Vayu Purana

सुखायामथ वारुण्यां मध्याह्ने चार्य्यमा यदा। विभावर्य्यां सोमपुर्य्यामुत्तिष्ठति विभावसुः ॥ ५०.

When Aryaman is at midday in Sukhā or Varuṇī, the Sun rises in Vibhā or in Soma's city.

रात्र्यर्द्धं चामरावत्यामस्तमेति यमस्य च। सोमपुर्यां विभायान्तु मध्याह्ने स्याद्धिवाकरः ॥ ५०.

At midnight in Amaravati, the Sun sets in Yama's realm; in Soma's city, at dawn, it is midday for the Sun.

महेन्द्रस्यामरावत्यामुत्तिष्ठति यदा रविः। अर्द्धरात्रं संयमने वारुण्यामस्तमेति च ॥ ५०.

When the Sun rises in Mahendra's Amaravati, it is midnight in the realm of restraint, and it sets in Varuṇī.

स शीग्रमेति पर्य्येति भास्करोऽलातचक्रवत्। भ्रमन् वै भ्रममाणानि ऋक्षाणि गगने रविः ॥ ५०.

The Sun moves swiftly and circles like a wheel of fire, revolving among the stars in the sky.

एवं चतुर्षु द्वीपेषु दक्षिणान्तेन सर्पति। उदयास्तमनेनासावुत्तिष्ठति पुनः पुनः ॥ ५०.

Thus, in the four continents, it travels along the southern path, rising and setting again and again.

पूर्व्वाह्ने चापराह्ने तु द्वौ द्वौ देवालयौ तु सः। तपत्येकन्तु मध्याह्ने तैरेव तु सरश्मिभिः ॥ ५०.

In the morning and afternoon, the Sun shines upon two temples each; at midday, it heats them with its rays.

उदितो वर्द्धमानाभिरामध्याह्नं तपन् रविः। अतः परं ह्रसन्तीभिर्गोभिरस्तं स गच्छति ॥ ५०.

Rising, the Sun increases its heat until midday; after that, its rays diminish and it goes to set.

उदयास्तमयाभ्यां हिस्मृते पूर्वापरे दिशो। यावत्पुरस्तात्तपति तावत् पृष्ठे तु पार्श्वयोः ॥ ५०.

By sunrise and sunset, the eastern and western directions are known; as long as it shines in front, it is behind and to the sides.

यत्रोद्यन् दृश्यते सूर्यस्तेषां स उदयः स्मृतः। यत्र प्रणाशमायाति तेषामस्तः स उच्यते ॥ ५०.

Wherever the Sun is seen rising, that is called sunrise for them; wherever it disappears, that is called sunset.

सर्वेषामुत्तरे मेरुर्लोकालोकस्तु दक्षिणे। विदूरभावादर्कस्य भूमेर्लेखावृतस्य च। ह्रियन्ते रश्मयो यस्मात्तेन रात्रौ न दृश्यते ॥ ५०.

For all, Meru is to the north and Lokāloka to the south; because of the distance and the shadow of the earth's rim, the rays are taken away and thus the Sun is not seen at night.

ग्रहनक्षत्रताराणां दर्शनं भास्करस्य च। उच्छ्रायस्य प्रमाणेन ज्ञेयमस्तमनोदयम् ॥ ५०.

The visibility of planets, stars, and the Sun is to be understood by the measure of its elevation, for sunrise and sunset.

शुक्लच्छायोग्निरापश्च कृष्णच्छाया च मेदिनी। विदूरभावादर्कस्य उद्यातस्य विरश्मिता। रक्ताबावो विरश्मित्वाद्रक्तत्वाच्चाप्यनुष्णता ॥ ५०.

The white shade is fire and water; the black shade is earth; because of distance and the Sun's rising, its rays are faint; the reddish hue is due to faintness and redness, and also to its lack of heat.

लेखयावस्थितः सूर्यो यत्र यत्र तु दृश्यते। ऊर्द्ध्वं गतः सहस्रन्तु योजनानां स दृश्यते ॥ ५०.

Wherever the Sun is seen positioned at the rim, it appears a thousand yojanas above.

प्रभा हि सौरी पादेन अस्तङ्गच्छति भास्करे। अग्निमाविशते रात्रौ तस्माद्दूरात् प्रकाशते ॥ ५०.

Indeed, the radiance of Saturn sets with the sun by its foot; at night it enters fire, and thus it shines from afar.

उदितस्तु पुनः सूर्यः अस्तमाग्नेयमाविशत्। संयुक्तो वह्निना सूर्यस्ततः स तपते दिवा ॥ ५०.

