Text 8] The Orbits of the Planets 345

TEXT 8

ad ae aaa safes sIeeTTAsee
date tate ancaeat Raa qautRarart
ATTA AS |< II

evam candramé arka-gabhastibhya uparistal laksa-yojanata
upalabhyamano ’rkasya sarnvatsara-bhuktim paksabhyam masa-
bhuktim sapadarksabhyam dinenaiva paksa-bhuktim agracari

drutatara-gamano bhuikte.

evam—thus; candramaé—the moon; arka-gabhastibhyah—from the
rays of the sunshine; uparistat—above; laksa-yojanatah—by a
measurement of 100,000 yojanas; upalabhyamanah—being situated;
arkasya—of the sun globe; sarivatsara-bhuktim—the passage of one
year of enjoyment; paksabhyam—by two fortnights; mdsa-bhuktim—
the passage of one month; sapdda-rksabhyam—by two and a quarter
days; dinena—by a day; eva—only; paksa-bhuktim—the passage of a
fortnight; agracari—moving impetuously; druta-tara-gamanah—pass-
ing more speedily; bhunkte—passes through.

TRANSLATION

Above the rays of the sunshine by a distance of 100,000 yojanas
[800,000 miles] is the moon, which travels at a speed faster than
that of the sun. In two lunar fortnights the moon travels through
the equivalent of a sarnvatsara of the sun, in two and a quarter days
it passes through a month of the sun, and in one day it passes
through a fortnight of the sun.

PURPORT

When we take into account that the moon is 100,000 yojanas, or
800,000 miles, above the rays of the sunshine, it is very surprising that
the modern excursions to the moon could be possible. Since the moon is
so distant, how space vehicles could go there is a doubtful mystery.
Modern scientific calculations are subject to one change after another,
and therefore they are uncertain. We have to accept the calculations of
