Bhagavata Purana — Skandha 5 — Chapter 22
SB 5 22.1
_* राजोवाच यद् एतद् भगवत आदित्यस्य मेरुं ध्रुवं च प्रदक्षिणेन परिक्रामतो राशीनाम् अभिमुखं प्रचलितं चाप्रदक्षिणं भगवतोपवर्णितम् अमुष्य वयं कथम् अनुमिमीमहीति
_* rājovāca yad etad bhagavata ādityasya meruṃ dhruvaṃ ca pradakṣiṇena parikrāmato rāśīnām abhimukhaṃ pracalitaṃ cāpradakṣiṇaṃ bhagavatopavarṇitam amuṣya vayaṃ katham anumimīmahīti
The king said: This that has been described by you, Lord — that while the sun circles Meru and the polestar keeping them on his right, he also moves facing the (zodiacal) signs, that is, in a leftward direction — how are we to understand this?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.2
_* स होवाच यथा कुलाल-चक्रेण भ्रमता सह भ्रमतां तद्-आश्रयाणां पिपीलिकादीनां गतिर् अन्यैव प्रदेशान्तरेष्व् अप्य् उपलभ्यमानत्वाद् एवं नक्षत्र-राशिभिर् उपलक्षितेन काल-चक्रेण ध्रुवं मेरुं च प्रदक्षिणेन परिधावता सह परिधावमानानां तद्-आश्रयाणां सूर्यादीनां ग्रहाणां गतिर् अन्यैव नक्षत्रान्तरे राश्य्-अन्तरे चोपलभ्यमानत्वात्
_* sa hovāca yathā kulāla-cakreṇa bhramatā saha bhramatāṃ tad-āśrayāṇāṃ pipīlikādīnāṃ gatir anyaiva pradeśāntareṣv apy upalabhyamānatvād evaṃ nakṣatra-rāśibhir upalakṣitena kāla-cakreṇa dhruvaṃ meruṃ ca pradakṣiṇena paridhāvatā saha paridhāvamānānāṃ tad-āśrayāṇāṃ sūryādīnāṃ grahāṇāṃ gatir anyaiva nakṣatrāntare rāśy-antare copalabhyamānatvāt
He said: Just as, when a potter's wheel is turning, the movement of ants and the like that are resting on it and turning with it is quite another (movement), since they are seen also in other places — so the movement of the sun and the other planets, which rest upon and run along with the wheel of time that is marked by the lunar mansions and the zodiacal signs and that runs around the polestar and Meru keeping them on the right, is quite another (movement), since they are seen in a different lunar mansion and a different sign.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.3
_* स एष भगवान् आदि-पुरुष एव साक्षान् नारायणो लोकानां स्वस्तय आत्मानं त्रयीमयं कर्म-विशुद्धि-निमित्तं कविभिर् अपि च वेदेन विजिज्ञास्यमानो द्वादशधा विभज्य षट्सु वसन्तादिष्व् ऋतुषु यथोप-जोषम् ऋतु-गुणान् विदधाति
_* sa eṣa bhagavān ādi-puruṣa eva sākṣān nārāyaṇo lokānāṃ svastaya ātmānaṃ trayīmayaṃ karma-viśuddhi-nimittaṃ kavibhir api ca vedena vijijñāsyamāno dvādaśadhā vibhajya ṣaṭsu vasantādiṣv ṛtuṣu yathopa-joṣam ṛtu-guṇān vidadhāti
He, this very Lord, the primeval Person himself, Nārāyaṇa in person, for the welfare of the worlds, sought to be known by the sages and by the Veda, having divided himself — who consists of the three Vedas and is the cause of the purification of action — into twelve (parts), dispenses the qualities of the seasons as is agreeable, in the six seasons beginning with spring.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.4
_* तम् एतम् इह पुरुषास् त्रय्या विद्यया वर्णाश्रमाचारानुपथा उच्चावचैः कर्मभिर् आम्नातैर् योग-वितानैश् च श्रद्धया यजन्तो ऽञ्जसा श्रेयः समधिगच्छन्ति
