaas do that part of the work told, which is the girdle. The Vaalakhilya Rishis, surrounding him are praising him. They all bring atishaya to the Sun.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Praadhaanyaat anye api stuti aadyaih enam upaasate iti aaha - stuvanti cha
enam iti | ***Why are all the rishis praising him, Gandharvaas are singing to praise him, Apsarases are dancing, raakshasaas are following him? It is because of the prominence of the Sun. ***
18
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 18:
Nodetaa na astametaa cha kadaachit shakti roopadhruk |
Vishnuh vishnoh pruthak tasya ganah saptavidho apyayam ||*** It is said that the Vishnu shakti; being presided by His power, all the seven classes keep moving the Sun, changing every month. Vishnu shakti that presides does not have any rise or setting. Because it is different and distinct from all others, which are presided over by it. Vishnu is taking on the form of the Supreme Power. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Na iti | Shakti roopadhruk vishnuh adhishthaataa sthaayee nodeti na astam iti,
adhishtyaat sanchaarino ganaat bhinnatvaat |*** He is the one who is the Presiding Deity. He is present without any changes. Because He is very different and distinct from all the other classes which are being presided over by Him.
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Sri Paraasharar gives an example. ***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 19:
Stambhastha darpanasya iti yo ya aasannataam narah |
Chaayaa darshana samyogam sa sa praapnoti athaatmanah || ***There is a mirror near the pole. Whoever comes near the pole, they see their reflection there. The mirror and pole remains same, whoever keep coming and [[182]]
moving, they see their image there.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Stambhastha iti | Chaayaa darshana samyogam chaayaayaah pratibimbasya
aadarshanasya darpanasya cha samyogam | ***
20
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 20:
Evam saa vaishnavee shaktih na eva apaiti tato dvija |
Maasa anumaasam bhaasvantam adhyaaste tatra samstitam || ***Like this, the Vaishnavi shakti does not set or rise. Though the seven classes keep changing every month, the Vaishnavi shakti presides over the Sun, being present there all the time, without any change.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Evam iti | Tatah darpana sthaaneeyaat soorya padaadhikaarinah, tatra
sooryapade maasa anumaasam maasaan maasaantaram prati maasam iti arthah
| Punkhaanupunkham itivat | Yat vaa maaseshu dvaadasheshu anumaase
adhikamaase cha; tena yo maaso adhikah tan maasa ukta sapta gana aavruttih
syaat | Vishnu shakti is in the form of the mirror, as Sun’s antaryaami, and all others keep coming and going. It is going one continuously month by month. There are *nyoona *maasa, adhika maasa.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 21:
Pitru deva manushyaadeen sa sadaa aapyaayan prabhuh |
Parivartati aho raatra kaaranam savitaa dvija || The Sun keeps on moving, being the cause of day and night. He keeps pleasing the pitru ganaas, devaas and manushyaas.
22
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 22:
Soorya rashmih sushumnaa yah tarpitah tena chandramaah |
Krushnapakshe amaraih shashvat peeyate vai sudhaamayah || There is a Soorya rashmi called Sushumnaa, one of the rays of the Sun. Sun is being nurtured by that. In the Krushna paksha, he is continuously being drunk, or enjoy the nectar in the moon. They enjoy or drink him during the Krushna paksha. He is full of nectar. The brightness of moon is said to be nectar which is fed by the Sun, through the Sushumnaa rashmi.
Even in the Shruti, the names of the Sun appear.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Pitraadyaapyaayana prakaaram aaha soorya rashmih iti | Tarpitah shukla
pratipada aadikramaat pooritah peeyate | Pratipadaadipaanam hi kshaya
hetuh, atah shodasha kalasya krushna pratipadam aarabhya ekaikaa kalaa
amaraih peeyate, * prathamaam pibate vanhih itiyaadi smruteh | ***How it is being done is going to be told here. He pleases everyone, the *pitru ganaas, *[[183]]
deva ganaas, manushyaas and also being the cause of day and night. In the *shukla *paksha, from pratipat onwards, moon keeps on increasing day by day by one kalaa, part. Sun feeds the moon with nectar during the Shukla paksha. Consuming this nectar from the Sun is only going to be the cause of his decrease in the Krushna paksha. Starting with the Krushna paksha, one kalaa, part every day is being consumed by the devataas. Who drinks what is told in the Smrutis.
