पिपीलिकानां महतां व्योम्नि वर्त्तुललोष्टके । दशदिक्कमधः पादाः पृष्ठमूर्ध्वमुदाहृतम् ॥ १२ ॥
pipīlikānāṁ mahatāṁ vyōmni varttulalōṣṭakē | daśadikkamadhaḥ pādāḥ pṛṣṭhamūrdhvamudāhṛtam || 12 ||
- Another reading: वर्त्तुललोष्ठके (varttulalōṣṭhakē) for वर्त्तुललोष्टके
Translation
As for great ants on a round clod in the air, in all ten directions, "below" is said to be where their feet are, and "above" their back.
Word by word
- pipīlikānāṁ
- for ants
- mahatāṁ
- great
- vyōmni
- in the air
- varttula
- round
- lōṣṭakē
- on a clod
- daśa
- ten
- dikkam
- in all directions
- adhaḥ
- below
- pādāḥ
- their feet
- pṛṣṭham
- their back
- ūrdhvam
- above
- udāhṛtam
- is said
Meaning
The example is from the astronomers, as the first commentary notes (the Sūryasiddhānta). Ants on every side of a ball each have their feet "below" and their back "above", though they point every way. So the people on all sides of the earth.