The Shishumara Constellation and the Cycle of Rain

Verse 1 (vishnu.2.9.1)

पराशर उवाच । तारामयं भगवतः शिशुमाराकृति प्रभोः । दिवि रूपं हरेर् यत् तु तस्य पुच्छे स्थितो ध्रुवः

parāśara uvāca tārāmayaṁ bhagavataḥ śiśumārākṛti prabhoḥ divi rūpaṁ harer yat tu tasya pucche sthito dhruvaḥ

Parashara said: The starry form of Lord Hari in the sky, shaped like a shishumara — at its tail is situated Dhruva.

Verse 2 (vishnu.2.9.2)

एष भ्रमन् भ्रामयति चन्द्रादित्यादिकान् ग्रहान् । भ्रमन्तम् अनु तं यान्ति नक्षत्राणि च चक्रवत्

eṣa bhraman bhrāmayati candrādityādikān grahān bhramantam anu taṁ yānti nakṣatrāṇi ca cakravat

This Dhruva, revolving, causes the moon, sun, and other planets to revolve too; following his revolution, the constellations turn like a wheel.

Verse 3 (vishnu.2.9.3)

सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ तारा नक्षत्राणि ग्रहैः सह । वातानीकमयैर् बन्धैर् ध्रुवे बद्धानि तानि वै

sūryācandramasau tārā nakṣatrāṇi grahaiḥ saha vātānīkamayair bandhair dhruve baddhāni tāni vai

The sun and moon, the stars, the constellations, and the planets — all these are bound to Dhruva by bonds like cords of wind.

Verse 4 (vishnu.2.9.4)

शिशुमाराकृति प्रोक्तं यद् रूपं ज्योतिषां दिवि । नारायणोऽयनं धाम्नां तस्याधारः स्वयं हृदि

śiśumārākṛti proktaṁ yad rūpaṁ jyotiṣāṁ divi nārāyaṇo'yanaṁ dhāmnāṁ tasyādhāraḥ svayaṁ hṛdi

That shishumara-shaped form of the assembly of heavenly lights in the sky — Narayana himself is the abode of those luminaries, being their support, residing in its very heart.

Verse 5 (vishnu.2.9.5)

उत्तानपादपुत्रस् तु तम् आराध्य जगत्पतिम् । सताराशिशुमारस्य ध्रुवः पुच्छे व्यवस्थितः

uttānapādaputras tu tam ārādhya jagatpatim satārāśiśumārasya dhruvaḥ pucche vyavasthitaḥ

Dhruva, the son of Uttanapada, having worshipped that Lord of the world, is established at the tail of that star-filled shishumara.

Verse 6 (vishnu.2.9.6)

आधारः शिशुमारस्य सर्वाध्यक्षो जनार्दनः । ध्रुवस्य शिशुमारश् च ध्रुवे भानुर् व्यवस्थितः

ādhāraḥ śiśumārasya sarvādhyakṣo janārdanaḥ dhruvasya śiśumāraś ca dhruve bhānur vyavasthitaḥ

The support of the shishumara is Janardana, overseer of all; and the shishumara is Dhruva's support; upon Dhruva rests the sun.

Verse 7 (vishnu.2.9.7)

तदाधारं जगच् चेदं सदेवासुरमानुषम्

tadādhāraṁ jagac cedaṁ sadevāsuramānuṣam

Upon that sun rests this entire world, together with gods, asuras, and men.

Verse 8 (vishnu.2.9.8)

येन विप्र विधानेन तन् ममैकमनाः शृणु । विवस्वान् अष्टभिर् मासैर् आदायापो रसान्विताः । वर्षत्य् अम्बु ततश् चान्नम् अन्नाद् अप्य् अखिलं जगत्

yena vipra vidhānena tan mamaikamanāḥ śṛṇu vivasvān aṣṭabhir māsair ādāyāpo rasānvitāḥ varṣaty ambu tataś cānnam annād apy akhilaṁ jagat

O brahmin, hear from me with one-pointed mind the manner in which this happens: Vivasvat (the sun), over eight months, draws up water together with its essence; from that comes rainfall, from rain comes food, and from food alone this entire world subsists.