_* tam etam iha puruṣās trayyā vidyayā varṇāśramācārānupathā uccāvacaiḥ karmabhir āmnātair yoga-vitānaiś ca śraddhayā yajanto 'ñjasā śreyaḥ samadhigacchanti
Here in this world men, following the practices of the classes and stages of life by means of the threefold knowledge, worshipping him with faith through higher and lower prescribed rites and through the extensions of yoga, readily attain the highest good.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.5
_* अथ स एष आत्मा लोकानां द्याव्-आपृथिव्योर् अन्तरेण नभो-वलयस्य कालचक्र-गतो द्वादश मासान् भुङ्क्ते राशि-संज्ञान् संवत्सरावयवान् मासः पक्ष-द्वयं दिवा नक्तं चेति सपादर्क्ष-द्वयम् उपदिशन्ति यावता षष्ठम् अंशं भुञ्जीत स वै ऋतुर् इत्य् उपदिश्यते संवत्सरावयवः
_* atha sa eṣa ātmā lokānāṃ dyāv-āpṛthivyor antareṇa nabho-valayasya kālacakra-gato dvādaśa māsān bhuṅkte rāśi-saṃjñān saṃvatsarāvayavān māsaḥ pakṣa-dvayaṃ divā naktaṃ ceti sapādarkṣa-dvayam upadiśanti yāvatā ṣaṣṭham aṃśaṃ bhuñjīta sa vai ṛtur ity upadiśyate saṃvatsarāvayavaḥ
Now this same Self of the worlds, moving on the wheel of time within the circle of the sky between heaven and earth, consumes the twelve months, called the zodiacal signs, which are the parts of the year. A month is two fortnights, (reckoned as) a day and a night (of the ancestors); they teach that (in a month the sun traverses) two and a quarter lunar mansions. Whatever (time) it takes for (the sun) to consume a sixth part (of the year), that is taught to be a season, a part of the year.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.6
_* अथ च यावतार्धेन नभो-वीथ्यां प्रचरति तं कालम् अयनम् आचक्षते
_* atha ca yāvatārdhena nabho-vīthyāṃ pracarati taṃ kālam ayanam ācakṣate
And the time in which (the sun) travels through half the pathway of the sky, that they call an ayana (a solstitial course).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.7
_* अथ च यावन् नभो-मण्डलं सह द्याव्-आपृथिव्योर् मण्डलाभ्यां कार्त्स्न्येन स ह भुञ्जीत तं कालं संवत्सरं परिवत्सरम् इडावत्सरम् अनुवत्सरं वत्सरम् इति भानोर् मान्द्य-शैघ्र्य-सम-गतिभिः समामनन्ति
_* atha ca yāvan nabho-maṇḍalaṃ saha dyāv-āpṛthivyor maṇḍalābhyāṃ kārtsnyena sa ha bhuñjīta taṃ kālaṃ saṃvatsaraṃ parivatsaram iḍāvatsaram anuvatsaraṃ vatsaram iti bhānor māndya-śaighrya-sama-gatibhiḥ samāmananti
And the time in which he would fully consume the whole circle of the sky together with the circles of heaven and earth — that time they reckon, according to the sun's slow, swift and even motions, as saṃvatsara, parivatsara, iḍāvatsara, anuvatsara and vatsara.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.8
_* एवं चन्द्रमा अर्क-गभस्तिभ्य उपरिष्टाल् लक्ष-योजनत उपलभ्यमानो ऽर्कस्य संवत्सर-भुक्तिं पक्षाभ्यां मास-भुक्तिं सपादर्क्षाभ्यां दिनेनैव पक्ष-भुक्तिम् अग्रचारी द्रुततर-गमनो भुङ्क्ते
_* evaṃ candramā arka-gabhastibhya upariṣṭāl lakṣa-yojanata upalabhyamāno 'rkasya saṃvatsara-bhuktiṃ pakṣābhyāṃ māsa-bhuktiṃ sapādarkṣābhyāṃ dinenaiva pakṣa-bhuktim agracārī drutatara-gamano bhuṅkte
