Canto 5: The Creative ImpetusChapter 21: The Movements of the Sun

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.21.18

tathānye ca ṛṣayo gandharvāpsaraso nāgā grāmaṇyo yātudhānā devā ity ekaikaśo gaṇāḥ sapta caturdaśa māsi māsi bhagavantaḿ sūryam ātmānaḿ nānā-nāmānaḿ pṛthań-nānā-nāmānaḥ pṛthak-karmabhir dvandvaśa upāsate

SYNONYMS

tathā — similarly; anye — others; ca — also; ṛṣayaḥ — saintly persons; gandharva-apsarasaḥ — Gandharvas and Apsarās; nāgāḥNāga snakes; grāmaṇyaḥ — Yakṣas; yātudhānāḥ — Rākṣasas; devāḥ — demigods; iti — thus; eka-ekaśaḥ — one by one; gaṇāḥ — groups; sapta — seven; caturdaśa — fourteen in number; māsi māsiin every month; bhagavantam — unto the most powerful demigod; sūryam — the sun-god; ātmānam — the life of the universe; nānā — various; nāmānam — who possesses names; pṛthak — separate; nānā-nāmānaḥ — having various names; pṛthak — separate; karmabhiḥ — by ritualistic ceremonies; dvandvaśaḥin groups of two; upāsate — worship.

TRANSLATION

Similarly, fourteen other saints, Gandharvas, Apsarās, Nāgas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas 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 Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said:

stuvanti munayaḥ sūryaḿ

gandharvair gīyate puraḥ

nṛtyanto 'psaraso yānti

sūryasyānu niśācarāḥ

vahanti pannagā yakṣaiḥ

kriyate 'bhiṣusańgrahaḥ

vālikhilyās tathaivainaḿ

parivārya samāsate

so 'yaḿ sapta-gaṇaḥ sūrya-

maṇḍale muni-sattama

himoṣṇa vāri-vṛṣṭīṇāḿ

hetutve samayaḿ gataḥ

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 Yakṣas 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