Manava Dharmashastra 1.38

1.38

meghodaradṛśyaṃ madhyamaṃ jyotirvidyuducyate | yasyāstaḍitsaudāminītyādayaḥ paryāyā viśeṣāśrayāḥ | aśaniḥ śilābhūtāḥ himakaṇikāḥ sūkṣmādṛśyāśca varṣadhārādivatpatantyo vegavadvātapreritāḥ sasyādivinā śinya ucyante | meghā abhrodakamarujjyotiḥsaṃghātā āntarikṣāḥ | rohitaṃ daṇḍākāramantarikṣe nīlalohitarūpaṃ kadācit dṛśyate | ādityamaṇḍala lagnaṃ kadācit kadācitpradeśāntare'pi | tasyaiva viśeṣa indradhanuḥ | vakratvaṃ dhanurākāratā'dhikā'sya | ulkā saṃdhyāpradoṣādau visāriprabhāṇyutpāte dikṣu patanti yāni jyotīṃṣi dṛśyante | nirghātaḥ bhūmyantarikṣa utpātaśabdaḥ | ketava utpāte dṛśyamānāni śikhāvanti jyotīṃṣi prasiddhāni | anyānyapi dhruvāgastyārundhatīprabhṛtīni nānāprakāśāni |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The semi-brilliant flash of light seen within the clouds is called ‘lightning,’ of which the other names are ‘Sandāminī’ and so forth, which are based upon certain peculiar characteristics;—‘Hails’— stone-like finely visible snow-particles, which, propelled by strong winds, fall like torrents of rain and destroy corns and other things;—‘Clouds,’ consist of the combination, in the atmosphere, of vapour, water, air and light;—‘Vertical phosphorescence,’ is an upright mass of violet-colon red luminous matter, occasionally visible in the sky; it is seen sometimes attached to the disc of the sun, and sometimes in other places also;—a particular Form of the same is called ‘Rainbow,’ which

differs from the former in being curved in the form of a bow;—‘Meteors,’ are those stars which are seen to fall as portents during twilights and at the advent of night, diffusing their brilliance all round;—‘Portentous sounds,’ are sounds emanating from the Earth or Sky, which are regarded as foreboding calamity;—‘Comets,’ the well-known stars with protruding crowns, seen during a public calamity;—as also various kinds of other stars, Dhruva, Agastya, Arundhatī and so forth.—(38)