SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 5

S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus far I managed to tell you about the estimates of the measurement and the characteristics of the arrangement of the whole universe.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: My dear King, I have thus far described the diameter of the universe [fifty crores of yojanas, or four billion miles] and its general characteristics, according to the estimations of learned scholars. (Vedabase)

Text 2

The experts are able to estimate and instruct on the form of the globe of the sky above, that, just as with the two halves of a grain of wheat, is divided in the two adjoining parts of the outer space on both sides.

As a grain of wheat is divided into two parts and one can estimate the size of the upper part by knowing that of the lower, so, expert geographers instruct, one can understand the measurements of the upper part of the universe by knowing those of the lower part. The sky between the earthly sphere and heavenly sphere is called antariksha, or outer space. It adjoins the top of the sphere of earth and the bottom of that of heaven. (Vedabase)

Text 3

In the middle is situated the most powerful master of all the heavenly bodies governing, the burning sun, that by its heat heats the three worlds and lights them by its rays. That sunglobe passing through the north, through the south or crossing the equator, is known differently depending on its slowness, swiftness or equality of movement. In its rising and setting or staying up in different positions, is it, while it as ordained moves through the different signs of the zodiac, making long days, short days or days of equal length.

In the midst of that region of outer space [antariksha] is the most opulent sun, the king of all the planets that emanate heat, such as the moon. By the influence of its radiation, the sun heats the universe and maintains its proper order. It also gives light to help all living entities see. While passing toward the north, toward the south or through the equator, in accordance with the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is said to move slowly, swiftly or moderately. According to its movements in rising above, going beneath or passing through the equator--and correspondingly coming in touch with various signs of the zodiac, headed by Makara [Capricorn]--days and nights are short, long or equal to one another. (Vedabase)

Text 4

When the sun is in the first sign and the sign counterbalancing [Mesha and Tulâ, or at the equinoxes], are at that time the days and nights of an equal length, and when it moves through the five first ones headed by Taurus and Gemini do the days [at first] certainly increase and do the nights decrease by half an hour every month [depending on the latitude].

When the sun passes through Mesha [Aries] and Tulâ [Libra], the durations of day and night are equal. When it passes through the five signs headed by Vrishabha [Taurus], the duration of the days increases [until Cancer], and then it gradually decreases by half an hour each month, until day and night again become equal [in Libra]. (Vedabase)

Text 5

The time he stays in the five of Scorpio are the days and nights of the opposite.

When the sun passes through the five signs beginning with Vris'cika [Scorpio], the duration of the days decreases [until Capricorn], and then gradually it increases month after month, until day and night become equal [in Aries]. (Vedabase)

Text 6

Until the sun passes through the south are the days longer and until he passes through the north are the nights longer.

Until the sun travels to the south the days grow longer, and until it travels to the north the nights grow longer. (Vedabase)

Text 7

Thus encircling with an orbit to the Mânasottara mountains of ninety-five million one hundred thousand yojanas long, so the scholars teach [see footnote], is on the east of Meru found Devadhânî, the city of King Indra, south of it the one named Samyamanî of Yamarâja, in the west the one named Nimlocanî of Varuna, and in the north the one of the moon named Vibhâvarî. At all of these four sides of Meru thus making for the sunrise, the sunset, the noon and the midst of night, causes he the particular times of the living beings to be active or to cease their activity.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued; My dear King, as stated before, the learned say that the sun travels over all sides of Mânasottara Mountain in a circle whose length is 95.100.000 yojanas [760.800.000 miles]. On Mânasottara Mountain, due east of Mount Sumeru, is a place known as Devadhânî, possessed by King Indra. Similarly, in the south is a place known as Samyamanî, possessed by Yamarâja, in the west is a place known as Nimlocanî, possessed by Varuna, and in the north is a place named Vibhâvarî, possessed by the moon-god. Sunrise, midday, sunset and midnight occur in all those places according to specific times, thus engaging all living entities in their various occupational duties and also making them cease such duties. (Vedabase)

Text 8-9:

The ones living there are, positioned to the middle of the day, by the sun always heated; to the left of the immovable and to the right is where he moves from the point of rising to that position diametrically opposite where he is sure to set. There where one sees the sun no longer because he has set does it cause the people to sleep while diametrically opposite to that place he is sure to make the people sweat heating them.

The living entities residing on Sumeru Mountain are always very warm, as at midday, because for them the sun is always overhead. Although the sun moves counterclockwise, facing the constellations, with Sumeru Mountain on its left, it also moves clockwise and appears to have the mountain on its right because it is influenced by the dakshinâvarta wind. People living in countries at points diametrically opposite to where the sun is first seen rising will see the sun setting, and if a straight line were drawn from a point where the sun is at midday, the people in countries at the opposite end of the line would be experiencing midnight. Similarly, if people residing where the sun is setting were to go to countries diametrically opposite, they would not see the sun in the same condition. (Vedabase)

Text 10

When the sun in fifteen ghathikâs [six hours] moves from the residence of Indra to that of Yamarâja covers it a distance of 23.775.000 yojanas [a quarter of the circumference].

