The key aspects of the movement of the Sun
By : Pundit Roshan Singh – Jyotish Astrologer
According to the Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 5, Chapter 21), the sun-god’s chariot features a single wheel named Saṁvatsara, representing the entire wheel of time (kāla-cakra). It is pulled by seven horses named Gayatri, Brhati, Usnik, Jagati, Tristup, Anustup and Pankti, guided by Aruṇadeva on a yoke spanning 900,000 yojanas.
Key Aspects of the Sun’s Chariot:
The Wheel (Saṁvatsara): The wheel is described as having twelve spokes (months), six rims (seasons), and three naves (four-month periods), totalling the entire year.
The Horses: These seven horses are harnessed to the yoke by Aruṇadeva. They represent the seven colors of the rainbow or the seven Vedic meters, according to spiritual/metaphorical interpretations.
The Chariot’s Dimensions: The chariot’s body is 3.6 million yojanas long and a quarter of that wide, with a yoke of 900,000 yojanas.
The Journey: The sun-god, Ādityadeva, rides this chariot to travel across the universe. The movement of this chariot determines the changing lengths of day and night throughout the year.
Attendants: Sixty thousand saints known as Vālikhilyas travel in front of the sun-god, offering prayers.
This description comes from the Vedic, specifically Puranic, cosmological view, which offers a detailed symbolic representation of time, light, and celestial mechanics.
This description comes from the Puranic cosmology (specifically the Srimad Bhagavatam, 5th Canto), detailing the celestial mechanics of the sun’s movement.
In this Vedic framework, the chariot of Surya represents the measurement of time itself. The seven horses are not just animals; they are allegories for the seven Vedic meters (poetic rhythms) that provide the structure for universal harmony. Arunadeva, the charioteer who sits before the sun-god, is said to be the personification of the dawn, shielding the world from the full intensity of Surya’s rays.
In ancient Indian cosmology, the distance from the Earth to the Sun is described through two primary lenses: scriptural distance found in the Puranas and a calculated distance derived from devotional and astronomical texts. Time was calculated as a cyclical, multi-dimensional system ranging from the “atomic” to the “cosmic.”
Distance from Earth to Sun
The Scriptural Measurement: In the Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas, the Sun is described as being 100,000 yojanas above the Earth. Taking a yojana as approximately 8 miles (12.8 km), this equals 800,000 miles.
The Calculated Measurement: A famous verse from the Hanuman Chalisa (“Yuga-Sahasra-Yojana Par Bhanu”) is often cited as a more precise calculation.
Calculation: 1 Yuga (12,000 divine years) × 1 Sahasra (1,000) × 1 Yojana (8 miles) = 96,000,000 miles.
This result (approx. 153.6 million km) is remarkably close to the modern scientific average of 92.96 million miles (149.6 million km).
How Ancient Rishis Calculated Time
The ancient Indian system (Vedic Time) was based on the Sun’s rotation and the vibrations of atoms. Calculations were divided into two categories: Amurta (subtle/virtual) and Murta (gross/embodied).
1. Smallest Units (Atomic to Human)
Calculations began with the smallest possible moment, often tied to physical actions:
Truti: The time taken to integrate three trasarenus (celestial atoms), approximately 1/1687.5th of a second.
Nimesha: The time for one wink of an eye.
Kashtha: 15 nimeshas (approx. 1.6 seconds).
Muhurta: 30 kalas or 2 ghatikas, equal to 48 minutes. There are 30 muhurtas in one full day (Ahoratra).
2. Historical & Planetary Units
Lunar vs. Solar: The calendar was lunisolar. Months were 30 days based on the Moon, while a year was based on the Sun’s entry into zodiac signs.
The Yuga Cycle: History was divided into four repetitive epochs:
Satya Yuga: 1,728,000 years
Treta Yuga: 1,296,000 years
Dvapara Yuga: 864,000 years
Kali Yuga: 432,000 years (our current age)
3. Cosmic Units
For the Rishis, time expanded to the scale of the universe’s creator,
Brahma.
Kalpa: One day of Brahma, consisting of 1,000 Maha Yugas (4.32 billion human years).
Maha Kalpa: The total lifespan of Brahma (100 years in his time), totaling 311.04 trillion human years, after which the universe dissolves and is recreated.
To track these units, Rishis used Jalayantras (water clocks), specifically the sinking-bowl type that would fill and sink exactly 60 times in one day, and the Shanku (gnomon/sundial) to track the Sun’s shadow.
