Shloka 44
The Six Dvīpas Beyond Jambūdvīpa and the Cosmic Boundary of Lokāloka
मृतेऽण्ड एष एतस्मिन् यदभूत्ततो मार्तण्ड इति व्यपदेश: । हिरण्यगर्भ इति यद्धिरण्याण्डसमुद्भव: ॥ ४४ ॥
mṛte ’ṇḍa eṣa etasmin yad abhūt tato mārtaṇḍa iti vyapadeśaḥ; hiraṇyagarbha iti yad dhiraṇyāṇḍa-samudbhavaḥ.
Der Sonnengott wird auch Vairāja genannt, das gesamte materielle Leibsein aller Lebewesen. Weil er zur Zeit der Schöpfung in dieses dumpfe Weltenei eintrat, heißt er Mārtaṇḍa. Und da er seinen materiellen Körper von Hiraṇyagarbha (Brahmā) empfing, wird er auch Hiraṇyagarbha genannt.
The post of Lord Brahmā is meant for very highly elevated, spiritually advanced living beings. When such living beings are unavailable, Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, expands Himself as Lord Brahmā. This takes place very rarely. Consequently there are two kinds of Brahmās. Sometimes Brahmā is an ordinary living entity, and at other times Brahmā is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Brahmā spoken of here is an ordinary living being. Whether Brahmā is the Supreme Personality of Godhead or an ordinary living being, he is known as Vairāja Brahmā and Hiraṇyagarbha Brahmā. Therefore the sun-god is also accepted as Vairāja Brahmā.
FAQs
This verse explains that the Sun is called Mārtaṇḍa because he manifested when the cosmic egg (brahmāṇḍa) was broken.
Because he is described here as arising from the “golden egg” (hiraṇyāṇḍa), he is designated Hiraṇyagarbha—born from the golden womb/egg.
It encourages seeing the universe as purposeful and sacred—prompting gratitude, humility, and remembrance of the Supreme behind cosmic order rather than viewing nature as merely accidental.