Vayu Purana

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.

एकविंशद्योजनानां सहस्राणि समासतः। शते द्वे पुनरप्यन्ये योजनानां प्रकीर्त्तिते ॥ ५०.

In summary, there are twenty-one thousand yojanas, and again, two hundred more yojanas are mentioned.

एकविंशतिभिश्चैव योजनैरधिकैर्हि ते। एतत्प्रमाणमाख्यातं योजनैर्मण्डलं हि तत् ॥ ५०.

And with twenty-one more yojanas added, this is declared as the measure of the circle in yojanas.

विष्कम्भो मण्डलस्यैष तिर्यक् स तु विधीयते। प्रत्यहञ्चरते तानि सूर्यो वै मण्डलक्रमम् ॥ ५०.

This is the diameter of the circle, measured across; the sun traverses these daily, following the order of the circles.

कुलालचक्रपर्यन्तो यथा शीघ्रं निवर्त्तते। दक्षिणे प्रक्रमे सूर्यस्तथा शीघ्रं निवर्त्तते ॥ ५०.

Just as a potter’s wheel quickly turns back at its limit, so too does the sun swiftly reverse at the southern turning point.

तस्मात् प्रकृष्टां भूमिञ्च कालेनाल्पेन गच्छति। सूर्यो द्वादशभिः शीघ्रं मुहूर्त्तेर्दक्षिणोत्तरे ॥ ५०.

Therefore, in a short time, the sun traverses a great distance on earth—swiftly, in twelve muhurtas, at the southern and northern solstices.

त्रयोदशार्द्धमृक्षाणामह्नानुचरते रविः। मुहूर्त्तैस्तावदृक्षाणि नक्तमष्टादशैश्चरन् ॥ ५०.

The sun moves through thirteen and a half lunar mansions by day; at night, it passes through the same number in eighteen muhurtas.

कुलालचक्रमध्यस्तु यथा मन्दं प्रसर्पति। तथोदगयने सूर्यः सर्पते मन्दविक्रमः ॥ ५०.

Just as the center of a potter’s wheel moves slowly, so the sun advances slowly in the northern course.

त्रयोदशार्द्धमर्द्धेन ऋक्षाणां चरते रविः। तस्माद्दीर्घेण कालेन भूमिमिल्पां निगच्छति ॥ ५०.

The sun moves through thirteen and a half lunar mansions at half speed; therefore, in a longer time, it traverses the earth’s expanse.

अष्टादशमुहूर्त्तैस्तु उत्तरायणपश्चिमम्। अहर्भवति तच्चापि चरते मन्दविक्रमः ॥ ५०.

With eighteen muhurtas, the day becomes the westernmost of the northern course, and the sun moves with slow progress.

त्रयोदशार्द्धमर्धेन ऋक्षाणाञ्चरते रविः। मुहूर्त्तैस्तावदृक्षाणि नक्तमष्टादशैश्चरन् ॥ ५०.

The sun moves through thirteen and a half lunar mansions at half speed; at night, it passes through the same number in eighteen muhurtas.