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THE SÜRYASATAKA OF MAYŪRA
stutyas trailokyavandyais tridaśamunigaṇāiḥ so 'mśumāñ
śreyase vaḥ
Although sonship to Aditi¹ is common to all [the deities] who
well protect this universe,
Who are led by Vāsava² (Indra), and whose might is able to
destroy the foes of those dwelling in heaven,
[Yet] the Ray-possessing (Sürya), who is worthy to be praised
by troops of the gods and sages that are revered in the three
worlds,
212
[Is the only one who], because of his matchless qualities,
[rightly] applies to himself the name of 'Son of Aditi.'
May that Ray-possessing (Sürya) bring you prosperity!
Notes. 1. Aditi, whose name may mean 'boundless' or 'endless' (Faus-
böll, Indian Mythology, p. 76), was the mother of the Adityas; cf. Mac-
donell, Vedic Mythology, p. 120-121, and Mahabharata, 1.65. 14. Sürya
was one of the Adityas, or perhaps it is more accurate to say that the
twelve Adit (cf. stanza 94, and Candiśataka, stanza 42) were but mani-
festations of Sürya in the twelve months of the year. The names of
these deities, as given in Mahabharata, 1.65.15-16, are: Dhatar, Mitra,
Aryaman, Sakra (Indra), Varuṇa, Amśa, Bhaga, Vivasvat, Püşan, Savitar,
Tvaştar, Vişņu. According to Visnu Purana, 2. 10 (Wilson, vol. 2, p.
284-289), where a slightly different list is given, 84 special attendants were
assigned to the care and superintendence of Surya's car, one for each
month of the year, from each of the following seven groups: Adityas, Rşis,
Gandharvas, Apsarases, Yakşas, Sarpas (Serpents), and Räkṣasas.
Indra was called Väsava as being chief of the Vasus, or closely associated
with them; he is invoked along with them in Rig Veda, 7. 10.4 and 7.35.6.
In the Mahabharata, Vasava is one of Indra's most common designations;
cf. Sörensen's Index, s.v. Indra.
2.
V.L. (a) The Kävyamālā text reads nakdukaḥ pratyanika-; I have
emended to nakaukaḥpratyanika-, which seems to receive support from
the gloss devapratipanthi-. We cannot look to J or H or B for help on
such a point, because in those texts the words are frequently crowded
together or very oddly divided. B-paṭamahasam. (c) JHBK niratiśaya-
gunena "tmani. (d) HB stutyatrailokyavandais.
91
bhūmim dhāmno 'bhivṛṣṭyā jagati jalamayim pāvanīm sam-
smṛtāv apy
ägneyim dāhaśaktyā muhur api yajamānām yathāprārthi-
tārthäiḥ
stutyas trailokyavandyais tridaśamunigaṇāiḥ so 'mśumāñ
śreyase vaḥ
Although sonship to Aditi¹ is common to all [the deities] who
well protect this universe,
Who are led by Vāsava² (Indra), and whose might is able to
destroy the foes of those dwelling in heaven,
[Yet] the Ray-possessing (Sürya), who is worthy to be praised
by troops of the gods and sages that are revered in the three
worlds,
212
[Is the only one who], because of his matchless qualities,
[rightly] applies to himself the name of 'Son of Aditi.'
May that Ray-possessing (Sürya) bring you prosperity!
Notes. 1. Aditi, whose name may mean 'boundless' or 'endless' (Faus-
böll, Indian Mythology, p. 76), was the mother of the Adityas; cf. Mac-
donell, Vedic Mythology, p. 120-121, and Mahabharata, 1.65. 14. Sürya
was one of the Adityas, or perhaps it is more accurate to say that the
twelve Adit (cf. stanza 94, and Candiśataka, stanza 42) were but mani-
festations of Sürya in the twelve months of the year. The names of
these deities, as given in Mahabharata, 1.65.15-16, are: Dhatar, Mitra,
Aryaman, Sakra (Indra), Varuṇa, Amśa, Bhaga, Vivasvat, Püşan, Savitar,
Tvaştar, Vişņu. According to Visnu Purana, 2. 10 (Wilson, vol. 2, p.
284-289), where a slightly different list is given, 84 special attendants were
assigned to the care and superintendence of Surya's car, one for each
month of the year, from each of the following seven groups: Adityas, Rşis,
Gandharvas, Apsarases, Yakşas, Sarpas (Serpents), and Räkṣasas.
Indra was called Väsava as being chief of the Vasus, or closely associated
with them; he is invoked along with them in Rig Veda, 7. 10.4 and 7.35.6.
In the Mahabharata, Vasava is one of Indra's most common designations;
cf. Sörensen's Index, s.v. Indra.
2.
V.L. (a) The Kävyamālā text reads nakdukaḥ pratyanika-; I have
emended to nakaukaḥpratyanika-, which seems to receive support from
the gloss devapratipanthi-. We cannot look to J or H or B for help on
such a point, because in those texts the words are frequently crowded
together or very oddly divided. B-paṭamahasam. (c) JHBK niratiśaya-
gunena "tmani. (d) HB stutyatrailokyavandais.
91
bhūmim dhāmno 'bhivṛṣṭyā jagati jalamayim pāvanīm sam-
smṛtāv apy
ägneyim dāhaśaktyā muhur api yajamānām yathāprārthi-
tārthäiḥ