Vayu Purana

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.

ततो मन्दतरं ताभ्याञ्चक्रं भ्रमति वै यथा। मृत्पिण्ड इव मध्यस्थो ध्रुवो भ्रमति वै यथा ॥ ५०.

Then, between those two, the wheel turns more slowly, just as a lump of clay placed in the center spins, so does the fixed point revolve.

त्रिंशन्मुहूर्त्ताने वाहुरहोरात्रं ध्रुवो भ्रमन् । उभयोः काष्ठयोर्मध्ये भ्रमते मण्डलानि सः ॥ ५०.

For thirty muhurtas, the fixed point revolves, marking the day and night, moving between the two extremities, and circles are formed.

कुलालचक्रनाभिस्तु यथा तत्रैव वर्त्तते। ध्रुवस्तथा हि विज्ञेयस्तत्रैव परिवर्त्तते ॥ ५०.

Just as the hub of a potter’s wheel remains in place, so too should the fixed point be understood; it revolves right there.

उभयोः काष्ठयोर्मध्ये भ्रमतो मण्डलानि तु। दिवा नक्तञ्च सूर्यस्य मन्दा शीघ्रा च वै गतिः ॥ ५०.

Between the two extremities, as the circles revolve, the Sun’s movement by day and night is sometimes slow and sometimes swift.

उत्तरे प्रक्रमे त्विन्दो र्दिवा मन्दा गतिः स्मृता। तथैव च पुनर्नक्तं शीघ्रा सूर्यस्य वै गतिः ॥ ५०.

In the northern course, the Sun’s movement by day is considered slow; likewise, at night, the Sun’s movement is swift.

दक्षिणे प्रक्रमे चैव दिवा शीघ्रं विधीयते । गतिः सूर्यस्य नक्तं वै मन्दा चापि तथा स्मृता ॥ ५०.

In the southern course, the Sun’s movement by day is swift, and at night, it is remembered as slow.

एवं गतिविशेषेण विभजन् रात्र्यहानि तु। तथा विचरते मार्गं समेन विषमेण च ॥ ५०.

Thus, by the distinction in movement, day and night are divided, and the path is traversed both evenly and unevenly.

लोकालोके स्थिता ये ते लोकपालाश्चतुर्दिशम्। अगस्त्यश्चरते तेषामुपरिष्टाज्जवेन तु । भजन्नसावहोरात्रमेवङ्गतिविशेषणैः ॥ ५०.

Those who are established in Lokāloka, the guardians of the worlds in the four directions, Agastya moves above them swiftly, dividing day and night by these distinctions in movement.

दक्षिणे नागवीथ्यायां लोकालोकस्य चोत्तरम्। लोकसन्तारको ह्येष वैश्वानरपथाद्बहिः ॥ ५०.

In the southern Nāga path and the northern part of Lokāloka, this sustainer of worlds is outside the Vaiśvānarapatha.

पृष्ठे यावत् प्रभा सौही पुरस्तात् सम्प्रकाशते। पार्श्वयोः पृष्ठतस्तावल्लोकालोकस्य सर्वतः ॥ ५०.

As long as the light shines behind, it appears in front; likewise, on both sides and behind, throughout Lokāloka.