On the majestic southern side of Mount Meru, atop the summit known as Manasa, and again on its western side, there are wondrous realms. There, Varuna, the lord of aquatic beings, resides in his splendid city called Sukha. This city rivals the grandeur of Mahendra’s own city. Likewise, for Soma—the radiant moon—there is the city named Vibhāvarī. These divine abodes are established with a noble purpose: to uphold righteousness and safeguard the worlds. Now, listen to the celestial journey of the sun as it moves through the divisions of space and time. Grasping the wheel of the luminaries, the sun continually revolves, never ceasing in its ordained path. In the realm of Vaivasvata, a land marked by restraint, the sunrise is witnessed. Meanwhile, in the region belonging to Varuna, the rising of the sun is seen for the delight of its inhabitants. When it is afternoon in the southeastern regions, it is night for those who dwell in the far northern lands. Likewise, in the northern worlds, a different radiance shines forth. At dawn in Somapura, the city of Soma, the radiant sun rises, and there, at that very dawn, the sun reaches its midday brilliance. Yet, at midnight—in the realm of restraint or in Varuna’s region—the sun sets. So, the sun, ever moving and revolving, traverses the constellations, returning again and again to the points of sunrise and sunset along its course. At midday, the sun blazes fiercely with its intense rays of light. Afterward, as the day wanes, it proceeds toward its setting, its power gradually diminishing, likened to cows returning home at dusk. As long as the sun burns in the east, it also illuminates the spaces behind and to its sides. The place where the sun disappears from view is known as its setting. This occurs due to the remoteness of darkness and the way the horizon of the earth covers the sun from sight. It is because of this interplay that we are able to see the planets, the stars, the moon, and the sun itself. Fire possesses a bright shade, while the earth casts a dark one. The sun’s red appearance at times is due to the absence of moisture, its inherent redness, and a lack of warmth. The sun is seen at a height of one hundred thousand yojanas above the earth. When fire enters the mountain, it shines forth from afar, and when the sun unites with fire, it heats the day. Through their mutual interpenetration, both sun and fire blaze throughout day and night. Thus, when the sun rises, night is said to enter the waters; and when the sun sets, day enters into its rays. By this orderly process, on both the southern and northern halves of the earth, the darkness known as night is simply the absence of the sun’s light. In this manner, as the sun moves through the middle of Puṣkara, it follows a precise path. Now, consider the distance the sun travels in a single muhūrta—it covers fifty thousand yojanas, and more. By this course, when the sun reaches the southernmost point, it continues to revolve through the middle of Puṣkara during the southern solstice. Learn now of the sun’s movement at this southern point: in this journey, the sun traverses one hundred and forty-five thousand yojanas. Thus, the sun’s eternal movement, the abodes of the gods, and the cycles of day and night are all part of the divine order, sustaining righteousness and the worlds.