The Course of the Sun

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.8.14.1)

नारायण उवाच । ततः परस्तादचलो लोकालोकेति नामकः । अन्तराले च लोकालोकयोर्यः परिकल्पितः

nārāyaṇa uvāca | tataḥ parastādacalo lokāloketi nāmakaḥ | antarāle ca lokālokayoryaḥ parikalpitaḥ

Narayana said: Beyond that lies a motionless mountain named Lokaloka, conceived as standing in the interval between the inhabited world (loka) and the uninhabited beyond (aloka).

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.8.14.2)

यावदस्ति च देवर्षे ह्यन्तरं मानसोत्तरात् । सुमेरोस्तावती शुद्धा काञ्चनी भूमिरस्ति हि

yāvadasti ca devarṣe hyantaraṁ mānasottarāt | sumerostāvatī śuddhā kāñcanī bhūmirasti hi

O divine sage, whatever the distance is from Manasottara mountain, just that much pure golden ground extends outward, measured this time from Sumeru.

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.8.14.3)

दर्पणोदरतुल्या सा सर्वप्राणिविवर्जिता । यस्यां पदार्थः प्रहितो न किञ्चित्प्रत्युदीयते

darpaṇodaratulyā sā sarvaprāṇivivarjitā | yasyāṁ padārthaḥ prahito na kiñcitpratyudīyate

That golden ground is like the surface of a mirror, empty of all living beings; whatever object is cast upon it, nothing whatsoever is reflected back.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.8.14.4)

अतः सर्वप्राणिसङ्घरहिता सा च नारद । लोकालोक इति व्याख्या यदत्र परिकल्पिता

ataḥ sarvaprāṇisaṅgharahitā sā ca nārada | lokāloka iti vyākhyā yadatra parikalpitā

Therefore, O Narada, since it is devoid of every gathering of living beings, the name 'Lokaloka' given to it here is thus explained.

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.8.14.5)

लोकालोकान्तरे चास्य वर्तते सर्वदा स्थितिः । ईश्वरेण स लोकानां त्रयाणामन्तगः कृतः

lokālokāntare cāsya vartate sarvadā sthitiḥ | īśvareṇa sa lokānāṁ trayāṇāmantagaḥ kṛtaḥ

Its position remains always fixed in that Lokaloka interval; the Lord has made it the outer boundary of the three worlds.

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.8.14.6)

सूर्यादीनां ध्रुवान्तानां रश्मयो यद्वशादिह । अर्वाचीनाश्च त्रीँल्लोकानातन्वानाः कदापि हि

sūryādīnāṁ dhruvāntānāṁ raśmayo yadvaśādiha | arvācīnāśca trī~llokānātanvānāḥ kadāpi hi

By whose power the rays of the sun and the other bodies up to Dhruva remain confined to the inner side, pervading only the three worlds, and never at all —

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.8.14.7)

पराचीनत्वभाजो हि न भवन्ति च नारद । तावदुन्नहनायामः पर्वतेन्द्रो महोदयः

parācīnatvabhājo hi na bhavanti ca nārada | tāvadunnahanāyāmaḥ parvatendro mahodayaḥ

— reach beyond it, O Narada. That great and towering king of mountains is equal in height and breadth,

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.8.14.8)

एतावाँल्लोकविन्यासोऽयं संस्थामानलक्षणैः । कविभिः स तु पञ्चाशत्कोटिभिर्गणितस्य च

etāvā~llokavinyāso'yaṁ saṁsthāmānalakṣaṇaiḥ | kavibhiḥ sa tu pañcāśatkoṭibhirgaṇitasya ca

— and this entire arrangement of the worlds, with its measurements and features, has been calculated by the wise seers at fifty crore yojanas,

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.8.14.9)

भूगोलस्य चतुर्थांशो लोकालोकाचलो मुने । तस्योपरि चतुर्दिक्षु ब्रह्मणा चात्मयोनिना

bhūgolasya caturthāṁśo lokālokācalo mune | tasyopari caturdikṣu brahmaṇā cātmayoninā

— of which the Lokaloka mountain, O sage, constitutes a fourth part of the terrestrial sphere's measure. Upon it, in the four directions, by the self-born Brahma —

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.8.14.10)

निवेशिता दिग्गजा ये तन्नामानि निबोधत । ऋषभः पुष्पचूडोऽथ वामनोऽथापराजितः

niveśitā diggajā ye tannāmāni nibodhata | ṛṣabhaḥ puṣpacūḍo'tha vāmano'thāparājitaḥ

— the guardian elephants of the quarters were installed; hear their names: Rishabha, Pushpachuda, then Vamana, and Aparajita.

