Vayu Purana

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.

उत्तरायाञ्च काष्ठायां प्रमाणं मण्‍डलस्य च। योजनाग्रात्प्रसङ्ख्याता कोटिरेका तु सा द्विजैः ॥ ५०.

At the northern segment, the measure of the circle is counted from the tip of a yojana; it is one crore, as declared by the twice-born.

अशीतिर्नियुतानीह योजनानां तथैव च। अष्टपञ्चाशतञ्चैव योजनान्यधिकानि तु ॥ ५०.

Here, there are eighty lakh yojanas, and in the same way, there are also fifty-eight more yojanas in addition.

नागवीथ्युत्तरावीथी अजवीथी च दक्षिणा। मूलं चैव तथाषाडे ह्यजवीथ्युदयास्त्रयः। अभिजित्पूर्वतः स्वातिर्नागवीथ्युदयास्त्रयः ॥ ५०.

The northern path of the serpent, the southern path of the goat, and likewise the root and the eighth lunar mansion—these are the three points of sunrise on the goat’s path; east of Abhijit is Svati, and three points of sunrise on the serpent’s path.

काष्ठयोरन्तरं यच्च तद्वक्ष्ये योजनैः पुनः। एतच्छतसहस्राणामेकत्रिंशोत्तरं शतम् ॥ ५०.

Now I will state the distance between the two solstitial points, measured in yojanas: it is one hundred and thirty-one thousand yojanas.

त्रयस्त्रिंशाधिकाश्चान्ये त्रयस्त्रिंशच्च योजनैः। काष्ठयोरन्तरं ह्येतद्योजनाग्रात् प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥ ५०.

There are thirty-three more yojanas, and again thirty-three; thus, the distance between the two solstitial points is established from the tip of the yojana measure.

काष्ठयोर्लेखयोश्चैव अन्तरे दक्षिणोत्तरे । ते तु वक्ष्यामि सङ्ख्याय योजनैस्तन्निबोधत ॥ ५०.

Now, regarding the space between the two lines, north and south, I will declare their number—listen to it in yojanas.

एकैकमन्तरन्तस्या नियुतान्येकसप्ततिः। सहस्राण्यतिरिक्ताश्च ततोऽन्या पञ्चसप्ततिः ॥ ५०.

Each interval between them is seventy-one niyutas, and in addition, there are seventy-five thousand more.

लेखयोः काष्ठयोश्चैव बाह्याभ्यन्तरयोः स्मृतम्। अभ्यन्तरन्तु पर्येति मण्डलान्युत्तरायणे ॥ ५०.

The outer and inner lines of the solstitial points are remembered; the inner one traverses the circles during the northern course.

बाह्यतो दक्षिणे चैव सततन्तु यथाक्रमम्। मण्डलानां शतं पूर्णमशीत्यधिकमुत्तरम् ॥ ५०.

From the outside, and likewise in the south, continually and in order, there are one hundred full circles, with eighty more to the north.

चरते दक्षिणे चापि तावदेव विभावसुः। प्रमाणं मण्डलस्याथ योजनाग्रान्निबोधत ॥ ५०.

The sun moves just so far in the south as well; now listen to the measurement of the circle, given in yojanas.