Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.435

c7.435

1) Sūrya. The sun gives light to all the other planets. It has an area of 50 crore yojanas and its distance from the earth is 22 crore yojanas. Sūrya exists within the universe, and is called also Mārtaṇḍa as it originated from dead (mṛta) egg (aṇḍa). Sūrya divides the sky, heaven, hell, the earth, east, west, north, south etc. from one another. According to the course of Sūrya three periods of time or ‘seasons’ like uttarāyaṇa, dakṣiṇāyaṇa and viṣuvat are caused. Five months from May is the uttarāyaṇa period, five months from November the dakṣiṇāyaṇa period, and the months of April and October are the Viṣuvats. Since during the uttarāyaṇa the sun rises up comparatively slowly (mandagati) during this period the day is longer than night. As in dakṣiṇāyaṇa the course of the sun is quicker in pace (śīghragati) night is longer than day, and during viṣuvat, (samagati) day and night are of equal duration.