When the Krita YugaThe "Golden Age," the first and most perfect of the four cosmic ages in Hindu chronology. was nearly at its end, the great AsuraA powerful celestial being; in this context, Maya is a legendary figure renowned for his mastery of architecture and science. named Maya performed penance for his own lineage. The meaning is that a respectful greeting is appropriate for one whose primary wealth is the realization of BrahmanThe Ultimate Reality or Absolute Truth in Hindu philosophy..

|| 6 || Salutations to the Lord Ganesha ||

Salutations to Brahman, who is of an inconceivable and unmanifest form, who is beyond the qualities of nature and yet the soul of all qualities, the very embodiment of the support for the entire universe. (1)
original: "अचिन्त्याव्यक्तरूपाय..." This opening verse establishes the philosophical foundation of the work, identifying the source of astronomical laws with the Supreme Creator.

When the Krita Yuga was nearly over, a great Asura named Maya, desiring to know the supreme, holy, and secret knowledge—the highest wisdom— (2)

...which is the foremost of the six auxiliary sciences of the Vedas (Vedangas) and the cause of the motion of the heavenly bodies, worshipped the Sun (Vivasvan) and performed a penance that was very difficult to endure. (3)
original: "ज्योतिषां गतिकारणम्" refers to Jyotisha, which encompasses both astronomy and astrology.

The implication is that these very principles were previously spoken to Brahma and the other perfected beings.

Being pleased by that penance, the Sun God (Savita) granted a favor to the one seeking a boon; the Sun himself gave to Maya the science of the motion of the planets. (4)

|| The Blessed Sun Said ||

"I am aware of your intent, and I am pleased by your penance. I shall grant you the knowledge of the science of Time, upon which the great movement of the planets is based." (5)

"No one can endure my glare to speak with me—there is no moment where I can stop to explain. A portion of myselforiginal: "मदंशः" (madamsha). The Sun God explains that he cannot stop his chariot to teach, so he creates an emanation to deliver the message. in the form of this Person shall relate everything to you without omission." (6)

Having spoken thus, the God vanished after commanding his own partial incarnation. That Person then spoke to Maya, who stood before him with hands joined in a humble salute. (7)

|| The Solar Person Said ||

"Listen with a focused mind to that supreme knowledge which the Sun himself spoke in former times to the Great Sages, age after age." (8)

"This is the very same primeval scripture which the Sun spoke previously. Only the transition of the Ages (Yugas) creates a difference in the divisions of Time here." (9)

"Time is the destroyer of all beings; there is another Time which is used for calculation. That is two-fold..."

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A verse from the Bhagavata Purana regarding the demon Vritrasura: "These worlds and their guardians live helplessly under His control. Like twice-bornoriginal: "dvija". While usually meaning priests, the scribe clarifies here it means 'birds'. birds bound in a net, Time is the cause in this world." (18). "Twice-born" refers to birds; "shikha" refers to a net. (21)