त्रिंशत्कलो मुहूर्तस्तु अहस्ते दश पञ्च च ह्रासो वृद्धिरहर्भागैर् दिवसानां यथा तु वै
A moment consists of thirty parts; in the day, there are ten and five; decrease and increase occur in the portions of the days, as is indeed the case.
संध्यामुहूर्तमात्रायां ह्रासवृद्धी तु ते ऋते लेखाप्रभृत्यथादित्ये त्रिमुहूर्तागते तु वै
During the twilight moment, decrease and increase occur except for the Sun’s rays; when the Sun has passed three moments, then—
प्रातः स्मृतस्ततः कालो भागांश्चाहुश्च पञ्च च तस्मात्प्रातर्गतात्कालान् मुहूर्ताः संगवस् त्रयः
Morning is then considered to begin, and five portions are said to belong to it; from the time morning begins, three moments are called 'forenoon.'
मध्याह्नस्त्रिमुहूर्तस्तु तस्मात्कालादनन्तरम् तस्मान्मध्यंदिनात्कालाद् अपराह्ण इति स्मृतः
Three moments belong to midday, following that portion; after the midday period, the time is called 'afternoon.'
त्रय एव मुहूर्तास्तु काल एष स्मृतो बुधैः अपराह्णव्यतीताच्च कालः सायं स उच्यते
This period is reckoned by the wise as three muhūrtas; after the afternoon has passed, that time is called evening.
दश पञ्च मुहूर्ताह्नो मुहूर्तास् त्रय एव च दशपञ्चमुहूर्तं वै अहस्तु विषुवे स्मृतम्
The day consists of ten and five muhūrtas, and three muhūrtas as well; at the equinox, the day is said to be of fifteen muhūrtas.
वर्धत्यतो ह्रसत्येव अयने दक्षिणोत्तरे अहस्तु ग्रसते रात्रिं रात्रिस्तु ग्रसते अहः
From then, as the sun moves north or south, the day increases or decreases; the day consumes the night, and the night consumes the day.
शरद्वसन्तयोर्मध्यं विषुवं तु विधीयते आलोकान्तः स्मृतो लोको लोकाच्चालोक उच्यते
The equinox is established as the midpoint between autumn and spring; the world is said to end at the limit of light, and beyond the world is called darkness.
लोकपालाः स्थितास्तत्र लोकालोकस्य मध्यतः चत्वारस्ते महात्मानस् तिष्ठन्त्याभूतसंप्लवम्
There, in the middle of the world and the darkness, the guardians of the worlds stand; those four great souls remain until the dissolution of beings.
सुधामा चैव वैराजः कर्दमश्च प्रजापतिः हिरण्यरोमा पर्जन्यः केतुमान्राजसश्च सः
Sudhāmā, Vairāja, Kardama the lord of creatures, Hiraṇyaromā, Parjanya, Ketumān, and Rājasa—these are they.
निर्द्वंद्वा निरभीमाना निस्तन्द्रा निष्परिग्रहाः लोकपालाः स्थितास्त्वेते लोकालोके चतुर्दिशम्
These guardians of the worlds, established in the four directions of the world and darkness, are free from duality, pride, fatigue, and possessions.
उत्तरं यदगस्त्यस्य शृङ्गं देवर्षिसेवितम् पितृयानः स्मृतः पन्था वैश्वानरपथाद्बहिः
The northern peak of Agastya, revered by the divine sages, is known as the path of the ancestors, lying beyond the path of Vaiśvānara.
तत्रासते प्रजाकामा ऋषयो ये ऽग्निहोत्रिणः लोकस्य संतानकराः पितृयाने पथि स्थिताः
There dwell the sages who desire offspring, those who perform the Agnihotra; they, who sustain the world, remain on the path of the ancestors.
भूतारम्भकृतं कर्म आशिषश्च विशां पते प्रारभन्ते लोककामास् तेषां पन्थाः स दक्षिणः
O lord of the people, those who desire worldly beginnings and blessings undertake actions; their path is the southern one.
चलितं ते पुनर्धर्मं स्थापयन्ति युगे युगे संतप्ततपसा चैव मर्यादाभिः श्रुतेन च
Whenever righteousness declines, they restore it in every age, through intense austerity, established boundaries, and sacred knowledge.
