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196
THE SÜRYASATAKA OF MAYŪRA
75
pratyuptas taptahemojjvalarucir acalaḥ padmarāgeṇa yena
jyāyaḥ kimjalkapuñjo yad alikulaśiter ambarendivarasya
kālavyālasya cihnam mahitatamam ahomūrdhni ratnam mahad
yad
diptāmsoḥ pratar avyāt tad avikalajaganmaṇḍanam maṇḍalam
vaḥ
The disk of the Hot-rayed (Sürya) [constitutes] at dawn the
entire ornament of the universe;
Because of it, Mount (Meru), which possesses the dazzling
splendor of molten gold, [appears to be] studded with ruby;
[And] it is beautiful¹ [like] the mass of the filaments of the
celestial blue lotus that is black with a swarm of bees³;
[And] it [also serves as] the most revered crest-ornament of the
Serpent of Time,' [and] as a mighty jewel on the head of
Day.
May that disk of the Hot-rayed (Surya) protect you!
Notes. 1. The term jyayaḥ, which I have rendered as 'beautiful,' regu-
larly means 'elder,' 'superior.' 2. The commentary supplies iva, 'like.'
3. Apparently the yellow disk of Sürya is here compared to the round
yellow cluster of filaments and anthers in the center of a lotus. The sur-
rounding blue petals, covered with the dark-colored bees, may be likened
to the blue-black sky which serves as background for the solar disk. 4.
The commentary, which I have followed, glosses cihnam by firoratnam,
'crest-jewel.' 5. By 'Serpent of Time' is perhaps meant the thousand-
headed serpent Seșa (cf. stanza 35, note 8), who served as Vişnu's couch
at the bottom of the ocean. He was regarded as the emblem of eternity,
one of his epithets being Ananta, 'Endless One.' He was said to have
a thousand jewels on his crest, and to bear the entire world on his diadem
(cf. Vişnu Purana, 2.5 [Wilson, vol. 2, p. 211-213]), but I have nowhere
seen it stated that Sürya's disk formed his crest-jewel. 6. The com-
mentary quotes from an unnamed source, which I find to be Satapatha
Brahmana, 10. 5. 2. 1: yad etan mandalam tapati iti śrutih. It is worthy of
note that stanza 89 of the Süryaśataka opens with nearly the same words,
viz. 'ctad yan mandalam khe tapati.'
V.L. (a) HB padmaragena (with dental nasal). (b) VJHB kimjalka-
punjam; VJHB alikulasiter (with dental sibilant). (c) HB ratnam
mahat tat. (d) H -jaganmandanam (with last nasal a lingual), B -jagan-
mandalam; VJHB mangalam vaḥ.
THE SÜRYASATAKA OF MAYŪRA
75
pratyuptas taptahemojjvalarucir acalaḥ padmarāgeṇa yena
jyāyaḥ kimjalkapuñjo yad alikulaśiter ambarendivarasya
kālavyālasya cihnam mahitatamam ahomūrdhni ratnam mahad
yad
diptāmsoḥ pratar avyāt tad avikalajaganmaṇḍanam maṇḍalam
vaḥ
The disk of the Hot-rayed (Sürya) [constitutes] at dawn the
entire ornament of the universe;
Because of it, Mount (Meru), which possesses the dazzling
splendor of molten gold, [appears to be] studded with ruby;
[And] it is beautiful¹ [like] the mass of the filaments of the
celestial blue lotus that is black with a swarm of bees³;
[And] it [also serves as] the most revered crest-ornament of the
Serpent of Time,' [and] as a mighty jewel on the head of
Day.
May that disk of the Hot-rayed (Surya) protect you!
Notes. 1. The term jyayaḥ, which I have rendered as 'beautiful,' regu-
larly means 'elder,' 'superior.' 2. The commentary supplies iva, 'like.'
3. Apparently the yellow disk of Sürya is here compared to the round
yellow cluster of filaments and anthers in the center of a lotus. The sur-
rounding blue petals, covered with the dark-colored bees, may be likened
to the blue-black sky which serves as background for the solar disk. 4.
The commentary, which I have followed, glosses cihnam by firoratnam,
'crest-jewel.' 5. By 'Serpent of Time' is perhaps meant the thousand-
headed serpent Seșa (cf. stanza 35, note 8), who served as Vişnu's couch
at the bottom of the ocean. He was regarded as the emblem of eternity,
one of his epithets being Ananta, 'Endless One.' He was said to have
a thousand jewels on his crest, and to bear the entire world on his diadem
(cf. Vişnu Purana, 2.5 [Wilson, vol. 2, p. 211-213]), but I have nowhere
seen it stated that Sürya's disk formed his crest-jewel. 6. The com-
mentary quotes from an unnamed source, which I find to be Satapatha
Brahmana, 10. 5. 2. 1: yad etan mandalam tapati iti śrutih. It is worthy of
note that stanza 89 of the Süryaśataka opens with nearly the same words,
viz. 'ctad yan mandalam khe tapati.'
V.L. (a) HB padmaragena (with dental nasal). (b) VJHB kimjalka-
punjam; VJHB alikulasiter (with dental sibilant). (c) HB ratnam
mahat tat. (d) H -jaganmandanam (with last nasal a lingual), B -jagan-
mandalam; VJHB mangalam vaḥ.