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***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 23:
Peetam tam dvikalam somam krushna paksha kshaye dvija |
Pibanti pitarah teshaam bhaaskaraat tarpanam tathaa || ***Out of the 16, for 14 days, they consume one by one all the kalaas of Chandra. There will be two parts which will be left at the end of the Krushna paksha. Out of that, one kalaa is consumed by the Pitrus; this is how they get tarpana from Sun.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Peetam iti | Atah krushna chaturdashyante dvi kalatvam, krushna paksha kshaye
- darshe pibanti eka kalaa varjam; teshaam deva pitruunaam, tathaa ukta
prakaarena |*** At the end of Krushna chaturdashi, he has got two kalaas. In Amaavaasya, leaving one kalaa, part, they drink the remaining. This is how the devaas and pitrus are being fed and then pleased by the Sun.
This is how the Sun himself feeds everyone, is told.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 24:
Aadatte rashmibhih yam tu kshiti samstham rasam ravih |
Tam utsrujati bhootaanaam pushti artham sasya vruddhaye || Through his rays, the Sun draws all water in the earth. And he again throws it down in the form of rain, in order to nurture and be the cause of the growth of the beings, people, and also for the plants, herbs, twiners, etc.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Manushyaadi tarpanam aaha aadatta iti | Bhootaanaam manushyaadeenaam | ***
25
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 25:
Tena preenaati asheshaani bhootaani bhagavaan ravih |
Pitru deva manushyaadeen evam aapyaayati asou || ***This way, the Sun pleases all the beings. This is how he pleases and nurtures all the pitrus, devaas and manushyaas.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 11, Shloka 26:
Pakshatruptim tu devaanaam pitruunaam chaiva maasikeem |
Shashvat truptim cha martyaanaam maitreya arkah prayacchati || Devaas get trupti in the paksha, pitrus every month, all the time, the manushyaas are being fed.
[[184]]
This is also told in the Shrutis.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Deva pitru martyaanaam truptim kaalato vishinashti - paksha iti | * Shukle
poornam krushne pibanti devaah, iti teshaam shukla pakshe truptih | Eka
maasikeem poorva darshaat uttara darsham yaavat | Yat vaa devaanaam
darsha poornamaasayoh ishtih, pitruunaam darsha eva ishtih, manushyaanaam
nitya bhuktih cha, tat tat saadhana havirnishpattih soorya saadhyaa iti dina
paksha aadi truptih, * Tasmaat ahah ahah manushyaah ityaadi shruteh | Arkah
prayacchati iti punah keertanaat grahaanta krutam vrushti aadi phalam api tat
tat taaraa graha anugraahaka rashmi dvaaraa arka eva prayacchati iti uktam
syaat | Yathaa kourme * Harikeshah tu yah prokto rashmih nakshatra poshakah
| Vishvakarmaa tathaa rashmih budham pushnaati sarvadaa | Vishvavyachaa
soorya rashmih sitam pushnaati nityashah | Samyadvasuh iti khyaato yah sa
pushnaati lohitam | Bruhaspatim sa pushnaati rashmih arvaavasuh prabhoh |
Shanaishcharam sa pushnaati saptamah tu svaraahvayah | iti | ***In which time he does trupti of devaas, pitrus, manushyaas is told here. In the *Shukla *paksha, the moon is fed by the Sun. And in Krushna paksha, they consume that. One month means one Amaavaasyaa to the next Amaavaasyaa. For devaas, the ishti is done on Amaavaasya and Pournami. Pitrus are worshipped only during Amaavaasya. Humans are being fed all the time. The havis required for all these *tarpanaas, yajnya *yaagaadikaas, darsha poornamaasa, pitru tarpana, are all due to the Sun. Sun causes rains. Sun only gives, is told again. In various other planets also, there are rains happening; these are also because of the Sun only. All other planets, in order to do anugraha for them, to grace them, the various rays of the Sun are told to be responsible for all that. It is told in Koorma Puraana, there is one ray, rashmi called Harikesha, which feeds the nakshatraas, the stars. There is another ray called Vishvakarma, which feeds Budha. Vishvavyacha is one which feeds Shukra. There is one called Samyadvasu which feeds the lohita graha, Mangala. Bruhaspati, Jupiter is fed by Arvaavasu. There is another called Svaraahvaya which feeds Saturn.
In Shruti also, these names are told. Various rays of the Sun are feeding various other planets.
This concludes Chapter 11 of Amsha 2. ***
|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraane Dviteeye Amshe Ekaadasho Adhyaayah ||
|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraana Vyaakhyaane Sri Vishnu Chitteeye Dviteeye Amshe
Ekaadasho Adhyaayah ||
[[185]]
|| Atha Dvaadasho Adhyaayah ||
Moon, Samaanaadhikaranya, Asti-Naasti Shabdaas***
Now, the Chapter 12. Now, Sri Paraasharar is going to talk about the chariots of the moon and other planets.*** ***