Skandapurana 1.4.36: adhyāyaḥ 38

Nārada said:
At one hundred thousand yojanas from the earth, O Kauravya, is the orb of the sun.
The chariot of the sun is nine thousand yojanas [in extent].

Its pole is described as being twice that measure.
And the axle of the sun measures fifteen million seven hundred thousand [yojanas].

Upon its axle of yojanas, the wheel is mounted;
it is described as having three naves, five spokes, and six fellies.

The second axle extends for forty-five thousand and a half [yojanas],
O Pāṇḍava, belonging to the chariot.

The measure of the two axles is the measure of the two halves of the yoke.
The shorter axle and half the yoke are supported by Dhruva, for the chariot.

The second axle is on the left, and that wheel rests on Mount Mānasa.
The horses are the seven meters; hear their names from me:

Gāyatrī, Bṛhatī, Uṣṇih, Jagatī, and Triṣṭubh,
Anuṣṭubh, and Paṅkti are said to be the meters that are the horses of the sun.

There is never setting nor rising for the sun, which exists always;
its rising and setting are merely its being seen and not being seen.

Standing in the city of Śakra and the others, he touches the three cities;
thus spread out, standing at the diagonal, and likewise in the half-city at the triangle,

at the beginning of the northern course, the sun enters Capricorn;
then Aquarius and Pisces, thus passing from one sign of the zodiac to another.

When he has passed through these three, the sun then goes
on the equinoctial course, making day and night equal.

From then on the night decreases and the day increases day by day.
Then, at the end of Gemini, having reached the highest point,

and arrived at the sign of Cancer, he begins his southern course.
Just as the rim of a potter's wheel revolves swiftly,

so in the course of the southern journey the sun revolves swiftly,
moving through time with great velocity by the force of the wind's path.

Therefore, he travels over a vast distance of the earth in a short time.
Just as what is at the center of a potter's wheel moves slowly,

so in the northern course the sun moves with slow speed;
therefore, in a long time he traverses a small extent of the earth.

At twilight the Mandehas desire to devour the sun.
A curse was laid upon those demons by Prajāpati, O Phālguna:

the imperishability of their bodies, and their death day after day.
Then between them and the sun a most dreadful battle takes place.

Then, the water purified by the Gāyatrī which the twice-born cast,
by that are those evil beings burned away through the twilight worship at all times.

Those who do not perform twilight worship, ungrateful, go to Raurava.
Month by month the sun travels separately accompanied by seven:

by seers, gandharvas, rākṣasas, apsarases, village-leaders, and serpents.
Dhātṛ, Aryaman, Mitra and Varuṇa, Vivasvat, and Indra,

Pūṣan, Savitṛ, Bhaga, and Tvaṣṭṛ are declared,
and Viṣṇu: these are remembered as the twelve Ādityas in the months beginning with Caitra.

From the station of the sun, the orb of the moon is situated
at a distance of one hundred thousand [yojanas]; his chariot is said to have three wheels.

Ten horses, white as jasmine, are harnessed on the left and right.
At a full one hundred thousand yojanas from the moon,

the entire circle of asterisms shines above.
One billion four hundred and eighty million,

and twenty crores are declared to be the number of asterisms.
Two hundred thousand [yojanas] above that circle of asterisms is Mercury.

The chariot of the son of the Moon is made of the substances of wind and fire,
drawn by eight yellowish horses, swift as the wind.

Two hundred thousand [yojanas] above Mercury is remembered Uśanas;
Venus's chariot is also yoked to eight horses of water-born origin.

Two hundred thousand [yojanas] [above] Mars is the priest of the gods;
his golden chariot is yoked to eight pale horses.

Saturn is situated two hundred thousand [yojanas] above Jupiter;
his chariot is drawn by eight dappled horses born of the sky.

The eight horses of Svarbhānu, black as bees and dusky, draw the chariot,
harnessed only once, and situated below the sun.

One hundred thousand [yojanas] above Saturn is known the circle of the Seven Seers;
and one hundred thousand [yojanas] above the seers is situated Dhruva.

