In the sacred discourse, the sage began by explaining the subtle art of measurement, drawing upon the image of a lamp and its shadow. He taught that the distance between a lamp and its peg, when multiplied by the difference found at the tip of the shadow, reveals the true extent of the lamp’s light. The height of the lamp’s flame, he said, is thrice the span of a sign, thus establishing a measure for one’s calculations. Turning then to the movement of the heavenly bodies, the sage promised to describe the mean position of the planets in a manner both clear and concise. He noted that, among the divisions of calculation, four-tenths are known as the ‘square’ or the ‘quarter’ part, a foundation for further reckoning. Time itself, he explained, is woven from seventy-one together with the years of Manu and the Krita age, forming the great yugas—the cycles of cosmic time. He described the sacred night, O foremost of Brahmins, recounting its significance in the order of creation. From the very beginning of a yuga, he instructed, one must determine the movements of the planets, for all celestial rhythms start afresh with each new age. The sage then spoke of worship, enjoining reverence for the Sun, Jupiter, Venus, and the lunar nodes, as well as for those who have previously erred, so that all might find purification. He described the forms and qualities associated with the planets: Mars, whose eyes are likened to ten, three, eight, and six forms; Jupiter, who is invoked with forms of ten, two, and one; and Saturn, whose forms are six, five, and those of the moon and serpent. For the left side of the lunar nodes, he prescribed their own fire, restraint, the horse, and the tenfold forms. The Vasus, too, have their forms—two, eight, mountain shapes, and seven mountain tithis—all present within the yuga. When tithis are lost, the forms become two and eight, sky, arrows, and the Ashvins. The months, he said, are marked by six, three, fire, Veda, fire again, five, and the shining rays. Mars is associated with the Veda itself, while Mercury is linked to eight seasons and fires. Saturn, in turn, is connected with cows and fires, which are also considered forms of the nodes. In the Krita age, mountain, moon, victory, a single sound, fire, and joy are prescribed, each with its own significance. In this present yuga, the years bear names that correspond to the planets, and the lunar months are divided according to the solar months. Twice, the loss of tithis is observed, and the lunar days are apportioned accordingly. He described the various reckonings of time: Sāvana, solar, lunar, and others, with their days, months, and years. The numbers of months, years, and days—when combined with their respective forms—are multiplied by two or three for proper calculation. The sum of days, divided by the number of fortnights and multiplied by the number of inauspicious days, yields results that reflect the influence of past actions. Thus, those burdened by previous sins experience the fruits of their deeds, whether slowly or swiftly. The sage then spoke of the earth itself, declaring that its circumference measures eight hundred yojanas, a figure doubled to account for its ear-shaped extensions. The true circumference, he said, is found by multiplying the chord by its own sine and then by the radius. Time, as measured by these calculations, must always be reconciled with the positions of the planets. The abodes of demons and ascetics, he revealed, are found along the central line between two mountains, marking a sacred geography. In the region where the days of the week and the flow of speech commence, the loss is said to be greater by half. Enjoyment, or the experience of time, is multiplied by the desired number of nāḍīs, with the sixtieth part marking the beginning of a time unit. The zodiacal circle is marked at its highest southern and northern points by eighty parts of a degree, and residence in these regions is determined by doubling the sine of life and tripling the sine of Mars. The first half-chord is defined as the eighth part of a sign’s degree. By dividing the products of these calculations in order by the first, and then adding the results, one arrives at the total. The greatest declination chord arises from the product of the seven orifices and the moon. Once corrections for a planet have been made, both the slowest and swiftest points of its motion must also be adjusted. When the chord of the arc has been traversed, the base will rest at the foot in the case of an uneven path. The degrees, when divided by their true values, yield the chord-product as the result, and this result is then applied to the traversed value, known as the chord-product attained through diligent calculation. Thus, the sage concluded his sacred exposition, weaving together the measures of light, the cycles of time, the forms of the planets, and the geometry of the cosmos into a single, harmonious vision.