Verse 9 (vishnu.2.9.9)

विवस्वान् अंशुभिस् तीक्ष्णैर् आदाय जगतो जलम् । सोमे मुञ्चत्य् अथेन्दुश् च वायुनाडीमयैर् दिवि । नालैर् विक्षिपतेऽभ्रेषु धूमाग्न्यनिलमूर्तिषु

vivasvān aṁśubhis tīkṣṇair ādāya jagato jalam some muñcaty athenduś ca vāyunāḍīmayair divi nālair vikṣipate'bhreṣu dhūmāgnyanilamūrtiṣu

Vivasvat, with his sharp rays, draws up the world's water and releases it into the Moon; and the Moon, through channels of wind, in the sky scatters it into the clouds, which have the nature of smoke, fire, and wind.

Verse 10 (vishnu.2.9.10)

न भ्रश्यन्ति यतस् तेभ्यो जलान्य् अभ्राणि तान्य् अतः । अभ्रस्थाः प्रपतन्त्य् आपो वायुना समुदीरिताः । संस्कारं कालजनितं मैत्रेयासाद्य निर्मलाः

na bhraśyanti yatas tebhyo jalāny abhrāṇi tāny ataḥ abhrasthāḥ prapatanty āpo vāyunā samudīritāḥ saṁskāraṁ kālajanitaṁ maitreyāsādya nirmalāḥ

Because water does not fall away from them, they are called 'abhra' (that which does not fall); the water situated in those clouds, impelled by the wind, O Maitreya, having attained a purification born of time, falls down pure.

Verse 11 (vishnu.2.9.11)

सरित्समुद्रभौमास् तु तथापः प्राणिसंभवाः । चतुष्प्रकारा भगवान् आदत्ते सविता मुने

saritsamudrabhaumās tu tathāpaḥ prāṇisaṁbhavāḥ catuṣprakārā bhagavān ādatte savitā mune

O sage, Lord Sun draws up water of four kinds — from rivers, from the ocean, from the earth, and produced from living beings.

Verse 12 (vishnu.2.9.12)

आकाशगङ्गासलिलं तथादाय गभस्तिमान् । अनभ्रगतम् एवोर्व्यां सद्यः क्षिपति रश्मिभिः

ākāśagaṅgāsalilaṁ tathādāya gabhastimān anabhragatam evorvyāṁ sadyaḥ kṣipati raśmibhiḥ

Likewise, having drawn up the water of the celestial Ganga too, the sun casts it down at once upon the earth with his rays, without it ever resting in a cloud.

Verse 13 (vishnu.2.9.13)

तस्य संस्पर्शनिर्धूतपापपङ्को द्विजोत्तम । न याति नरकं मर्त्यो दिव्यं स्नानं हि तत् स्मृतम्

tasya saṁsparśanirdhūtapāpapaṅko dvijottama na yāti narakaṁ martyo divyaṁ snānaṁ hi tat smṛtam

O foremost of the twice-born, by contact with that water the mire of sin is washed away; the man does not go to hell — that is reckoned a divine bathing.

Verse 14 (vishnu.2.9.14)

दृष्टसूर्यं हि यद् वारि पतत्य् अभ्रैर् विना दिवः । आकाशगङ्गासलिलं तद् गोभिः क्षिप्यते रवेः

dṛṣṭasūryaṁ hi yad vāri pataty abhrair vinā divaḥ ākāśagaṅgāsalilaṁ tad gobhiḥ kṣipyate raveḥ

That water which falls from the sky without a cloud, while the sun is visible, is indeed the water of the celestial Ganga, cast down by the sun's rays.

Verse 15 (vishnu.2.9.15)

कृत्तिकादिषु ऋक्षेषु विषमेष्व् अम्बु यद् दिवः । दृष्टार्कं पतितं ज्ञेयं तद् गाङ्गं दिग्गजोज्झितम्

kṛttikādiṣu ṛkṣeṣu viṣameṣv ambu yad divaḥ dṛṣṭārkaṁ patitaṁ jñeyaṁ tad gāṅgaṁ diggajojjhitam

In the odd-numbered constellations beginning with Krittika, when water is seen falling from the sky in the sun's presence, know it as Ganga-water released from the direction-guarding elephants.

Verse 16 (vishnu.2.9.16)

युग्मर्क्षेषु तु यत् तोयं पतत्य् अर्कोज्झितं दिवः । तत् सूर्यरश्मिभिः सद्यः समादाय निरस्यते

yugmarkṣeṣu tu yat toyaṁ pataty arkojjhitaṁ divaḥ tat sūryaraśmibhiḥ sadyaḥ samādāya nirasyate

But in the even-numbered constellations, the water that falls from the sky unseen by the sun is at once drawn back up and taken away by the sun's rays.