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.8.14.11)

एते समस्तलोकस्य स्थितिहेतव ईरिताः । तेषां च स्वविभूतीनां बहुवीर्योपबृंहणम्

ete samastalokasya sthitihetava īritāḥ | teṣāṁ ca svavibhūtīnāṁ bahuvīryopabṛṁhaṇam

These are declared to be the very cause of the whole world's stability. And there is told the great increase in power of their own consorts —

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.8.14.12)

विशुद्धसत्त्वं चैश्वर्यं वर्धयन्भगवान् हरिः । आस्ते सिद्ध्यष्टकोपेतो विष्वक्सेनादिसंवृतः

viśuddhasattvaṁ caiśvaryaṁ vardhayanbhagavān hariḥ | āste siddhyaṣṭakopeto viṣvaksenādisaṁvṛtaḥ

— increasing their purity of being and their lordly majesty, the Blessed Lord Hari resides there, endowed with the eight siddhis, surrounded by Vishvaksena and his other attendants.

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.8.14.13)

निजायुधैः परिवृतो भुजदण्डैः समन्ततः । आस्ते सकललोकस्य स्वस्तये परमेश्वरः

nijāyudhaiḥ parivṛto bhujadaṇḍaiḥ samantataḥ | āste sakalalokasya svastaye parameśvaraḥ

Encircled on every side by the weapons held in his own mighty arms, that Supreme Lord abides there for the welfare of the whole world.

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.8.14.14)

आकल्पमेवं वेषं स गतो विष्णुः सनातनः । स्वमायारचितस्यास्य गोपीथायात्मसाधनः

ākalpamevaṁ veṣaṁ sa gato viṣṇuḥ sanātanaḥ | svamāyāracitasyāsya gopīthāyātmasādhanaḥ

Thus, in this form, the eternal Vishnu remains until the end of the kalpa — his own instrument for the protection of this universe fashioned by his own Maya.

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.8.14.15)

योऽन्तर्विस्तार एतेन ह्यलोकपरिमाणकम् । व्याख्यातं यद्बहिर्लोकालोकाचल इतीरणात्

yo'ntarvistāra etena hyalokaparimāṇakam | vyākhyātaṁ yadbahirlokālokācala itīraṇāt

In this way the inner extent of the cosmos has been explained; and since what lies beyond it is called the 'non-world' (aloka), the mountain is for this very reason named Lokaloka.

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.8.14.16)

ततः परस्ताद्योगेशगतिं शुद्धा वदन्ति हि । अण्डमध्यगतः सूर्यो द्यावाभूम्योर्यदन्तरम्

tataḥ parastādyogeśagatiṁ śuddhā vadanti hi | aṇḍamadhyagataḥ sūryo dyāvābhūmyoryadantaram

Beyond that, the pure sages now describe the course of the sun. The sun, situated at the middle of the cosmic Egg, occupies the interval between heaven and earth —

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.8.14.17)

सूर्याण्डगोलयोर्मध्ये कोट्यः स्युः पञ्चविंशतिः । मृतेऽण्ड एष एतस्मिञ्जातो मार्तण्डशब्दभाक्

sūryāṇḍagolayormadhye koṭyaḥ syuḥ pañcaviṁśatiḥ | mṛte'ṇḍa eṣa etasmiñjāto mārtaṇḍaśabdabhāk

Between the sun and the outer sphere of the cosmic Egg lie twenty-five crores of yojanas. Since he was born from what seemed a dead egg, he bears the name Martanda.

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.8.14.18)

हिरण्यगर्भ इति यद्धिरण्याण्डसमुद्भवः । सूर्येण हि विभज्यन्ते दिशः खं द्यौर्महीभिदा

hiraṇyagarbha iti yaddhiraṇyāṇḍasamudbhavaḥ | sūryeṇa hi vibhajyante diśaḥ khaṁ dyaurmahībhidā

He is also called Hiranyagarbha, since he arose from the golden Egg. By the sun alone are divided the directions, the sky, heaven, and the regions of the earth —

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.8.14.19)

स्वर्गापवर्गौ नरका रसौकांसि च सर्वशः । देवतिर्यङ्मनुष्याणां सरीसृपसवीरुधाम्

svargāpavargau narakā rasaukāṁsi ca sarvaśaḥ | devatiryaṅmanuṣyāṇāṁ sarīsṛpasavīrudhām

— heaven and liberation, the hells, and the nether-world abodes are all thus divided. Of the gods, beasts, humans, reptiles, and plants,

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.8.14.20)

सर्वजीवनिकायानां सूर्य आत्मा दृगीश्वरः । एतावान्भूमण्डलस्य सन्निवेश उदाहृतः

sarvajīvanikāyānāṁ sūrya ātmā dṛgīśvaraḥ | etāvānbhūmaṇḍalasya sanniveśa udāhṛtaḥ

— of all multitudes of living beings, the Sun alone is the very self, the lord of sight. This much has been told of the arrangement of the earthly sphere.

