(Nandikesvara tells Markandeya)
"There is in the Southern Region, O ascetic, in the land of Dravidas, a great sacred place named Aruna associated with the Lord with the crescent-moon for his crest-jewel.
It extends to three Yojanas. It is worthy of being adored by Sivayogins. Know it to be the heart of the earth, attractive and thrilling to Siva.
There the Lord Sambhu himself has assumed the form of a mountain. He has the name Arunachala. He is conducive to the welfare of the worlds."
[Chapter 4, The Greatness of Arunachala: Skanda Purana -- I.iii(U).4.12-23]
Siva said:
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What is a Yojana
A yojana is a Vedic measure of distance used in ancient India. The exact measurement is disputed amongst scholars, but it is currently believed that 1 yojana is around 12-15 kms i.e. around 9 miles. It is declared in the Shastras that 3 yojanas around Arunachala are blessed— which means around 30 miles i.e. 48 kms.
The etymology of the word ‘yojana’ is derived from the same root that gives us both the English word ‘yoke’ and the Indian term ‘yoga’. It is thought that ‘yojana’ initially meant ‘being yoked’, and that it was used as a unit of measure to indicate the approximate distance that a cow could pull a cart to which it was yoked.
The yojana is used extensively in ancient descriptions of Buddhist cosmology (and, presumably, Hindu cosmology as well). The size of layers of the Earth, the heights of mountains, and the depths of seas are all described using yojanas.