So too the moon, perceived a hundred thousand yojanas above the rays of the sun, moving ahead (of the sun) with swifter motion, consumes in two fortnights the sun's year-long consumption, in two and a quarter lunar mansions its month-long consumption, and in a single day its fortnight's consumption.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.9
_* अथ चापूर्यमाणाभिश् च कलाभिर् अमराणां क्षीयमाणाभिश् च कलाभिः पित्-णाम् अहो-रात्राणि पूर्व-पक्षापर-पक्षाभ्यां वितन्वानः सर्व-जीव-निवह-प्राणो जीवश् चैकम् एकं नक्षत्रं त्रिंशता मुहूर्तैर् भुङ्क्ते
_* atha cāpūryamāṇābhiś ca kalābhir amarāṇāṃ kṣīyamāṇābhiś ca kalābhiḥ pit-ṇām aho-rātrāṇi pūrva-pakṣāpara-pakṣābhyāṃ vitanvānaḥ sarva-jīva-nivaha-prāṇo jīvaś caikam ekaṃ nakṣatraṃ triṃśatā muhūrtair bhuṅkte
And with its waxing digits producing the days of the gods, and with its waning digits the nights of the ancestors, by the bright and the dark fortnight (the moon) spreads out days and nights; being the life of the whole host of living beings, and (itself) the living one, it consumes one lunar mansion after another in thirty muhūrtas.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.10
_* य एष षोडश-कलः पुरुषो भगवान् मनोमयो ऽन्नमयो ऽमृतमयो देव-पितृ-मनुष्य-भूत-पशु-पक्षि-सरीसृप-वीरुधां प्राणाप्य् आयन-शीलत्वात् सर्वमय इति वर्णयन्ति
_* ya eṣa ṣoḍaśa-kalaḥ puruṣo bhagavān manomayo 'nnamayo 'mṛtamayo deva-pitṛ-manuṣya-bhūta-paśu-pakṣi-sarīsṛpa-vīrudhāṃ prāṇāpy āyana-śīlatvāt sarvamaya iti varṇayanti
This Person of sixteen digits, the Lord, consisting of mind, consisting of food, consisting of nectar — because he is the very life and the resort of gods, ancestors, men, creatures, beasts, birds, reptiles and plants, they describe him as consisting of all.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.11
_* तत उपरिष्टाद् द्वि-लक्ष-योजनतो नक्षत्राणि मेरुं दक्षिणेनैव कालायन ईश्वर-योजितानि सहाभिजिताष्टा-विंशतिः
_* tata upariṣṭād dvi-lakṣa-yojanato nakṣatrāṇi meruṃ dakṣiṇenaiva kālāyana īśvara-yojitāni sahābhijitāṣṭā-viṃśatiḥ
Two hundred thousand yojanas above that (the moon) are the lunar mansions, twenty-eight including Abhijit, fixed by the Lord to the wheel of time, moving with Meru on their right.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.12
_* तत उपरिष्टाद् उशना द्वि-लक्ष-योजनत उपलभ्यते पुरतः पश्चात् सहैव वार्कस्य शैघ्र्य-मान्द्य-साम्याभिर् गतिभिर् अर्कवच् चरति लोकानां नित्यदानुकूल एव प्रायेण वर्षयंश् चारेणानुमीयते स वृष्टि-विष्टम्भ-ग्रहोपशमनः
_* tata upariṣṭād uśanā dvi-lakṣa-yojanata upalabhyate purataḥ paścāt sahaiva vārkasya śaighrya-māndya-sāmyābhir gatibhir arkavac carati lokānāṃ nityadānukūla eva prāyeṇa varṣayaṃś cāreṇānumīyate sa vṛṣṭi-viṣṭambha-grahopaśamanaḥ
Two hundred thousand yojanas above that, Uśanas (Venus) is observed, moving in front of, behind, or along with the sun, and travelling like the sun with swift, slow and even motions. He is generally always favourable to the worlds, causing rain by his course, from which it is inferred (that he) allays the planets that obstruct rainfall.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.13
