Vayu Purana

शतघ्नैकोनकास्त्रिंशन्मात्रात्रिशत् षडुत्तरा। द्विषष्टिभाक् त्रयोविंशन्मात्रायाञ्च चला भवेत् ॥ ५०.

A hundred, one, and thirty mātrās, plus thirty-six more, and sixty-two parts, and twenty-three mātrās—these constitute the moving measure.

चत्वारिंशत्सहस्राणि शतान्यष्टौ च विद्युतिः। सप्ततिञ्चापि तत्रैव नवतिं विद्धि निस्वये ॥ ५०.

Forty thousand and eight hundred are the flashes of lightning; and there, know that seventy and ninety are the silent ones.

चत्वार्येव शतान्याहुर्विद्युतौ वैधसंयुगे। चरांशो ह्येष विज्ञेयो नालिका चात्र कारणम् ॥ ५०.

They say there are only four hundred in the lightning of the Vedic sacrifice; this is the moving portion, and the nālikā is the measure here.

संवत्सरादयः पञ्च चतुर्मानविकल्पिताः। निश्चयः सर्वकालस्य युग इत्यभिधीयते ॥ ५०.

The five—year, etc.—are conceived as fourfold by the sages; the determination of all time is called a yuga.

संवत्सरस्तु प्रथमो द्वितीयः परिवत्सरः। इद्वत्सरस्तृतीयस्तु चतुर्थश्चानुवत्सरः। पञ्चमो वत्सरस्तेषां कालस्तु परिसंज्ञितः ॥ ५०.

The first is the year, the second is the parivatsara, the third is the idvatsara, the fourth is the anuvatsara, and the fifth is the vatsara; these are the names of time.

विंशशतं भवेत्पूर्णं पर्वणां तु रवेर्युगम्। एतान्यष्टादशस्त्रिंशदुदयो भास्करस्य च ॥ ५०.

A complete yuga of the Sun consists of twenty hundred full parvan days; and the Sun's rising occurs thirty-eight times thirty-two.

ऋतवस्त्रिंशतः सौरा अयनानि दशैव तु। पञ्चत्रिंशत् शतं चापि षष्टिर्मासाश्च भास्करः ॥ ५०.

There are thirty seasons of the Sun, and exactly ten ayanas; and the Sun also has thirty-five hundred and sixty months.

त्रिंशदेव त्वहोरात्रं स तु मासश्च भास्करः। एकषष्टिस्त्वहोरात्रा दनुरेको निभाव्यते ॥ ५०.

Indeed, a month of the Sun is thirty days and nights; and sixty-one days and nights are reckoned as one sign of the zodiac.

अह्नान्तु त्र्यधिकाशीतिः शतं चाप्यधिकं भवेत्। मानं तच्चित्रभानोस्तु विज्ञेयं भुवनस्य तु ॥ ५०.

The number of days in a year is one hundred and eighty-three more than a hundred; this is to be understood as the measure of Citrabhānu (the Sun) for the world.

सौरसौम्यं तु विज्ञेयं नक्षत्रं सावनं तथा। नामान्येतानि चत्वारि यैः पुराणं विभाव्यते ॥ ५०.

The solar, lunar, stellar, and civil (sāvana) reckonings are to be known; these are the four names by which the Purāṇa is expounded.

खे तस्योत्तरतश्चैव श्रृङ्गवान्नाम पर्वतः। त्रीणि तस्य तु श्रृङ्गाणि स्पृशन्तीव नभस्तलम् ॥ ५०.

In the sky, to its north, is the mountain named Śṛṅgavān; it has three peaks that seem to touch the vault of heaven.

तैश्चापि श्रृङ्गवान्नाम सर्वतश्चैव विश्रुतः। एकमार्गश्च विस्तारो विष्कम्भश्चापि कीर्तितः ॥ ५०.

Because of these peaks, it is known everywhere as Śṛṅgavān; it is described as having a single path, breadth, and expanse.

तस्य वै सर्वतः श्रृङ्गं मध्यमन्तद्धिरण्मयम्। दक्षिणं राजतञ्चैव श्रृङ्गं तु स्फटिकप्रभम् ॥ ५०.

Of all its peaks, the central one is golden; the southern is of silver, and the peak shines with the brilliance of crystal.

सर्वरत्नमयं चैकं श्रृङ्गमुत्तरमुत्तमम्। एवं कूटैस्रिभिः शैलैः श्रृङ्गवानिति विश्रुतः ॥ ५०.

The northernmost and highest peak is made of all precious gems; thus, with such summits and mountains, it is renowned as Śṛṅgavān.

यत्तद्विषुवतं श्रृङ्गन्तदर्कः प्रतिपद्यते। शरद्वसन्तयोर्मध्ये मध्यमां गतिमास्थितः। अहस्तुल्यामथो रात्रिं करोति तिमिरापहः ॥ ५०.

That peak which is at the equator is reached by the Sun, who, in the midst of autumn and spring, takes up the middle course, making day and night equal and dispelling darkness.

