Bhagavata Purana — Skandha 5 — Chapter 21
SB 5 21.1
श्री-शुक उवाच एतावान् एव भू-वलयस्य सन्निवेशः प्रमाण-लक्षणतो व्याख्यातः
śrī-śuka uvāca etāvān eva bhū-valayasya sanniveśaḥ pramāṇa-lakṣaṇato vyākhyātaḥ
Śrī Śuka said: Just this much is the arrangement of the earth-circle, explained in terms of measure and characteristics.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.2
_* एतेन हि दिवो मण्डल-मानं तद्-विद उपदिशन्ति यथा द्वि-दलयोर् निष्पावादीनां ते अन्तरेणान्तरिक्षं तद्-उभय-सन्धितम्
_* etena hi divo maṇḍala-mānaṃ tad-vida upadiśanti yathā dvi-dalayor niṣpāvādīnāṃ te antareṇāntarikṣaṃ tad-ubhaya-sandhitam
By this indeed those who know it teach the measure of the disc of heaven: as with the two halves of a split bean and the like, and between the two is the intervening space, joined to both.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
SB 5 21.3
_* यन्-मध्य-गतो भगवांस् तपतां पतिस् तपन आतपेन त्रि-लोकीं प्रतपत्य् अवभासयत्य् आत्म-भासा स एष उदगयन-दक्षिणायन-वैषुवत-संज्ञाभिर् मान्द्य-शैघ्र्य-समानाभिर् गतिभिर् आरोहणावरोहण-समान-स्थानेषु यथा-सवनम् अभिपद्यमानो मकरादिषु राशिष्व् अहो-रात्राणि दीर्घ-ह्रस्व-समानानि विधत्ते
_* yan-madhya-gato bhagavāṃs tapatāṃ patis tapana ātapena tri-lokīṃ pratapaty avabhāsayaty ātma-bhāsā sa eṣa udagayana-dakṣiṇāyana-vaiṣuvata-saṃjñābhir māndya-śaighrya-samānābhir gatibhir ārohaṇāvarohaṇa-samāna-sthāneṣu yathā-savanam abhipadyamāno makarādiṣu rāśiṣv aho-rātrāṇi dīrgha-hrasva-samānāni vidhatte
In the middle of that (space) the Lord, the master of those that give heat, the sun, scorches the three worlds with his heat and illuminates (them) with his own light. He, by movements called the northern course, the southern course, and the equinoctial — slow, swift, and even — approaching in due season the positions of ascent, descent, and equality in the zodiacal signs beginning with Capricorn, brings about days and nights that are long, short, and equal.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.4
_* यदा मेष-तुलयोर् वर्तते तदाहो-रात्राणि समानानि भवन्ति यदा वृषभादिषु पञ्चसु च राशिषु चरति तदाहान्य् एव वर्धन्ते ह्रसति च मासि मास्य् एकैका घटिका रात्रिषु
_* yadā meṣa-tulayor vartate tadāho-rātrāṇi samānāni bhavanti yadā vṛṣabhādiṣu pañcasu ca rāśiṣu carati tadāhāny eva vardhante hrasati ca māsi māsy ekaikā ghaṭikā rātriṣu
When he is in Aries or Libra, then days and nights become equal; and when he moves through the five signs beginning with Taurus, then the days increase, and each month one ghaṭikā is subtracted from the nights.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.5
_* यदा वृश्चिकादिषु पञ्चसु वर्तते तदाहो-रात्राणि विपर्ययाणि भवन्ति
_* yadā vṛścikādiṣu pañcasu vartate tadāho-rātrāṇi viparyayāṇi bhavanti
When he is in the five (signs) beginning with Scorpio, then days and nights are the reverse.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.6
_* यावद् दक्षिणायनम् अहानि वर्धन्ते यावद् उदगयनं रात्रयः
_* yāvad dakṣiṇāyanam ahāni vardhante yāvad udagayanaṃ rātrayaḥ
Until the southern course, the days increase; until the northern course, the nights.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.7
_* एवं नव कोटय एक-पञ्चाशल्-लक्षाणि योजनानां मानसोत्तर-गिरि-परिवर्तनस्योपदिशन्ति तस्मिन्न् ऐन्द्रीं पुरीं पूर्वस्मान् मेरोर् देवधानीं नाम दक्षिणतो याम्यां संयमनीं नाम पश्चाद् वारुणीं निम्लोचनीं नाम उत्तरतः सौम्यां विभावरीं नाम तासूदय-मध्याह्नास्तमय-निशीथानीति भूतानां प्रवृत्ति-निवृत्ति-निमित्तानि समय-विशेषेण मेरोश् चतुर्-दिशम्
