Dighanikaya 27.121_7

27.121_7

Kati nesaṃ vīthiyoti ettha pana ajavīthi, nāgavīthi, govīthīti tisso vīthiyo honti. Tattha ajānaṃ udakaṃ paṭikūlaṃ hoti, hatthināgānaṃ manāpaṃ. Gunnaṃ sītuṇhasamatāya phāsu hoti. Tasmā yaṃ kālaṃ candimasūriyā ajavīthiṃ āruhanti, tadā devo ekabindumpi na vassati. Yadā nāgavīthiṃ ārohanti, tadā bhinnaṃ viya nabhaṃ paggharati. Yadā govīthiṃ ārohanti, tadā utusamatā sampajjati. Candimasūriyā chamāse sineruto bahi nikkhamanti, chamāse anto vicaranti. Te hi āsāḷhamāse sinerusamīpena vicaranti. Tato pare dve māse nikkhamitvā bahi vicarantā paṭhamakattikamāse majjhena gacchanti. Tato cakkavāḷābhimukhā gantvā tayo māse cakkavāḷasamīpena caritvā puna nikkhamitvā citramāse majjhena gantvā tato dve māse sinerubhimukhā pakkhanditvā puna āsāḷhe sinerusamīpena caranti.

Regarding 'How many paths do they have?': here there are three paths: the goat path, the serpent-elephant path, and the cow path. Among these, water is abhorrent to goats, but agreeable to elephants. For cows, comfort is found in the equilibrium of cold and heat. Therefore, when the moon and sun ascend the goat path, then the sky does not rain even a single drop. When they ascend the serpent-elephant path, then the sky trickles down as if torn apart. When they ascend the cow path, an equilibrium of the seasons is achieved. The moon and sun emerge outside Sineru for six months, and traverse inside for six months. For in the month of Āsāḷha, they move close to Sineru. Then, having emerged for the subsequent two months, traversing outside, they travel through the middle in the first month of Kattika. Then, proceeding towards the world-sphere [cakkavāḷa], having moved near the world-sphere for three months, having emerged again, they travel through the middle in the month of Citta; then, dashing towards Sineru for two months, they move again near Sineru in Āsāḷha.