When the sun travels from Devadhânî, the residence of Indra, to Samyamanî, the residence of Yamarâja, it travels 23.775.000 yojanas [190.200.000 miles] in fifteen ghathikâs [six hours]. (Vedabase)

Text 11

From there goes it this way from where Varuna resides to the realm of the moon and then again to the place of Indra with which also the other planets and stars headed by the moon are seen rising and setting in the celestial sky.

From the residence of Yamarâja the sun travels to Nimlocanî, the residence of Varuna, from there to Vibhâvarî, the residence of the moon-god, and from there again to the residence of Indra. In a similar way, the moon, along with the other stars and planets, becomes visible in the celestial sphere and then sets and again becomes invisible. (Vedabase)

Text 12

So does the vehicle of the sungod, known by the three of heaven, earth and the vital sphere, in 3.400.800 yojanas in a muhûrta [modern science: 39.163 million km/hr] move through the four residences.

Thus the chariot of the sun-god, which is trayîmaya, or worshiped by the words om bhûr bhuvah svah, travels through the four residences mentioned above at a speed of 3.400.800 yojanas [27.206.400 miles] in a muhûrta. (Vedabase)

Text 13

It has only one wheel with twelve spokes [the months], six segments [the seasons] and three pieces to its hub [four month-periods], which in its entirety is known as a tropical year [samvatsara]; its axle is fixed on the top of Meru with Mânasottara at the other end. The wheel of the chariot of the sun is fixed there rotating on the mountain range of Mânasottara like a wheel of an oil-pressing machine.

The chariot of the sun-god has only one wheel, which is known as Samvatsara. The twelve months are calculated to be its twelve spokes, the six seasons are the sections of its rim, and the three câtur-mâsya periods are its three-sectioned hub. One side of the axle carrying the wheel rests upon the summit of Mount Sumeru, and the other rests upon Mânasottara Mountain. Affixed to the outer end of the axle, the wheel continuously rotates on Mânasottara Mountain like the wheel of an oil-pressing machine. (Vedabase)

Text 14

To that axle with its fixed base there is a second one which, like with the axle of an oilpressing machine, measures one quarter of it. By its upper portion it is fixed to Dhruvaloka [the center of the stars]

As in an oil-pressing machine, this first axle is attached to a second axle, which is one-fourth as long [3.937.500 yojanas, or 31.500.000 miles]. The upper end of this second axle is attached to Dhruvaloka by a rope of wind. (Vedabase)

Text 15

The inside of the vehicle measuring 3.6 million yojanas long is but a quarter of it as wide, it is pulled by seven horses named to the vedic meters [Gâyatrî, Brihati, Ushnik, Jagatî, Trishthup, Anushthup and Pankti] that are hooked up by Arunadeva to a yoke as wide as the vehicle, in order to carry the god of the sun [the actual diameter of the sun itself is 1.392 million kilometers].

My dear King, the carriage of the sun-god's chariot is estimated to be 3.600.000 yojanas [28.800.000 miles] long and one-fourth as wide [900.000 yojanas, or 7.200.000 miles]. The chariot's horses, which are named after Gâyatrî and other Vedic meters, are harnessed by Arunadeva to a yoke that is also 900.000 yojanas wide. This chariot continuously carries the sun-god. (Vedabase)

Text 16

Although Aruna, sure to keep to the job of being the charioteer, sits in front of the sungod, looks he backwards.

Although Arunadeva sits in front of the sun-god and is engaged in driving the chariot and controlling the horses, he looks backward toward the sun-god. (Vedabase)

Text 17

There, in front of the sungod, are the sixty thousand thumbsized great sages named the Vâlikhilyas, engaged in offering their prayers, expressed eloquently [see also 4.1: 39].

There are sixty thousand saintly persons named Vâlikhilyas, each the size of a thumb, who are located in front of the sun-god and who offer him eloquent prayers of glorification. (Vedabase)

Text 18:

So too do, with a variety of names, fourteen others knowing the saints, the Gandharvas, Apsaras, Nâgas, Yakshas, Râkshasas and the demigods, thus one by one in seven groups of two, every month worship the most powerful sungod Sûrya, who is the life of the universe and who carries different names depending on the different ceremonies. (**)

Similarly, fourteen other saints, Gandharvas, Apsaras, Nâgas, Yakshas, Râkshasas and demigods, who are divided into groups of two, assume different names every month and continuously perform different ritualistic ceremonies to worship the Supreme Lord as the most powerful demigod Sûryadeva, who holds many names. (Vedabase)

Text 19:

Thus does the sungod traverse the 95.1 million yojanas of the circumference of the earthly sphere with a speed of two thousand and half a yojana in about a kshana. (± 1,6 sec; see verse 12)

My dear King, in his orbit through Bhû-mandala, the sun-god traverses a distance of 95.100.000 yojanas [760.800.000 miles] at the speed of 2.000 yojanas and two kros'as [16.004 miles] in a moment. (Vedabase)