Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 7
The Orbit of the Sun, the Measure of Day and Night, and the Sun-God’s Chariot
एवं नव कोटय एकपञ्चाशल्लक्षाणि योजनानां मानसोत्तरगिरिपरिवर्तनस्योपदिशन्ति तस्मिन्नैन्द्रीं पुरीं पूर्वस्मान्मेरोर्देवधानीं नाम दक्षिणतो याम्यां संयमनीं नाम पश्चाद्वारुणीं निम्लोचनीं नाम उत्तरत: सौम्यां विभावरीं नाम तासूदयमध्याह्नास्तमयनिशीथानीति भूतानां प्रवृत्तिनिवृत्तिनिमित्तानि समयविशेषेण मेरोश्चतुर्दिशम् ॥ ७ ॥
evaṁ nava koṭaya eka-pañcāśal-lakṣāṇi yojanānāṁ mānasottara-giri-parivartanasyopadiśanti tasminn aindrīṁ purīṁ pūrvasmān meror devadhānīṁ nāma dakṣiṇato yāmyāṁ saṁyamanīṁ nāma paścād vāruṇīṁ nimlocanīṁ nāma uttarataḥ saumyāṁ vibhāvarīṁ nāma tāsūdaya-madhyāhnāstamaya-niśīthānīti bhūtānāṁ pravṛtti-nivṛtti-nimittāni samaya-viśeṣeṇa meroś catur-diśam.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued; My dear King, as stated before, the learned say that the sun travels over all sides of Mānasottara Mountain in a circle whose length is 95,100,000 yojanas [760,800,000 miles]. On Mānasottara Mountain, due east of Mount Sumeru, is a place known as Devadhānī, possessed by King Indra. Similarly, in the south is a place known as Saṁyamanī, possessed by Yamarāja, in the west is a place known as Nimlocanī, possessed by Varuṇa, and in the north is a place named Vibhāvarī, possessed by the moon-god. Sunrise, midday, sunset and midnight occur in all those places according to specific times, thus engaging all living entities in their various occupational duties and also making them cease such duties.
FAQs
This verse states that on Mānasottara Mountain there are four directional cities around Meru—Devadhānī (east/Indra), Saṁyamanī (south/Yama), Nimlocanī (west/Varuṇa), and Vibhāvarī (north/Soma)—which correspond to time-markers like dawn, noon, sunset, and midnight for living beings.
In this cosmological mapping, the southern quarter is termed Yāmyā (of Yama) with the city Saṁyamanī; it reflects the Purāṇic directional guardianship where Yama presides over the south, tying cosmic geography to divine administration.
The verse highlights that daily time divisions govern activity and rest for all beings; a devotee can use this awareness to structure life around sādhana—beginning the day at dawn with remembrance, keeping discipline through midday duties, and ending at night with reflection and prayer.