Verse 17 (vishnu.2.9.17)

उभयं पुण्यम् अत्यर्थं नृणां पापहरं द्विज । आकाशगङ्गासलिलं दिव्यं स्नानं महामुने

ubhayaṁ puṇyam atyarthaṁ nṛṇāṁ pāpaharaṁ dvija ākāśagaṅgāsalilaṁ divyaṁ snānaṁ mahāmune

O twice-born, both are exceedingly meritorious and remove men's sins; O great sage, the water of the celestial Ganga is indeed a divine bath.

Verse 18 (vishnu.2.9.18)

यत् तु मेघैः समुत्सृष्टं वारि तत् प्राणिनां द्विज । पुष्णात्य् ओषधयः सर्वा जीवनायामृतं हि तत्

yat tu meghaiḥ samutsṛṣṭaṁ vāri tat prāṇināṁ dvija puṣṇāty oṣadhayaḥ sarvā jīvanāyāmṛtaṁ hi tat

But, O twice-born, the water released by the clouds nourishes all the herbs — for the life of creatures, it is indeed like nectar.

Verse 19 (vishnu.2.9.19)

तेन वृद्धिं परां नीतः सलिलेनौषधीगणः । साधकः फलपाकान्तः प्रजानां द्विज जायते

tena vṛddhiṁ parāṁ nītaḥ salilenauṣadhīgaṇaḥ sādhakaḥ phalapākāntaḥ prajānāṁ dvija jāyate

By that water, the mass of herbs, brought to full growth, becomes, up to the ripening of their fruit, the means of subsistence for creatures, O twice-born.

Verse 20 (vishnu.2.9.20)

तेन यज्ञान् यथाप्रोक्तान् मानवाः शास्त्रचक्षुषः । कुर्वन्त्य् अहरहस् तैश् च देवान् आप्याययन्ति ते

tena yajñān yathāproktān mānavāḥ śāstracakṣuṣaḥ kurvanty aharahas taiś ca devān āpyāyayanti te

By means of this, men whose eyes are the scriptures perform, day after day, sacrifices as prescribed, and by them they gratify the gods.

Verse 21 (vishnu.2.9.21)

एवं यज्ञाश् च वेदाश् च वर्णाश् च द्विजपूर्वकाः । सर्वे देवनिकायाश् च पशुभूतगणाश् च ये

evaṁ yajñāś ca vedāś ca varṇāś ca dvijapūrvakāḥ sarve devanikāyāś ca paśubhūtagaṇāś ca ye

Thus the sacrifices, the Vedas, the castes headed by the brahmins, all the classes of gods, and the groups of animals and creatures as well —

Verse 22 (vishnu.2.9.22)

वृष्ट्या धृतम् इदं सर्वम् अन्नं निष्पाद्यते यया । सापि निष्पाद्यते वृष्टिः सवित्रा मुनिसत्तम

vṛṣṭyā dhṛtam idaṁ sarvam annaṁ niṣpādyate yayā sāpi niṣpādyate vṛṣṭiḥ savitrā munisattama

all this is sustained by rain, by which food is produced; and that rain too is produced by the sun, O best of sages.

Verse 23 (vishnu.2.9.23)

आधारभूतः सवितुर् ध्रुवो मुनिवरोत्तम । ध्रुवस्य शिशुमारोऽसौ सोऽपि नारायणाश्रयः

ādhārabhūtaḥ savitur dhruvo munivarottama dhruvasya śiśumāro'sau so'pi nārāyaṇāśrayaḥ

Dhruva is the support of the sun, O best of sages; the support of Dhruva is that shishumara; and that too rests in the refuge of Narayana.

Verse 24 (vishnu.2.9.24)

हृदि नारायणस् तस्य शिशुमारस्य संस्थितः । बिभर्ता सर्वभूतानाम् आदिभूतः सनातनः

hṛdi nārāyaṇas tasya śiśumārasya saṁsthitaḥ bibhartā sarvabhūtānām ādibhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ

In the heart of that shishumara stands Narayana himself, the sustainer of all beings, the eternal, primordial one.