d in acquiring
unrivalled prosperity--Salutations to Vasishtha of high vows after having
bowed with reverence unto Parasara, that Ocean of the Vedas! Salutations
to the great snake Ananta, and salutations to all those who are crowned
with success, and who are of unfading glory! Salutations to the Rishis,
and unto Him that is the Highest of the High, the god of gods, and the
giver of boons unto all those that are foremost. Salutations unto Him of
a thousand heads, Him that is most auspicious, Him that has a thousand
names, viz., Janardana! Aja, Ekapada, Ahivradhna, the unvanquished
Pinakin, Rita Pitrirupa, the three-eyed Maheswara, Vrishakapi, Sambhu,
Havana, and Iswara--these are the celebrated Rudras, eleven in number,
who are the lords of all the worlds. Even these eleven high-souled ones
have been mentioned as a hundred in the Satarudra (of the Vedas). Ansa,
Bhaga, Mitra, Varuna the lord of waters, Dhatri, Aryaman, Jayanta,
Bhaskara, Tvashtri, Pushan, Indra and Vishnu, are said to comprise a tale
of twelve. These twelve are called Adityas and they are the sons of
Kasyapa as the Sruti declares. Dhara, Dhruva, Some, Savitra. Anila,
Anala, Pratyusha, and Prabhava, are the eight Vasus named in the
scriptures, Nasataya and Dasra are said to be the two Aswins. They are
the sons of Martanda born of his spouse Samjna, from whose nostrils they
came out. After this I shall recite the names of those who are the
witnesses of all acts in the worlds. They take note of all sacrifices, of
all gifts, of all good acts. Those lords among the deities behold
everything although they are invisible. Indeed, they behold all the good
and bad acts of all beings. They are Mrityu, Kala, the Viswedevas, the
Pitris endued with forms, the great Rishis possessed of wealth of
penances, the Munis, and others crowned with success and devoted to
penances and emancipation. These of sweet smiles, bestow diverse benefits
upon those men that recite their names. Verily, endued with celestial
energy, they bestow diverse regions of felicity created by the Grandsire
upon such men. They reside in all the worlds and attentively note all
acts. By reciting the names of those lords of all living creatures, one
always becomes endued with righteousness and wealth and enjoyments in
copious measure. One acquires hereafter diverse regions of auspiciousness
and felicity created by the Lord of the universe. These three and thirty
deities, who are the lords of all beings as