As the cosmic day unfolds, the sun makes its slow and measured journey across the heavens. During the night, it passes through twelve and a half constellations in as many muhūrtas, while in the day, it traverses eighteen. This steady movement is likened to a great wheel turning ever so slowly at its center, much like the fixed pole at the heart of a potter’s wheel causes the whole mass of clay to revolve. The wise, versed in the ancient traditions, declare that a full day and night together comprise thirty muhūrtas, as the celestial circles spin between their two extremes. At the hub of this cosmic wheel stands Uttānapāda, remaining steadfast at the center like the hub of the potter’s wheel, and revolving in harmony with the planets as their chief. Sages who are masters of astronomy say that his mind moves along with these celestial bodies, and it is by his establishment that the sun holds its position in the sky. With his radiant rays, the sun—along with the wind—draws up water from every place, and by the grace of Uttānapāda, this eternal cycle is maintained without fail. By the power of Viṣṇu’s Uttānapāda, and for the sake of the cosmic Father, the sun lifts the waters, which then gradually make their way to the moon. From the moon, these waters descend in succession to the clouds, and the hosts of water-bearers, driven by the wind, release their bounty as rain. Thus, the sun, shining with the essence of these waters, sustains creation on earth. There is no destruction of water in this process—it is a perpetual cycle, ever revolving. This wondrous cycle, established by Śarva for the welfare of all beings, encompasses earth, atmosphere, heaven, waters, food, and even immortality itself. Indeed, waters are the very life-breath of the worlds, of all beings and realms. What more need be said? The entire universe, both moving and unmoving, is sustained by water. The blessed Lord Śiva is ever established as the sovereign of the waters; Bhava, the great god, is proclaimed as their lord. The whole world is of the nature of Bhava—what wonder is there in this? The divinity of Nārāyaṇa, of Hari, is affirmed through the waters, for Viṣṇu is the very foundation of the worlds, and water is his foundation. When all beings, moving and unmoving, are scorched, those that become wheat grains rise upward, carried by the wind; by the union of fire and wind, they become clouds. This union of smoke, fire, and wind is what is called a cloud, and the cloud, whose lord is said to have a thousand eyes, pours down water upon the earth. Clouds arising from the smoke of sacrifice always bring benefit to the twice-born, while those produced from the smoke of forest fires nourish the forests. But clouds born from the smoke of corpses bring misfortune, and those from the smoke of sorcery fires are for the destruction of beings. In this way, by distinguishing the sources of smoke, the benefit or harm brought to the worlds is known. Therefore, smoke from sorcery must be covered, for if a twice-born fails to do so, he becomes the cause of the world’s destruction. O virtuous ones, clouds—the storehouses of water—rain for six months by the command of the wind, bringing benefit to all the worlds. Thunder, too, is of three kinds: from wind, from lightning, and from fire. These are the threefold origins of clouds, as declared by the wise. Because clouds do not fall, they are called ‘megha’. The wings of the clouds, which carry wood and are of various forms, are said to be of Brahmā. From the union of clarified butter and wood, smoke arises from fire; another kind arises from Brahmā’s breath. Then, with the wings of mountains, which Indra has cut, the auspicious fire-clouds move to their appointed places. All those clouds born from Brahmā’s breath, from the branches of the wind, and from wings—such as Puṣkara and others—bring rain when the time is right. There are clouds that are mute, noisy, or impure, each performing its function in due order. Those that bring cold winds provide scanty rain over a long period. Similarly, the ‘jīvaka’ clouds, weak and without thunder, float at a distance of a krośa above the earth. Mountain-dwelling clouds hover at half a krośa, while the abundant rain-givers, by their greatness, remain a yojana above. O twice-born, clouds with the quality of lightning are found close to the earth’s surface, and their rain is said to be threefold. All clouds born from wings and from the Kalpa trees, the greatest among the mountains, rain at the end of the Kalpa during the night, bringing about the destruction of the autumn season. When the birds, lotuses, and others pour down water, the entire ocean is filled, and there the peerless Lord finds his rest. O best of twice-born, the smoke arising from fire, from breath, from birds, and from clouds is always regarded as nourishment for the world. In the Pundra region, all rain is born from lightning, bringing chill and abundant crops; the dew and frost that fall there are said to be the droplets of serpents. The sacred Ganges, born from the waters of the Ganga, is filled by rain and mountain streams, crowded with the rivers and the elephants of the quarters. The water that separates from the clouds is mostly carried away by the wind called Parāvaha, which brings it to the teacher of Ambika. O twice-born, after passing the lord of Mena, the remaining rain falls upon the land of Bharata, increasing the bounty of the western regions. Thus, the rains have been described as twofold for the increase of all things; now, briefly, the two kinds of crops will be explained. The creator, the sun of great brilliance, the all-seeing, the pervader—he alone, O best of twice-born, is truly the supreme Lord Shiva. He is the energy, the vigor, the strength, O brahmins; he is fame, the eye, the ear, the mind, death, the self, anger, the directions, and the quarters. He is truth, order, the wind, the sky, and the one who moves in the sky; he is the guardian of the world—Hari, Brahma, Rudra—indeed, the great Lord himself.