स ह भुञ्जीत तं कालं संवत्सरं परिवत्सरमिडावत्सरमनुवत्सरं
वत्सरमिति भानोर्मान्द्यशैघ्र्यसमगतिभिः समामनन्ति ॥७॥
atha ca yÄvan nabho-maṇá¸alaá¹ saha dyÄv-Äpá¹›thivyor maṇá¸alÄbhyÄá¹ kÄrtsnyena sa ha bhuñjÄ«ta taá¹ kÄlaá¹ saá¹vatsaraá¹ parivatsaram iá¸Ävatsaram anuvatsaraá¹ vatsaram iti bhÄnor mÄndya-Å›aighrya-sama-gatibhiḥ samÄmananti
atha - now; ca - also; yÄvat - as long as; nabhaḥ-maṇá¸alam - outer space, between the upper and lower world; saha - along with; dyau - of the upper world; Äpá¹›thivyoḥ - of the lower world; maṇá¸alÄbhyÄm - the spheres; kÄrtsnyena - entirely; saḥ - he; ha - indeed; bhuñjÄ«ta - may pass through; tam - that; kÄlam - time; saá¹vatsaram - Saá¹vatsara; parivatsaram - Parivatsara; iá¸Ävatsaram - Iá¸Ävatsara; anuvatsaram - Anuvatsara; vatsaram - Vatsara; iti - thus; bhÄnoḥ - of the sun; mÄndya - slow; Å›aighrya - speedy; sama - and equal; gatibhiḥ - by the speeds; samÄmananti - the experienced scholars describe.
The sun-god has three speeds — slow, fast and moderate. The time he takes to travel entirely around the spheres of heaven, earth and space at these three speeds is referred to, by learned scholars, by the five names Saá¹vatsara, Parivatsara, Iá¸Ävatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara.
According to solar astronomical calculations, each year extends six days beyond the calendar year, and according to lunar calculations, each year is six days shorter. Therefore, because of the movements of the sun and moon, there is a difference of twelve days between the solar and lunar years. As the Saá¹vatsara, Parivatsara, Iá¸Ävatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara pass by, two extra months are added within each five years. This makes a sixth saá¹vatsara, but because that saá¹vatsara is extra, the solar system is calculated according to the above five names.
