Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.21.18

tathānye ca rishayo gandharvāpsaraso nāgā grāmanyo yātudhānā devā ity ekaikaśo ganāh sapta caturdaśa māsi māsi bhagavantam sūryam ātmānam nānā-nāmānam prithań-nānā-nāmānah prithak-karmabhir dvandvaśa upāsate

SYNONYMS

tathā — similarly; anye — others; ca — also; rishayah — saintly persons; gandharva-apsarasah — Gandharvas and Apsarās; nāgāh — Nāga snakes; grāmanyah — Yakshas; yātudhānāh — Rākshasas; devāh — demigods; iti — thus; eka-ekaśah — one by one; ganāh — groups; sapta — seven; caturdaśa — fourteen in number; māsi māsi — in every month; bhagavantam — unto the most powerful demigod; sūryam — the sun-god; ātmānam — the life of the universe; nānā — various; nāmānam — who possesses names; prithak — separate; nānā-nāmānah — having various names; prithak — separate; karmabhih — by ritualistic ceremonies; dvandvaśah — in groups of two; upāsate — worship.

TRANSLATION

Similarly, fourteen other saints, Gandharvas, Apsarās, Nāgas, Yakshas, Rākshasas and demigods, who are divided into groups of two, assume different names every month and continuously perform different ritualistic ceremonies to worship the Supreme Lord as the most powerful demigod Sūryadeva, who holds many names.

PURPORT

In the Vishnu Purāna it is said:

stuvanti munayah sūryam

gandharvair gīyate purah

nrityanto 'psaraso yānti

sūryasyānu niśācarāh

vahanti pannagā yakshaih

kriyate 'bhishusańgrahah

vālikhilyās tathaivainam

parivārya samāsate

so 'yam sapta-ganah sūrya-

mandale muni-sattama

himoshna vāri-vrishtīnām

hetutve samayam gatah

Worshiping the most powerful demigod Sūrya, the Gandharvas sing in front of him, the Apsarās dance before the chariot, the Niśācaras follow the chariot, the Pannagas decorate the chariot, the Yakshas guard the chariot, and the saints called the Vālikhilyas surround the sun-god and offer prayers. The seven groups of fourteen associates arrange the proper times for regular snow, heat and rain throughout the universe.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness