Let me tell you the story of the sun’s journey as revealed in these sacred verses. After the sun has passed through its course and the cows become shorter, the sun moves toward its setting, and the moments of sunrise and sunset are remembered as the eastern and western points of the earth. Wherever the sunrise is witnessed, that place is considered their sunrise, for the sun shines equally in front, behind, and on both sides. Similarly, wherever the sun disappears from view, that is regarded as their setting. For all beings, Meru is always to the north, and Lokāloka lies to the south. Because of the immense distance and the darkness that covers the earth at night, the sun’s rays cannot reach everywhere; thus, the sun is not seen during the night. Above, the sun stands with a hundred thousand rays, especially when it is in the middle of Puṣkara. The sun traverses a thirtieth part of the earth in a single muhūrta. Now, listen to the measure of this distance: it is remembered as a full hundred thousand and thirty-one yojanas, plus fifty thousand, and other additions. This is the prescribed movement of the sun per muhūrta, and by following this sequence, the sun eventually reaches the southern segment. The sun moves through this segment for a month, beginning from the northern side, and then, when in the middle of Puṣkara, he takes up his southern course. The interval between Mānasottara and Meru is considered threefold, and now let us learn the extent of the southern segment in all directions. The circumference of this segment is reckoned as nine crores of yojanas, plus a hundred thousand, forty, and five. This describes the sun’s movement in a day and night. When the sun turns from the southern direction and stands at the equator, he moves northward, beyond the ocean of milk. The circumference at the equator is three crores, plus twenty-one thousand hundred thousands of yojanas. When Citrabhānu is in the northern segment during Śrāvaṇa, moving northward on the continent of Gomedha, the measure of the northern segment and its circumference is considered. The southern, northern, and middle segments are to be understood in order. Jaradgava is in the middle, Airāvata is the highest to the north, and Vaiśvānara is designated to the south. Nāgavīthi is the northern path, Ajavīthi the southern, and Āṣāḍhamūla marks the three beginnings of Ajavīthi. East of Abhijit are Svati and three stars belonging to the northern serpent’s path. Ashvini and Krittika are in the south, along with three stars remembered as the southern serpent’s path. Rohini, Ardra, and Mrigashira are known as the serpent’s path; Pushya, Ashlesha, and Punarvasu are called the Airāvata path. These three paths form the northern route. Purva and Uttara Phalguni, along with Magha, are said to be of the Taurus sign. Purva and Uttara Proshthapada, together with Revati, are known as the cow’s path. Sravana, Dhanishta, and Varuna are called Jaradgava. These three paths form the middle route. Hasta, Chitra, and Svati are recognized as the goat’s path. Jyeshtha, Vishakha, and Maitra are called the deer’s path. Mula and Purva-Uttara Ashadha are known as the Vaishvanara path. These three paths are remembered in the southern route as well. Now the distances between these segments are stated in yojanas: of these, a hundred thousand and thirty-one are remembered, with three hundred others and thirty-three more. The distance between the segments is thus declared, as well as between the lines of the segments at the southern and northern solstices. For calculation, the distances in yojanas are given; the interval between each is joined by seven. There are twenty-five more beyond a thousand, as the sun moves between the inner and outer lines of the segments. At the northern solstice, he traverses the inner circles, and at the southern, he always moves on the outside circle. Moving northward, the sun circles through a hundred and eighty circles, traversing the inner circles as he proceeds. The measure of each circle in yojanas is ten thousand and eight thousand, with fifty-eight more added; thus, the diameter of the circle is prescribed as transverse. The sun moves gradually from the center through the circle, just as the potter’s wheel turns, so do the moon and sun. In the southern course, the sun turns swiftly like a wheel, covering a greater portion of the earth in a short time. In the southern course, the sun swiftly moves through twelve muhurtas, and in the midst of thirteen and a half signs, traverses the circle. Within moments, the sun passes through those constellations at night, moving as if at the center of a potter’s wheel, advancing slowly. In the northern course, the sun moves with slow steps, covering only a small portion of the earth over a long period. During the northern course, the sun passes through the constellations in eighteen moments by day; in the midst of thirteen constellations, he travels, and at night, he traverses those constellations in twelve moments. Then, the wheel revolves even more slowly than those two courses; just as a lump of clay at the center moves, so too does the fixed point. Thus, the sun’s journey across the heavens is revealed, with its paths and measures, its constellations and segments, and its cycles of day and night.