Dighanikaya 27.121_6

27.121_6

Cando ujukaṃ saṇikaṃ gacchati, tiriyaṃ sīghaṃ. Dvīsu passesu nakkhattatārakā gacchanti. Cando dhenu viya vacchaṃ taṃ taṃ nakkhattaṃ upasaṅkamati. Nakkhattāni pana attano ṭhānaṃ na vijahanti. Sūriyassa ujukaṃ gamanaṃ sīghaṃ, tiriyaṃ gamanaṃ dandhaṃ. So kāḷapakkhauposathato pāṭipadadivase yojanānaṃ satasahassaṃ candamaṇḍalaṃ ohāya gacchati. Atha cando lekhā viya paññāyati. Pakkhassa dutiyāya satasahassanti evaṃ yāva uposathadivasā satasahassaṃ satasahassaṃ ohāya gacchati. Atha cando anukkamena vaḍḍhitvā uposathadivase paripuṇṇo hoti. Puna pāṭipadadivase yojanānaṃ satasahassaṃ dhāvitvā gaṇhāti. Dutiyāya satasahassanti evaṃ yāva uposathadivasā satasahassaṃ satasahassaṃ dhāvitvā gaṇhāti. Atha cando anukkamena hāyitvā uposathadivase sabbaso na paññāyati. Candaṃ heṭṭhā katvā sūriyo upari hoti. Mahatiyā pātiyā khuddakabhājanaṃ viya candamaṇḍalaṃ pidhīyati. Majjhanhike gehacchāyā viya candassa chāyā na paññāyati. So chāyāya apaññāyamānāya dūre ṭhitānaṃ divā padīpo viya sayampi na paññāyati.

The moon moves slowly straight ahead, but swiftly across. On both sides move the lunar mansions and the stars. Like a cow going to its calf, the moon approaches each respective lunar mansion. The lunar mansions, however, do not abandon their own station. The sun's forward motion is swift, while its transverse motion is slow. On the first day of the fortnight, starting from the observance day of the dark fortnight, it moves having left behind the moon's disk by a hundred thousand leagues. Then the moon appears like a streak. On the second day of the fortnight, it leaves it behind by a hundred thousand [leagues], and thus up to the observance day, it proceeds leaving it behind by a hundred thousand leagues each [day]. Then the moon gradually grows and becomes full on the observance day. Again, on the first day of the fortnight, it runs and overtakes it by a hundred thousand leagues. On the second day by a hundred thousand, and thus up to the observance day, it runs and overtakes it by a hundred thousand leagues each [day]. Then the moon gradually wanes and is not seen at all on the observance day. With the moon placed beneath, the sun is above. Like a small dish covered by a large bowl, the moon's disk is hidden. Like the shadow of a house at midday, the shadow of the moon is not perceived. When its shadow is not perceived, it itself is also not visible to those standing far away, just like a lamp during the day.