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.8.14.21)

एतेन हि दिवो मानं वर्णयन्ति च तद्विदः । द्विदलानां च निष्पावादीनां च दलयोर्यथा

etena hi divo mānaṁ varṇayanti ca tadvidaḥ | dvidalānāṁ ca niṣpāvādīnāṁ ca dalayoryathā

By this, those who know it describe the measure of the heavens — just as, in a two-lobed pod such as the nishpava bean, between its two halves,

Verse 22 (devibhagavatam.8.14.22)

अन्तरेण तयोरन्तरिक्षं तदुभयसन्धितम् । यन्मध्यगश्च भगवान् भानुर्वै तपतां वरः

antareṇa tayorantarikṣaṁ tadubhayasandhitam | yanmadhyagaśca bhagavān bhānurvai tapatāṁ varaḥ

— there lies a gap; just so, between heaven and earth lies the joined interval called antariksha (mid-space), in the middle of which dwells the Blessed Sun, foremost among those that give heat —

Verse 23 (devibhagavatam.8.14.23)

आतपेन त्रिलोकं च प्रतपत्येव भासयन् । उत्तरायणमासाद्य गतिमान्द्यं वितन्वते

ātapena trilokaṁ ca pratapatyeva bhāsayan | uttarāyaṇamāsādya gatimāndyaṁ vitanvate

— who, by his heat, both warms and illumines the three worlds. Upon reaching the northern course (uttarayana), he takes on a slowness of motion,

Verse 24 (devibhagavatam.8.14.24)

आरोहणस्थानमसौ गत्वाहो दैर्ध्यमाचरेत् । दक्षिणायनमासाद्य गतिशैघ्र्यं वितन्वते

ārohaṇasthānamasau gatvāho dairdhyamācaret | dakṣiṇāyanamāsādya gatiśaighryaṁ vitanvate

— and having gone to the point of ascent, he brings about the lengthening of the days. Upon reaching the southern course, he takes on a swiftness of motion,

Verse 25 (devibhagavatam.8.14.25)

अवरोहस्थानमसौ गच्छन्ह्रस्वं दिनं चरेत् । विषुवत्संज्ञमासाद्य गतिसाम्यं वितन्वते

avarohasthānamasau gacchanhrasvaṁ dinaṁ caret | viṣuvatsaṁjñamāsādya gatisāmyaṁ vitanvate

— and, moving toward the place of descent, he makes the day short. Upon reaching the point called Vishuvat (the equinox), he takes on an equality of motion,

Verse 26 (devibhagavatam.8.14.26)

समस्थानमथासाद्य दिनसाम्यं करोति च । यदा च मेषतुलयोः सञ्चरेद्धि दिवाकरः

samasthānamathāsādya dinasāmyaṁ karoti ca | yadā ca meṣatulayoḥ sañcareddhi divākaraḥ

— and, having reached the point of balance, he makes day and night equal. And when the sun-god passes through the signs of Aries and Libra,

Verse 27 (devibhagavatam.8.14.27)

समानानि त्वहोरात्राण्यातनोति त्रयीमयः । वृषादिपञ्चसु यदा राशिष्वर्को विरोचते

samānāni tvahorātrāṇyātanoti trayīmayaḥ | vṛṣādipañcasu yadā rāśiṣvarko virocate

— then he, who embodies the threefold Veda, brings about equal days and nights. When the sun shines forth in the five signs beginning with Taurus,

Verse 28 (devibhagavatam.8.14.28)

तदाहानि च वर्धन्ते रात्रयोऽपि ह्रसन्ति च । वृश्चिकादिषु सूर्यो हि यदा सञ्चरते रविः

tadāhāni ca vardhante rātrayo'pi hrasanti ca | vṛścikādiṣu sūryo hi yadā sañcarate raviḥ

— then the days lengthen and the nights likewise grow short. And when the sun passes through the signs beginning with Scorpio,

Verse 29 (devibhagavatam.8.14.29)

तदापीमान्यहोरात्राणि भवन्ति विपर्ययात्

tadāpīmānyahorātrāṇi bhavanti viparyayāt

— then these same days and nights become reversed, nights growing longer and days shorter.