Dhruva is the pivot-pole for the entire wheel of constellations;
Dhruva is also situated at the base of the tail of the Śiṃśumāra,

which they call the form of Vāsudeva, the imperishable Self.
All of this, O Phālguna, is bound to Dhruva with bonds of wind.

The orb of the sun is remembered to be nine thousand yojanas [in diameter];
the orb of the moon is remembered to be twice the extent of the sun.

Svarbhānu, equal to them, moving below,
assuming a circular shape, draws up the pure shadow of the earth.

Venus is prescribed as one-sixteenth of the moon;
Jupiter should be understood as one-fourth less than Venus.

Mars and Saturn are one-fourth less than Jupiter, and so is Mercury.
Five hundred, four hundred, three hundred, two hundred, and one yojana,

and measuring half a yojana are the asterisms; there is none smaller.
Bhūrloka is the terrestrial realm, declared to be accessible on foot.

The space between the earth and the sun is declared to be Bhuvarloka.
The distance between Dhruva and the sun is one million four hundred thousand [yojanas];

that is spoken of as Svarloka by those who contemplate the arrangement of the worlds.
Above Dhruva at ten million [yojanas] is declared Maharloka.

And Janaloka is two crores [yojanas higher], where the Four Sanas reside. / And Tapoloka is remembered four crores [yojanas] from there,

Where those Vairāja deities abide, free from burning heat. / Satyaloka shines at six times the distance from Tapoloka,

Where beings do not die again; it is known indeed as Brahmaloka. / Eighteen crores and eighty-five lakhs [of yojanas higher],

Shines that auspicious, peerless abode above. / Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, and Svaḥ are proclaimed: this is the transient threefold world,

While Jana, Tapas, and Satya—these three are imperishable. / Between the transient and the imperishable, Maharloka is recorded.

It becomes empty at the end of a kalpa, but it does not completely perish. / These seven worlds have been described, attained through merits,

Through sacrifices, gifts, recitations, oblations, sacred fords, and sets of vows; / they know these worlds are to be attained through other [rites] taught beginning with the Vedas.

And then from the crown of the cosmic egg, an auspicious stream composed of water, / bathing all the worlds, the Gaṅgā, arrived at Mount Meru.

Then it entered the entire surface of the earth and Pātāla. / The goddess residing at the crest of the cosmic egg dwells constantly at the doorway,

Surrounded by crores of crores of goddesses and by Piṅgala. / Remaining there, that auspicious goddess always protects the cosmic egg;

Possessing great strength and valour, she strikes down hordes of wicked beings. / Hear also how the seven wind-courses are stationed.

Having encompassed the earth, stationed in the sphere of clouds, / the very powerful wind named Pravaha blows forth the clouds.

Filled by it with ocean waters, the clouds born of smoke and born of heat / become dark-bodied and produce abundant rain, O descendant of Bharata.

The second [wind] is named Āvaha, fastened to the solar sphere; / tied by it to Dhruva, this solar sphere is made to rotate.

The third is named Udvaha, established in the lunar sphere; / tied by it to Dhruva, this lunar sphere is made to rotate.

The fourth is named Saṃvaha, situated in the sphere of the asterisms; / tied together with Dhruva by rays of wind, it is made to rotate.

The fifth wind among the planets is Vivaha; / by it this circle of planets, joined to Dhruva, is made to rotate.

The sixth is named Parivaha, stationed in the constellation of the Seven Seers; / tied to Dhruva by it, the Seven Seers revolve in the sky.

And the seventh wind, fastened to Dhruva, is named Parāvaha; / by it the polar cycle and the others have been fixed, O descendant of Bharata,

Reaching which with speed, the ten thousand sons / of the Prajāpati Dakṣa attained the end of the directions.

Thus these sons of Diti stand arranged in seven groups of seven. / Never ceasing, they blow, going everywhere, supporting all.

Above Dhruva, there is neither sun, nor asterisms, nor stars; / established by their own splendour and power, they are eternal.

Thus the regions above have been related to you; now hear from me about the subterranean realms."

Thus ends the thirty-eighth chapter, named 'Description of the Arrangement of the Worlds', in the Kumārikā narrative of the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa, in the first Māheśvarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Skandapurāṇa, a compilation of eighty-one thousand verses.