_* उशनसा बुधो व्याख्यातस् तत उपरिष्टाद् द्वि-लक्ष-योजनतो बुधः सोम-सुत उपलभ्यमानः प्रायेण शुभ-कृद् यदार्काद् व्यतिरिच्येत तदातिवाताभ्र-प्रायानावृष्ट्य्-आदि-भयम् आशंसते
_* uśanasā budho vyākhyātas tata upariṣṭād dvi-lakṣa-yojanato budhaḥ soma-suta upalabhyamānaḥ prāyeṇa śubha-kṛd yadārkād vyatiricyeta tadātivātābhra-prāyānāvṛṣṭy-ādi-bhayam āśaṃsate
By (the description of) Uśanas, Budha is explained: two hundred thousand yojanas above that, Budha, the son of Soma, is observed, generally auspicious; but when he departs from the sun, then he portends the danger of excessive wind, cloudiness, drought and the like.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.14
_* अत ऊर्ध्वम् अङ्गारको ऽपि योजन-लक्ष-द्वितय उपलभ्यमानस् त्रिभिस् त्रिभिः पक्षैर् एकैकशो राशीन् द्वादशानुभुङ्क्ते यदि न वक्रेणाभिवर्तते प्रायेणाशुभ-ग्रहो ऽघ-शंसः
_* ata ūrdhvam aṅgārako 'pi yojana-lakṣa-dvitaya upalabhyamānas tribhis tribhiḥ pakṣair ekaikaśo rāśīn dvādaśānubhuṅkte yadi na vakreṇābhivartate prāyeṇāśubha-graho 'gha-śaṃsaḥ
Above this, Aṅgāraka (Mars) too is observed at a distance of two hundred thousand yojanas; he passes through the twelve signs one by one, three fortnights each, unless he moves retrograde; he is generally an inauspicious planet, foretelling evil.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.15
_* तत उपरिष्टाद् द्वि-लक्ष-योजनान्तर-गता भगवान् बृहस्पतिर् एकैकस्मिन् राशौ परिवत्सरं परिवत्सरं चरति यदि न वक्रः स्यात् प्रायेणानुकूलो ब्राह्मण-कुलस्य
_* tata upariṣṭād dvi-lakṣa-yojanāntara-gatā bhagavān bṛhaspatir ekaikasmin rāśau parivatsaraṃ parivatsaraṃ carati yadi na vakraḥ syāt prāyeṇānukūlo brāhmaṇa-kulasya
Two hundred thousand yojanas above that, the lord Bṛhaspati (Jupiter) moves through each single sign for a year, unless he be retrograde; he is generally favourable to the class of brāhmaṇas.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.16
_* तत उपरिष्टाद् योजन-लक्ष-द्वयात् प्रतीयमानः शनैश्चर एकैकस्मिन् राशौ त्रिंशन् मासान् विलम्बमानः सर्वान् एवानुपर्येति तावद्भिर् अनुवत्सरैः प्रायेण हि सर्वेषाम् अशान्तिकरः
_* tata upariṣṭād yojana-lakṣa-dvayāt pratīyamānaḥ śanaiścara ekaikasmin rāśau triṃśan māsān vilambamānaḥ sarvān evānuparyeti tāvadbhir anuvatsaraiḥ prāyeṇa hi sarveṣām aśāntikaraḥ
Two hundred thousand yojanas above that, Śanaiścara (Saturn) is discerned; lingering thirty months in each single sign, he goes around all of them in as many years; he is generally a cause of unrest to all.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
SB 5 22.17
_* तत उत्तरस्माद् ऋषय एकादश-लक्ष-योजनान्तर उपलभ्यन्ते य एव लोकानां शम् अनुभावयन्तो भगवतो विष्णोर् यत् परमं पदं प्रदक्षिणं प्रक्रमन्ति
_* tata uttarasmād ṛṣaya ekādaśa-lakṣa-yojanāntara upalabhyante ya eva lokānāṃ śam anubhāvayanto bhagavato viṣṇor yat paramaṃ padaṃ pradakṣiṇaṃ prakramanti
Eleven hundred thousand yojanas above that, the seers are perceived, who, bringing about the welfare of the worlds, circumambulate with their right side that supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition