Listen, O wise one, to the wondrous order of the heavens and the sacred appointments of the divine. The stars and constellations, each in their own form, diminish in size as they ascend, with intervals of five hundred, four hundred, three hundred, and two hundred yojanas between them. Above all these shine the smallest circles of stars, each spanning but two yojanas; beyond these, nothing is found to be smaller. Rising above these lesser circles are three planets renowned for their distant, slow-moving courses: Saturn, Mars, and the retrograde planet. Beneath them, four great planets move swiftly across the sky—the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, and Venus. The stars themselves are as countless as the crores of constellations, their positions fixed along the celestial path, governed by the rule emanating from the steadfast Pole Star. The Sun, drawn by seven radiant horses, rises and sets in its ordained rhythm. When the Moon journeys along the northern path at the junctures, its height makes it appear swiftly, though its rays are not sharply distinct; when it moves along the southern path, it follows a lower course. The Sun, encircled by the earth, is visible at the times of full and new moons, and, at the proper moment, it sets quickly as well. Thus, when the Moon is on the northern path during the new moon, it is seen; but when on the southern path, according to the rule, it remains unseen. Through the conjunction of the luminaries’ courses, the Sun is sometimes veiled by darkness; at the equinoxes, sunrise and sunset occur at the same time. In the northern circuit, sunrise and sunset are intermediate, and at the full and new moons, they follow the wheel of light. When the radiant Sun moves southward, it passes below all the planets. The Moon, making a wide circle, moves above the Sun, and above the Moon, the entire circle of constellations revolves. Higher still lies Mercury, above Mercury is Venus, above Venus is Mars, and above Mars is Jupiter. Beyond the slow-moving planets is the exalted region of the Seven Sages, and above them is the fixed and eternal position of Dhruva, the Pole Star. Whosoever knows this supreme realm of Vishnu, set at a distance of two thousand and one hundred yojanas, is freed from sin. Above all the planets, stars, and constellations, in their due order, shine the planets, the Moon, and the Sun, each radiant with divine brilliance. Ever joined to the constellations, they move in sequence day and night, occupying low, high, and straight positions. At their conjunctions and separations, people observe them together; and all six seasons are said to merge in fivefold ways. These heavenly bodies are mutually established, uniting and separating with perfect order, and their conjunctions are understood by the wise as occurring without confusion. Thus, O twice-born, the movement of the planets, led by the Sun, has been briefly described, as seen and as heard. In the lordship over the planets, the Blessed One was anointed by Brahma, the lotus-born, and the thousand-rayed Sun was anointed by Rudra, just as Guha was. Therefore, the virtuous should worship the planets and offer sacrifices into the fire as prescribed, to fulfill their desires and find relief during afflictions caused by the Sun or other planets. Now, hear how Brahma, the lord of all creatures, anointed the beings—gods and demons alike. In the rule over the planets, the Blessed One anointed the Sun; Brahma made Soma, the Moon, lord of the stars and plants. He appointed Varuna as lord of the waters, Kubera as chief of the Yakshas, Vishnu among the Adityas, and Pavaka among the Vasus. Daksha was made lord of the progenitors, Shakra of the Maruts, and Prahlada, foremost among Daityas, was made lord of the Daityas and Danavas. Dharma was made lord of the ancestors, Nirriti of the flesh-eaters, Rudra of the animals, and Nandi, leader of the hosts, of the spirits. Virabhadra was made lord of heroes, the terrifying one of the Piśācas, and Chamunda, honored by all gods, of the Mothers. The blue-red Ishvara was made lord of the Rudras and gods, and Vinayaka, the elephant-faced god born of the sky, became lord of obstacles. Uma was made goddess of women, Sarasvati of speech, Vishnu of magicians, and Brahma himself as the soul of the worlds. Himavat was made lord of the mountains, Jahnavi of the rivers, and the ocean, the repository of waters, lord of all the seas. Among trees, the Lord of ancestors made the aśvattha and the plakṣa foremost. Citraratha was appointed lord of the Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, and Kinnaras; Vasuki, of fierce strength, as king of the serpents; and Takṣaka, also of fierce strength, as lord of the snakes. Suparṇa was made lord of birds, and Uccaiḥśravas the king of horses. The lion became lord of beasts, the bull of cows, the śarabha of wild animals, Guha—immeasurable—as commander of armies, and Lakulīśa as lord of the Vedas and Smṛtis. Sudharmā, Śaṅkhapada, Ketumanta, and Hemaromā were anointed in turn. On earth, Pṛthu was made lord, Maheśvara lord of all, and among the four-formed, the all-knowing Śaṅkara, bearer of the bull-banner. By the grace of the blessed Śambhu, Brahma anointed each in due order; having consecrated them, the virtuous lord of the world shone resplendent. Thus, O foremost sages, has this sacred account been told to you in detail—how these beings were anointed by the source of the universe, and how each is thus distinguished in the cosmic order.