Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2861

c9.2861

Thus when the sun passes through the middle of the island Puṣkara, the change of the Sun to one thirtieth portion of the earth is called ‘Mauhūrtikagati’ (covering the distance in a muhūrta—48 minutes). The sun, like a fly sitting on the circumference of the wheel of a potter travels round the earth inclining a portion of a thirtieth of the earth, and making day and night. In the beginning of the transit to the Tropic of Cancer, the sun passes into the zodiac of Makara, and then to Kumbha and Mina. After having completed the three zodiacs, the sun makes the day and night equal and enters Viṣuva. The at the end of travelling in the Northern hemi-sphere the sun enters the zodiac of Karkaṭaka and transit to the south begins. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Aṃśa 2, Chapter 8).