_* evaṃ nava koṭaya eka-pañcāśal-lakṣāṇi yojanānāṃ mānasottara-giri-parivartanasyopadiśanti tasminn aindrīṃ purīṃ pūrvasmān meror devadhānīṃ nāma dakṣiṇato yāmyāṃ saṃyamanīṃ nāma paścād vāruṇīṃ nimlocanīṃ nāma uttarataḥ saumyāṃ vibhāvarīṃ nāma tāsūdaya-madhyāhnāstamaya-niśīthānīti bhūtānāṃ pravṛtti-nivṛtti-nimittāni samaya-viśeṣeṇa meroś catur-diśam
Thus (those who know) declare the circuit of Mount Mānasottara to be nine crore fifty-one lakh yojanas. On it, to the east of Meru, is Indra's city named Devadhānī; to the south, Yama's, named Saṃyamanī; to the west, Varuṇa's, named Nimlocanī; to the north, the moon's, named Vibhāvarī. In these (four cities), sunrise, midday, sunset, and midnight occur, and these, by the particularity of time, are the causes of the activity and cessation of activity of living beings on the four sides of Meru.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.8
_* तत्रत्यानां दिवस-मध्यङ्गत एव सदादित्यस् तपति सव्येनाचलं दक्षिणेन करोति
_* tatratyānāṃ divasa-madhyaṅgata eva sadādityas tapati savyenācalaṃ dakṣiṇena karoti
For the inhabitants of any one (of these cities) the sun, having reached the midpoint of their day, always burns (overhead), and it keeps the mountain on its right, (moving) to the south.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
SB 5 21.9
_* यत्रोदेति तस्य ह समान-सूत्र-निपाते निम्लोचति यत्र क्वचन स्यन्देनाभितपति तस्य हैष समान-सूत्र-निपाते प्रस्वापयति तत्र गतं न पश्यन्ति ये तं समनुपश्येरन्
_* yatrodeti tasya ha samāna-sūtra-nipāte nimlocati yatra kvacana syandenābhitapati tasya haiṣa samāna-sūtra-nipāte prasvāpayati tatra gataṃ na paśyanti ye taṃ samanupaśyeran
Where it rises, there it sets at the fall of the same line (i.e. diametrically opposite); wherever it scorches directly with its rays, at the fall of the same line it puts (beings) to sleep; those who would have seen it do not see it gone there.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
SB 5 21.10
_* यदा चैन्द्र्याः पुर्याः प्रचलते पञ्चदश-घटिकाभिर् याम्यां सपाद-कोटि-द्वयं योजनानां सार्ध-द्वादश-लक्षाणि साधिकानि चोपयाति
_* yadā caindryāḥ puryāḥ pracalate pañcadaśa-ghaṭikābhir yāmyāṃ sapāda-koṭi-dvayaṃ yojanānāṃ sārdha-dvādaśa-lakṣāṇi sādhikāni copayāti
And when it moves from Indra's city, in fifteen ghaṭikās it reaches Yama's (city), (having covered) two and a quarter crore yojanas and twelve and a half lakhs and something more.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.11
_* एवं ततो वारुणीं सौम्याम् ऐन्द्रीं च पुनस् तथान्ये च ग्रहाः सोमादयो नक्षत्रैः सह ज्योतिश्-चक्रे समभ्युद्यन्ति सह वा निम्लो-चन्ति
_* evaṃ tato vāruṇīṃ saumyām aindrīṃ ca punas tathānye ca grahāḥ somādayo nakṣatraiḥ saha jyotiś-cakre samabhyudyanti saha vā nimlo-canti
Thus from there (it proceeds) to Varuṇa's, to the moon's, and again to Indra's; and so too the other planets, the moon and the rest, together with the lunar mansions, rise together in the circle of luminaries, or set together.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.12
_* एवं मुहूर्तेन चतुस्-त्रिंशल्-लक्ष-योजनान्य् अष्ट-शताधिकानि सौरो रथस् त्रयीमयो ऽसौ चतसृषु परिवर्तते पुरीषु
_* evaṃ muhūrtena catus-triṃśal-lakṣa-yojanāny aṣṭa-śatādhikāni sauro rathas trayīmayo 'sau catasṛṣu parivartate purīṣu
