Verse 6

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The disc of heaven, and how days and nights are made· Verses 1–6

यन्मध्यगतोभगवांस्तपताम्पतिस्तपन आतपेन त्रिलोकीं प्रतपत्यवभासयत्यात्मभासा स एष उदगयनदक्षिणा यनवैषुवतसंज्ञाभिर्मान्द्यशैघ्र्य समानाभिर्गतिभिरारोहणावरोहणसमानस्थानेषु यथासवनमभिपद्यमानो मकरादिषु राशिष्वहोरात्राणि दीर्घह्रस्वसमानानि विधत्ते

This much of the setting out of the earth-circle has been explained, by its measure and its marks. By this, those who know it teach the measure of the disc of heaven as well. Between the two lies the middle air, joined to both, as the space lies between the two halves of a bean or the like. The revered sun who stands at the middle of it, lord of the burning ones, the burner, heats the three worlds with his heat and lights them with his own light. Going by what are called the northward course, the southward course and the level course, moving slowly, quickly and evenly, climbing, going down and holding level, he passes into the signs from Makara on as the pressing hours come, and so makes the days and nights long, short and equal.

When he is in Mesa and Tula the days and nights come out equal. When he moves through the five signs from Vrsabha on, the days lengthen, and month by month one ghatika is taken from the nights. When he is in the five signs from Vrscika on, the days and nights go the other way about. The days lengthen up to the southward course, and the nights up to the northward course.