350
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 22]
very auspicious to the inhabitants of the universe;  yadā —when;  arkāt —from the sun;  vyatiricyeta —is separated;  tadā —at that time;  ativāta —of cyclones and other bad effects;  abhra —clouds;  prāya —almost always;  anāvṛṣṭi-ādi —such as scarcity of rain;  bhayam —fearful conditions;  āśaṁsate —expands.
TRANSLATION
Mercury is described to be similar to Venus, in that it moves sometimes behind the sun, sometimes in front of the sun and sometimes along with it. It is 1,600,000 miles above Venus, or 7,200,000 miles above earth. Mercury, which is the son of the moon, is almost always very auspicious for the inhabitants of the universe, but when it does not move along with the sun, it forbodes cyclones, dust, irregular rainfall, and waterless clouds. In this way it creates fearful conditions due to inadequate or excessive rainfall.
TEXT 14
अत ऊर्ध्वमङ्गारकोऽपि योजनलक्षद्वितय उपलभ्यमानस्त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः पक्षरेकैकशो राशीन्द्रादशानुभुङ्के यदि न वक्रेणाभिवर्तते, प्रायेणाशुभग्रहो- ऽघशंसः॥१४॥
ata ūrdhvam aṅgārako 'pi yojana-lakṣa-dvitaya upalabhyamānas tribhis tribhiḥ pakṣair ekaikaśo rāśīn dvādaśānubhuṅkte yadi na vakreṇābhivartate prāyeṇāśubha-graho 'gha-śaṁsaḥ.
ataḥ —from this;  ūrdhvam —above;  aṅgārakaḥ —Mars;  api —also;  yojana-lakṣa-dvitaye —at a distance of 1,600,000 miles;  upa-labhyamānaḥ —is situated;  tribhiḥ tribhiḥ —with each three and three;  pakṣaiḥ —fortnights;  eka-ekaśaḥ —one after another;  rāśīn —the signs;  dvādaśa —twelve;  anubhuṅkte —passes through;  yadi —if;  na —not;  vakreṇa —with a curve;  abhivartate —approaches;  prāyeṇa —almost always;  aśubha-grahaḥ —an unfavorable, inauspicious planet;  agha-śaṁsaḥ —creating trouble.
TRANSLATION
Situated 1,600,000 miles above Mercury, or 8,800,000 miles above earth, is the planet Mars. If this planet does not travel in a crooked way, it crosses through each sign of the zodiac in three