Post by Admin on Oct 24, 2016 4:25:59 GMT
For the people on Meru, the sun gives heat at all times, being situated at midday. The sun keeps Meru to the left and to the right. When it rises in one city, it sets at the city diametrically opposite. When it shines with perspiration at noon, it is midnight at the city diametrically opposite. Those who see the sun set and rise do not see where it has gone in the interim. SB, 5.21.8-9
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's commentary:
Tatrāyānām means “those situated on Meru”. Though the sun keeps Meru on its left with relation to the moving constellations, being turned by the parvartaka-pravaha wind, it keeps the sun to the right on a daily basis, under the control of the zodiac belt. The sunrise means seeing from far off apparently in contact with the earth, because of the sun’s rotational movement. Seeing the sun apparently in the middle of the sky is noon. Sunset is not seeing the sun, because it apparently enters the earth. Midnight is the sun in a very far position from the observer. Thus the following śruti statement when one is standing on the ocean shore is conventional, not actual. Adbhyā vā eṣa prātar udety apaḥ sāyaṁ praviśati: the sun rises from the ocean in the morning, and enters it in the evening.
The arrangements for rising, setting, midday and midnight according to the different varṣas are next described. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says yair yatra dṛśyate bhāsvān sa teṣām udayaḥ smṛtaḥ: wherever the sun is seen by particular persons, they call that the sunrise. First sight of the sun is called sunrise. Nimlocati means “sets.” Where the sun rises, simultaneously it sets at a point exactly opposite. When, after a period of thirty ghaṭikās after sunrise, the sun is in the middle of the sky, causing perspiration, at the opposite point it is midnight, after thirty ghaṭikās.
Persons who see the sun set and then rise, do not see where the sun has gone. That is the meaning when it is said that they sleep. Amongst the four directions around Meru, wherever the sun is seen to rise, it is noon in the varṣa to the east, midnight to the varṣa in the west, and sunset in the varṣa to the north. And when it is noon, it is sunset in the eastern varṣa, sunrise in the western varṣa and midnight in the northern varṣa.
When one sees sunset, it is noon in the western varṣa, midnight in the eastern varṣa and sunrise in the northern varṣa. All the people situated in all the varṣas consider themselves situated to the south of Meru and simply see sunrise, noon and sunset in their own varṣa, and know the events of the sun in other varṣas by the previously mentioned conception.
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said:
Situated in one city, the sun touches three other cities and two intermediate places. Situated at an inter cardinal city, the sun touches three inter cardinal cities and two cardinal cities.
Situated in any of the cardinal cities, the sun touches three cardinal directions and two inter cardinal directions. Situated in the eastern varṣa at noon, there is sunrise in the southern varṣa, sunset in the northern varṣa. This is the meaning of touching three cardinal directions. And in the southeast varṣa it is the first yāma and in the northeast varṣa it is third yāma of the day.
This is the meaning of touching two inter cardinal points. If the sun is situated in an inter cardinal varṣa then one touches three inter cardinal points and two cardinal points. If the sun is situated in the southeast varṣa at noon, it is sunrise in the southwest varṣa, sunset in the northeast varṣa. It is the first yāma in the southern varṣa and the third yāma in the southern varṣa. Thus two cardinal points are touched. The same follows for being situated at any other inter cardinal or cardinal point.
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's commentary:
Tatrāyānām means “those situated on Meru”. Though the sun keeps Meru on its left with relation to the moving constellations, being turned by the parvartaka-pravaha wind, it keeps the sun to the right on a daily basis, under the control of the zodiac belt. The sunrise means seeing from far off apparently in contact with the earth, because of the sun’s rotational movement. Seeing the sun apparently in the middle of the sky is noon. Sunset is not seeing the sun, because it apparently enters the earth. Midnight is the sun in a very far position from the observer. Thus the following śruti statement when one is standing on the ocean shore is conventional, not actual. Adbhyā vā eṣa prātar udety apaḥ sāyaṁ praviśati: the sun rises from the ocean in the morning, and enters it in the evening.
The arrangements for rising, setting, midday and midnight according to the different varṣas are next described. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says yair yatra dṛśyate bhāsvān sa teṣām udayaḥ smṛtaḥ: wherever the sun is seen by particular persons, they call that the sunrise. First sight of the sun is called sunrise. Nimlocati means “sets.” Where the sun rises, simultaneously it sets at a point exactly opposite. When, after a period of thirty ghaṭikās after sunrise, the sun is in the middle of the sky, causing perspiration, at the opposite point it is midnight, after thirty ghaṭikās.
Persons who see the sun set and then rise, do not see where the sun has gone. That is the meaning when it is said that they sleep. Amongst the four directions around Meru, wherever the sun is seen to rise, it is noon in the varṣa to the east, midnight to the varṣa in the west, and sunset in the varṣa to the north. And when it is noon, it is sunset in the eastern varṣa, sunrise in the western varṣa and midnight in the northern varṣa.
When one sees sunset, it is noon in the western varṣa, midnight in the eastern varṣa and sunrise in the northern varṣa. All the people situated in all the varṣas consider themselves situated to the south of Meru and simply see sunrise, noon and sunset in their own varṣa, and know the events of the sun in other varṣas by the previously mentioned conception.
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said:
Situated in one city, the sun touches three other cities and two intermediate places. Situated at an inter cardinal city, the sun touches three inter cardinal cities and two cardinal cities.
Situated in any of the cardinal cities, the sun touches three cardinal directions and two inter cardinal directions. Situated in the eastern varṣa at noon, there is sunrise in the southern varṣa, sunset in the northern varṣa. This is the meaning of touching three cardinal directions. And in the southeast varṣa it is the first yāma and in the northeast varṣa it is third yāma of the day.
This is the meaning of touching two inter cardinal points. If the sun is situated in an inter cardinal varṣa then one touches three inter cardinal points and two cardinal points. If the sun is situated in the southeast varṣa at noon, it is sunrise in the southwest varṣa, sunset in the northeast varṣa. It is the first yāma in the southern varṣa and the third yāma in the southern varṣa. Thus two cardinal points are touched. The same follows for being situated at any other inter cardinal or cardinal point.