But when the sun rises again, it enters the region of fire at sunset; united with fire, the sun then burns during the day.

प्राकाश्यञ्च तथौष्ण्यञ्च सूर्याग्नेयी च तेजसी। परस्परानुप्रवेशादाप्यायेते दिवानिशम् ॥ ५०.

The luminosity and heat, both solar and fiery, are nourished day and night through their mutual interpenetration.

उत्तरे चैव भूम्यर्द्धे तथा तस्मिंश्च दक्षिणे। उत्तिष्ठति तथा सूर्ये रात्रिराविशते त्वपः । तस्मात्ताम्रा भवन्त्यापो दिवारात्रिप्रवेशनात् ॥ ५०.

On both the northern and southern halves of the earth, as the sun rises, night enters the waters; therefore, the waters become coppery due to the entry of day and night.

अस्तं याति पुनः सूर्ये दिनं वै प्रविशत्यपः। तस्माच्छुक्ला भवन्त्यापो नक्तमह्नः प्रवेशनात् ॥ ५०.

When the sun sets again, the day enters the waters; thus, the waters become clear because of the entry of night and day.

एतेन क्रमयोगेन भूम्यर्द्धे दक्षिणोत्तरे। उदयास्तमनेऽर्कस्य अहोरात्रं विशत्यपः ॥ ५०.

By this sequential process, on the northern and southern halves of the earth, day and night enter the waters as the sun rises and sets.

दिनं सूर्यप्रकाशाख्यं तामसी रात्रिरुच्यते। तस्माद्व्यवस्थिता रात्रिः सूर्यावेक्ष्यमहः स्मृतम् ॥ ५०.

Day is called the period of sunlight, and night is said to be of darkness; therefore, night is established, and day is reckoned by the sun’s appearance.

एवं पुष्करमध्येन यदा सर्पति भास्करः। त्रिंशां शकन्तु मेदिन्या मुहूर्तेनैव गच्छति ॥ ५०.

Thus, when the sun moves through the middle of Puṣkara, it traverses thirty śaka measures of the earth in a single muhūrta.

योजनाग्रान्मुहूर्त्तस्य इमां सङ्ख्यां निबोधत। पूर्णं शतसहस्राणामेकत्रिंशत्तु सा स्मृता ॥ ५०.

Now hear the number of yojanas in a muhūrta: it is said to be one hundred and thirty-one thousand in full.

पञ्चाशत्तु तथान्यानि सहस्राण्यधिकानि तु। मौहूर्त्तिकी गतिर्ह्येषा सूर्यस्य तु विधीयते ॥ ५०.

And there are fifty thousand more in addition; this is declared to be the sun’s movement in a muhūrta.

एतेन गतियोगेन यदा काष्ठान्तु दक्षिणाम्। पर्य्यागच्छेत्तदादित्यो माघे काष्ठान्तमेव हि ॥ ५०.

By this measure of movement, when the sun reaches the southern limit of the segment, then, in the month of Māgha, it attains the end of that segment.

सर्पते दक्षिणायान्तु काष्ठायां तन्निबोधत। नवकोट्यः प्रसङ्ख्याता योजनैः परिमण्डलम् ॥ ५०.

Now hear about the sun’s movement at the southern limit of the segment: the circumference is counted as ninety million yojanas.

तथा शतसहस्राणि चत्वारिंशच्च पञ्च च। अहोरात्रात्पतङ्गस्य गतिरेषा विधीयते ॥ ५०.

And, likewise, there are one hundred and forty-five thousand more; this is declared as the sun’s movement in a day and night.

दक्षिणाद्विनिवृत्तोऽसौ विषुवस्थो यदा रविः। क्षीरोदस्य समुद्रस्य उत्तरान्ता दिशश्चरन् ॥ ५०.

When the sun, having turned back from the south, stands at the equinox, it moves along the northern boundary of the Kṣīroda ocean.

मण्डलं विषुवद्यापि योजनैस्तन्निबोधत। तिस्रः कोट्यस्तु विस्तीर्णा विषुवद्यापि सा स्मृता ॥ ५०.

Now hear the measure of the circle at the equinox in yojanas: it is said to be three crores in extent at the equinox.

तथा शतसहस्राणामशीत्येकाधिका पुनः । श्रवणे चोत्तरां काष्ठाञ्चित्रभानुर्यदा भवेत् । शाकद्वीपस्य षष्ठस्य उत्तरान्ता दिशश्चरन् ॥ ५०.

And again, there are eighty-one thousand more; when Citrabhānu (the sun) reaches the northern segment in Śravaṇa, moving along the northern boundary of the sixth continent, Śākadvīpa.