CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Movements of the Sun
This chapter informs us of the movements of the sun. The sun is not sta-
tionary; it is also moving like the other planets. The sun’s movements
determine the duration of night and day. When the sun travels north of
the equator, it moves slowly during the day and very quickly at night,
thus increasing the duration of the daytime and decreasing the duration
of night. Similarly, when the sun travels south of the equator, the exact
opposite is true—the duration of the day decreases, and the duration of
night increases. When the sun enters Karkata-rasi (Cancer) and then
travels to Sitnha-raéi (Leo) and so on through Dhanuh-rasi (Sagittarius),
its course is called Daksinayana, the southern way, and when the sun en-
ters Makara-rasi (Capricorn) and thereafter travels through Kumbha-
rasi (Aquarius) and so on through Mithuna-rasi (Gemini), its course is
called Uttarayana, the northern way. When the sun is in Mesa-rasi
(Aries) and Tula-raéi (Libra), the duration of day and night are equal.

On Manasottara Mountain are the abodes of four demigods. East of
Sumeru Mountain is Devadhani, where King Indra lives, and south of
Sumeru is Sarnyamani, the abode of Yamaraja, the superintendent of
death. Similarly, west of Sumeru is Nimlocani, the abode of Varuna, the
demigod who controls the water, and north of Sumeru is Vibhavari,
where the demigod of the moon lives. Sunrise, noon, sunset and mid-
night occur in all these places because of the movements of the sun.
Diametrically opposite the place where the sunrise takes places and the
sun is seen by human eyes, the sun will be setting and passing away from
human vision. Similarly, the people residing diametrically opposite the
point where it is midday will be experiencing midnight. The sun rises
and sets with all the other planets, headed by the moon and other
luminaries.

The entire kala-cakra, or wheel of time, is established on the wheel of
the sun-god’s chariot. This wheel is known as Sarnvatsara. The seven
horses pulling the chariot of the sun are known as Gayatri, Brhati,

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