जायमानास्तु पूर्वे वै पश्चिमानां गृहेषु ते पश्चिमाश्चैव पूर्वेषां जायन्ते निधनेष्विह
Those born earlier are reborn in the houses of the later ones, and the later ones are born in the houses of the earlier, at the time of death here.
एवमावर्तमानास्ते वर्तन्त्याभूतसंप्लवम् अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि ऋषीणां गृहमेधिनाम्
Thus, revolving in this way, they continue until the dissolution of beings—eighty-four thousand householding sages.
सवितुर्दक्षिणं मार्गम् आश्रित्याभूतसंप्लवम् क्रियावतां प्रसंख्यैषा ये श्मशानानि भेजिरे
Having taken the southern path of the sun, they reach the dissolution of beings; this is the reckoning for those who performed rites and entered the cremation grounds.
लोकसंव्यवहारार्थं भूतारम्भकृतेन च इच्छाद्वेषरताच्चैव मैथुनोपगमाच्च वै
For the sake of worldly dealings, for the initiation of beings, out of desire and aversion, and through sexual union—
तथा कामकृतेनेह सेवनाद्विषयस्य च इत्येतैः कारणैः सिद्धाः श्मशानानीह भेजिरे
Likewise, through actions born of desire, enjoyment of sense objects, and these causes, they entered the cremation grounds here.
प्रजौषणिः सप्तर्षयो द्वापरेष्विह जज्ञिरे संततिं ते जुगुप्सन्ते तस्मान्मृत्युर्जितस्तु तैः
In the Dvāpara ages, the seven sages known as Prajauṣaṇi were born here; they shunned procreation, and thus they conquered death.
अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि तेषामप्यूर्ध्वरेतसाम् उदक्पन्था न पर्यन्तम् आश्रित्याभूतसंप्लवम्
Of those celibate sages, eighty-four thousand in number, the path of water does not reach its end, even up to the dissolution of beings.
ते संप्रयोगाल्लोकस्य मिथुनस्य च वर्जनात् ईर्ष्याद्वेषनिवृत्त्या च भूतारम्भविवर्जनात्
Through their union, by abstaining from sexual intercourse, by the cessation of envy and hatred, and by refraining from harming living beings,
ततो ऽन्यकामसंयोगशब्दादेर् दोषदर्शनात् इत्येतैः कारणैः शुद्धैस् ते ऽमृतत्वं हि भेजिरे
Then, by recognizing the faults in union with others, in sound and the like, and through these pure causes, they indeed attained immortality.
आभूतसम्प्लवस्थानाम् अमृतत्वं विभाव्यते त्रैलोक्यस्थितिकालो हि न पुनर्मारगामिणाम्
The immortality of those who remain until the dissolution of beings is to be understood; for the duration of the three worlds is not for those who go the path of death.
भ्रूणहत्याश्वमेधादिपापपुण्यनिभैः परम् आभूतसम्प्लवान्ते तु क्षीयन्ते चोर्ध्वरेतसः
The results, whether sin or merit, equal to acts like abortion or the horse sacrifice, are exhausted at the end of the dissolution of beings for those of upward-flowing seed.
ऊर्ध्वोत्तरमृषिभ्यस्तु ध्रुवो यत्रानुसंस्थितः एतद्विष्णुपदं दिव्यं तृतीयं व्योम्नि भास्वरम्
But above them are the sages, where the steadfast Dhruva abides; this is the divine third radiant realm of Viṣṇu in the sky.
यत्र गत्वा न शोचन्ति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् धर्मे ध्रुवस्य तिष्ठन्ति ये तु लोकस्य काङ्क्षिणः
Having reached that highest abode of Viṣṇu, they do not grieve; but those who desire the world remain fixed in the realm of Dhruva through righteousness.
एवं श्रुत्वा कथां दिव्याम् अब्रुवंल्लौमहर्षणिम् सूर्याचन्द्रमसोश् चारं ग्रहाणां चैव सर्वशः
Having heard this divine story, I asked Lomaharṣaṇa about the course of the sun and moon, and of all the planets.
भ्रमन्ति कथमेतानि ज्योतींषि रविमण्डले अव्यूहेनैव सर्वाणि तथा चासंकरेण वा
How do these luminaries move within the solar orb, all in order and without confusion?