हरिताश्च हया दिव्यास्ते नियुक्ता महारथे। अनुलिप्ता इवाभान्ति पझरक्तैर्गभस्तिभिः ॥ ५०.

The divine horses, green in color, are yoked to the great chariot; they appear as if smeared with red, by the Sun's rays.

मेषान्ते च तुलान्ते च भास्करोदयतः स्मृताः । मुहूर्त्ता दश पञ्चैव अहोरात्रिश्च तावती ॥ ५०.

At the end of Aries and at the end of Libra, from the Sun's rising, there are counted exactly fifteen muhūrtas, and the day and night are of equal length.

कृत्तिकानां यदा सूर्यः प्रथमांशगतो भवेत् । विशाखानां तथा ज्ञेयश्चतुर्थांशे निशाकरः॥ ५०.

When the Sun enters the first degree of Kṛttikā, and likewise, the Moon is to be known as being in the fourth degree of Viśākhā.

विशाखायां यदा सूर्य श्च्रतेंऽशं तृतीयकम्। तदा चन्द्रं विजानीयात् कृत्तिकाशिरसि स्थितम् ॥ ५०.

When the Sun is in the third degree of Viśākhā, then know that the Moon is stationed at the head of Kṛttikā.

विषुवन्तं तदा विद्यादेवमाहुर्महर्षयः। सूर्येण विषुवं विद्यात् कालं सोमेन लक्षयेत् ॥ ५०.

At that time, the equinox is to be known, so say the great sages; the equinox is to be determined by the Sun, and the time by the Moon.

समा रात्रिरहश्चैव यदा तद्विषुवद्भवेत्। तदा दानानि देयानि पितृभ्यो विषुवत्यपि। ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशेषेण मुखमेतत्तु दैवतम् ॥ ५०.

When day and night are equal, that is the equinox; then gifts should be given to the ancestors at the equinox, and especially to Brāhmaṇas—this is the foremost time for offerings to the gods.

ऊनरात्राधिमासौ च कलाकाष्ठामुहूर्त्तकाः। पौर्णमासी तथा ज्ञेया अमावास्या तथैव च। सिनीवाली कुहूश्चैव राका चानुमति स्तथा ॥ ५०.

The months with shorter nights, intercalary months, kalās, kāṣṭhās, muhūrtas, the full moon, and likewise the new moon, Sinīvālī, Kuhū, Rākā, and Anumati are to be known.

तपस्तपस्यौ मधुमाधवौ च शुक्रः शुचिश्चायनमुत्तरं स्यात्। नभो नभश्योऽथ इषुः सहोर्जः सहःसहस्याविति दक्षिणं स्यात् ॥ ५०.

Tapas and Tapasyā, Madhū and Mādhava, Śukra and Śuci are the names of the northern ayana; Nabhas, Nabhasya, Iṣu, Sahas, Sahasya, and Aviti are the names of the southern ayana.

संवत्सरास्ततो ज्ञेयाः पञ्चाब्दा ब्रब्मणः सुताः। तस्मात्तु ऋतवो ज्ञेया ऋतवो ह्यन्तराः स्मृताः ॥ ५०.

From that, the years are to be understood, and five years are said to be the children of Brahma; from them, the seasons are to be known, for the seasons are considered as intervals.

तस्मादनुमुखा ज्ञेया अमावास्यास्य पर्वणः. तस्मात्तु विषुवं ज्ञेयं पितृदैवहितं सदा ॥ ५०.

From that, the new moons are to be known as the faces of the lunar phases; and from that, the equinox is to be understood, which is always beneficial to ancestors and gods.

एवं ज्ञात्वा न मुह्येत दैवे पित्र्ये च मानवः। तस्मात् स्मृतं प्रजानां वै विषुवत्सर्वगं सदा ॥ ५०.

Knowing thus, a person does not become confused regarding the rites for gods and ancestors; therefore, the equinox is always remembered as common to all beings.

आलोकान्तः स्मृतो लोको लोकान्तो लोक उच्यते। लोकपालाः स्थितास्तत्र लोकालोकस्य मध्यतः ॥ ५०.

The world is said to be up to the end of light; beyond the world is called 'lokānta'; the guardians of the worlds are established there, in the midst of the world and the beyond.

चत्वारस्ते महात्मानस्तिष्ठन्त्याभूतसम्प्लवात्। सुधामा चैव वैराजः कर्द्दमः शङ्‌कृपस्तथा। हिरण्यलोमा पर्ज्जन्यः केतुमान् जातनिश्चयः ॥ ५०.

There stand four great souls from before the dissolution of beings: Sudhāmā, Vairāja, Kardama, and Śaṅkṛpa; Hiraṇyalomā, Parjanya, Ketumān, and Jātaniścaya.

निर्द्वन्द्वा निरभीमाना निस्तन्त्रा निष्परिग्रहाः। लोकपालाः स्थिता ह्येते लोकालोके चतुर्दिशम् ॥ ५०.

These guardians of the worlds, free from duality, pride, bondage, and possession, are established in the four directions between the world and the beyond.