Shloka 2
The Orbit of the Sun, the Measure of Day and Night, and the Sun-God’s Chariot
एतेन हि दिवो मण्डलमानं तद्विद उपदिशन्ति यथा द्विदलयोर्निष्पावादीनां ते अन्तरेणान्तरिक्षं तदुभयसन्धितम् ॥ २ ॥
etena hi divo maṇḍala-mānaṁ tad-vida upadiśanti yathā dvi-dalayor niṣpāvādīnāṁ te antareṇāntarikṣaṁ tad-ubhaya-sandhitam.
As a grain of wheat, when split in two, allows one to infer the measure of the upper part by knowing the lower, so do the learned in sacred cosmography teach: by knowing the measurements of the lower region, one may understand the measurements of the upper region of the universe. The sky between the earthly sphere and the heavenly sphere is called antarikṣa, outer space, adjoining the summit of the earth-sphere and the base of the heaven-sphere.
FAQs
This verse explains antarikṣa as the intervening region between two domains, compared to the space between the two halves of a split seed—connected to both sides.
He uses a simple, visual analogy to help the listener grasp how learned teachers describe the measure and divisions of the celestial sphere and the ‘in-between’ region.
It encourages careful learning through clear analogies—approaching complex spiritual or philosophical topics with humility, structure, and intelligible examples.