Thus in a muhūrta that chariot of the sun, made of the three Vedas, (traverses) thirty-four lakh yojanas plus eight hundred, revolving among the four cities.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.13
_* यस्यैकं चक्रं द्वादशारं षण्-नेमि त्रि-णाभि संवत्सरात्मकं समामनन्ति तस्याक्षो मेरोर् मूर्धनि कृतो मानसोत्तरे कृतेतर-भागो यत्र प्रोतं रवि-रथ-चक्रं तैल-यन्त्र-चक्रवद् भ्रमन् मानसोत्तर-गिरौ परिभ्रमति
_* yasyaikaṃ cakraṃ dvādaśāraṃ ṣaṇ-nemi tri-ṇābhi saṃvatsarātmakaṃ samāmananti tasyākṣo meror mūrdhani kṛto mānasottare kṛtetara-bhāgo yatra protaṃ ravi-ratha-cakraṃ taila-yantra-cakravad bhraman mānasottara-girau paribhramati
Of that (chariot) they reckon the single wheel, with twelve spokes, six rims, and three hubs, to be the year itself. Its axle has one end set on the summit of Meru and the other end set on Mānasottara; the sun's chariot-wheel, fixed on it, turning like the wheel of an oil-press, revolves around Mount Mānasottara.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.14
_* तस्मिन्न् अक्षे कृतमूलो द्वितीयो ऽक्षस् तुर्यमानेन सम्मितस् तैल-यन्त्राक्षवद् ध्रुवे कृतोपरि-भागः
_* tasminn akṣe kṛtamūlo dvitīyo 'kṣas turyamānena sammitas taila-yantrākṣavad dhruve kṛtopari-bhāgaḥ
Rooted in that axle is a second axle, measuring a fourth (of the first), whose upper end is fixed on the polestar, like the axle of an oil-press.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.15
_* रथ-नीडस् तु षट्-त्रिंशल्-लक्ष-योजनायतस् तत्-तुरीय-भाग-विशालस् तावान् रवि-रथ-युगो यत्र हयाश् छन्दो-नामानः सप्तारुण-योजिता वहन्ति देवम् आदित्यम्
_* ratha-nīḍas tu ṣaṭ-triṃśal-lakṣa-yojanāyatas tat-turīya-bhāga-viśālas tāvān ravi-ratha-yugo yatra hayāś chando-nāmānaḥ saptāruṇa-yojitā vahanti devam ādityam
The chariot's body is thirty-six lakh yojanas long and a quarter of that in breadth; the yoke of the sun's chariot is of the same measure, and there the horses named after the metres, seven, yoked by Aruṇa, draw the god Āditya.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.16
_* पुरस्तात् सवितुर् अरुणः पश्चाच् च नियुक्तः सौत्ये कर्मणि किलास्ते
_* purastāt savitur aruṇaḥ paścāc ca niyuktaḥ sautye karmaṇi kilāste
In front of the sun, and (facing) backwards, Aruṇa sits, appointed to the office of charioteer.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.17
_* तथा वालिखिल्या ऋषयो ऽङ्गुष्ठ-पर्व-मात्राः षष्टि-सहस्राणि पुरतः सूर्यं सूक्त-वाकाय नियुक्ताः संस्तुवन्ति
_* tathā vālikhilyā ṛṣayo 'ṅguṣṭha-parva-mātrāḥ ṣaṣṭi-sahasrāṇi purataḥ sūryaṃ sūkta-vākāya niyuktāḥ saṃstuvanti
Likewise sixty thousand sages called Vālikhilyas, only the size of a thumb-joint, appointed for the recitation of hymns, sing praises before the sun.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 21.18
_* तथान्ये च ऋषयो गन्धर्वाप्सरसो नागा ग्रामण्यो यातुधाना देवा इत्य् एकैकशो गणाः सप्त चतुर्दश मासि मासि भगवन्तं सूर्यम् आत्मानं नाना-नामानं पृथङ्-नाना-नामानः पृथक्-कर्मभिर् द्वन्द्वश उपासते
_* tathānye ca ṛṣayo gandharvāpsaraso nāgā grāmaṇyo yātudhānā devā ity ekaikaśo gaṇāḥ sapta caturdaśa māsi māsi bhagavantaṃ sūryam ātmānaṃ nānā-nāmānaṃ pṛthaṅ-nānā-nāmānaḥ pṛthak-karmabhir dvandvaśa upāsate
And likewise others — sages, Gandharvas and Apsarases, Nāgas, Grāmaṇīs (Yakṣas), Yātudhānas, and gods — such groups, seven singly (and) fourteen (in pairs), month by month worship in pairs, by separate acts, the Lord Sūrya, the Self, who has many names, they themselves bearing various separate names.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain