ब्राह्मणः उवाच विवस्वतो गच्छति पर्ययेण वोढुं भवांस्तं रथमेकचक्रम्। आश्चर्यभूतं यदि तत्र किंचिद् दृष्टं त्वया शंसितुमर्हसि त्वम्॥
The Brahmana said You go for dragging the one-wheeled car of Vivasvat according to your turn. You should describe to me anything wonderful that you may have seen in those regions through which you pass.
नाग उवाच आश्चर्याणामनेकानां प्रतिष्ठा भगवान् रविः। यतो भूताः प्रवर्तन्ते सर्वे त्रैलोक्यसम्मताः॥
The Naga said, The divine Sun is the refuge or home of numberless wonders. All the creatures that inhabit the three worlds have sprung from the Sun.
यस्य रश्मिसहस्रेषु शाखास्विव विहंगमाः। वसन्त्याश्रित्य मुनयः संसिद्धा दैवतैः सह॥
Numberless Munis, crowned with ascetic success, together with all the gods, live in the rays of the Sun like birds perching on the branches of trees.
यतो वायुर्विनिःसृत्य सूर्यरश्म्याश्रितो महान्। विजृम्भत्यम्बरे तत्र किमाश्चार्यमतः परम्॥
What, again, can be more wonderful than this that the powerful Wind, emanating from the Sun, takes refuge in his rays and thence yawns over universe?
विभज्य तं तु विप्रर्षे प्रजानां हितकाम्यया। तोयं सृजति वर्षासु किमाश्चर्यमत: परम्॥
What can be more wonderful than this, O twice-born Rishi, that the Sun, dividing the Wind into many parts from desire of doing good to all creatures, creates rain that falls in the rain sea on?
यस्य मण्डलमध्यस्थो महात्मा परमत्विषा। दीप्तः समीक्षते लोकान् किमाश्चर्यमतः परम्॥
What can be more wonderful than this the Supreme Soul, from within the solar disc, himself bathed in burning effulgence, looks upon the universe?
शुक्रो नामासितः पादो यश्च वारिधरोऽम्बरे। तोयं सृजति वर्षासु किमाश्चर्यमतः परम्॥
What can be more wonderful than this that the Sun has a black ray which, changes itself into clouds charged with rain and pours showers of rain when the season comes?
योऽष्टमासांस्तु शुचिना किरणेनोक्षितं पयः। प्रत्यादत्ते पुनः काले किमाश्चर्यमतः परम्॥
What can be more wonderful than this that drinking up for eight months the rain he pours down he pours it down again in the rainy season.
यस्य तेजोविशेषेषु स्वयमात्मा प्रतिष्ठितः। यतो बीजं मही चेयं धार्यते सचराचरा॥
In certain rays of the Sun, the Soul of the universe said to live. From Him is the seed of all things, and it is He that supports the earth with all her mobile and immobile creatures.
यत्र देवो महाबाहुः शाश्वतः पुरुषोत्तमः। अनादिनिधनो विप्र किमाश्चर्यमतः परम्॥
What can be more wonderful, O Brahmana, than this, that the foremost of Purushas, eternal and mighty-armed, endued with great effulgence, eternal, and without beginning and without end, lives in the Sun?
आश्चर्याणामिवाश्चर्यमिदमेकं तु मे शृणु। विमले यन्मया दृष्टमम्बरे सूर्यसंश्रयात्॥
Listen, however, to one thing I shall tell you now. It is the wonder of wonders. I have seen it in the clear sky, on account of my nearless to the Sun.
पुरा मध्याह्नसमये लोकांस्तपति भास्करे। प्रतदित्यप्रतीकाशः सर्वतः समदृश्यत्॥
In former times, one day at the hour of noon, while the Sun was shining in all his glory and giving heat to everything we saw a Being coming towards the Sun, who seemed to shine with effulgence that was equal to that of the Sun himself.
स लोकांस्तेजसा सर्वान् स्वभासा निर्विभासयन्। आदित्याभिमुखोऽभ्येति गगनं पाटयन्निव॥
Making all the worlds shine up with his glory and filling them with his energy, he came, as I have already told you towards the Sun, rending the sky, as it were, for passing through it.
हुताहुतिरिव ज्योतिर्व्याप्य तेजोमरीचिभिः। अनिर्देश्येन रूपेण द्वितीय इव भास्करः॥
The rays that came out of his body seemed to resemble the blazing effulgence of libations of clarified butter poured into the sacrificial fire. On account of his energy and splendour he could not he looked at. His form seemed to be indescribable. Indeed, he appeared to us to be like a second Sun.
तस्याभिगमनप्राप्ती हस्तौ दत्तौ विवस्वता। तेनापि दक्षिणो हस्तो दत्तः प्रत्यर्चितार्थिना॥
As soon as he came near the Sun extended his two hands. For honouring the Sun in return, he also extended his right-hand.
ततो भित्त्वैव गगनं प्रविष्टो रश्मिमण्डलम्। एकीभूतं च तत् तेजः क्षणेनादित्यतां गतम्॥
The latter the then, piercing through the sky, entered into the Sun's disc. Mingling then with the Sun's energy, he seemed to be changed into the Sun's self.
तत्र नः संशयो जातस्तयोस्तेजः समागमे। अनयोः को भवेत् सूर्यो रथस्थो योऽयमागतः॥
When the two energies thus met together, we were so confounded that we could not any longer make out which was which. Indeed, we could not make out who was the Sun whom we bore on his car, and who was Being that we had seen coming through the sky.
ते वयं जातसंदेहाः पर्यपृच्छामहे रविम्। क एष दिवमाक्रम्य गतः सूर्य इवापरः॥
Filled with confusion, we then addressed the Sun, saying,-O illustrious one, who is this Being who has mixed himself with you and has been charged into your second self.