Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 5: The Creative Impetus

Chapter 21: The Movements of the Sun. Text 4

यदा मेषतुलयोर्वर्तते तदाहोरात्राणि समानानि भवन्ति यदा वृषभादिषु
पञ्चसु च राशिषु चरति तदाहान्येव वर्धन्ते ह्रसति च मासि मास्येकैका घटिका
रात्रिषु ॥४॥

yadÄ meá¹£a-tulayor vartate tadÄho-rÄtrÄṇi samÄnÄni bhavanti yadÄ vṛṣabhÄdiá¹£u pañcasu ca rÄÅ›iá¹£u carati tadÄhÄny eva vardhante hrasati ca mÄsi mÄsy ekaikÄ ghaá¹­ikÄ rÄtriá¹£u

 yadÄ - when; meá¹£a-tulayoḥ - in Meá¹£a (Aries) and TulÄ (Libra); vartate - the sun exists; tadÄ - at that time; ahaḥ-rÄtrÄṇi - the days and nights; samÄnÄni - equal in duration; bhavanti - are; yadÄ - when; vṛṣabha-Ädiá¹£u - headed by Vṛṣabha (Taurus) and Mithuna (Gemini); pañcasu - in the five; ca - also; rÄÅ›iá¹£u - signs; carati - moves; tadÄ - at that time; ahÄni - the days; eva - certainly; vardhante - increase; hrasati - is diminished; ca - and; mÄsi mÄsi - in every month; eka-ekÄ - one; ghaá¹­ikÄ - half hour; rÄtriá¹£u - in the nights.


Text

When the sun passes through Meá¹£a [Aries] and TulÄ [Libra], the durations of day and night are equal. When it passes through the five signs headed by Vṛṣabha [Taurus], the duration of the days increases [until Cancer], and then it gradually decreases by half an hour each month, until day and night again become equal [in Libra].

Purport