SB 5.22.2 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.22.2

स होवाच यथा कुलालचक्रेण भ्रमता सह भ्रमतां तदाश्रयाणां पिपीलिकादीनां गतिरन्यैव प्रदेशान्तरेष्वप्युपलभ्यमानत्वादेवं नक्षत्रराशिभिरुपलक्षितेन कालचक्रेण ध्रुवं मेरुं च प्रदक्षिणेन परिधावता सह परिधावमानानां तदाश्रयाणां सूर्यादीनां ग्रहाणां गतिरन्यैव नक्षत्रान्तरे राश्यन्तरे चोपलभ्यमानत्वात् ॥ २ ॥

sa hovāca

[sa hovaacha]

yathā kulāla-cakreṇa bhramatā saha bhramatāṁ tad-āśrayāṇāṁ pipīlikādīnāṁ gatir anyaiva pradeśāntareṣv apy upalabhyamānatvād evaṁ nakṣatra-rāśibhir upalakṣitena kāla-cakreṇa dhruvaṁ meruṁ ca pradakṣiṇena paridhāvatā saha paridhāvamānānāṁ tad-āśrayāṇāṁ sūryādīnāṁ grahāṇāṁ gatir anyaiva nakṣatrāntare rāśy-antare copalabhyamānatvāt.

[yathaa kulaala-chakrena bhramataa saha bhramataam tad-aashrayaanaam pipeelikaadeenaam gatir anyaiva pradeshaantareshv apy upalabhyamaanatvaad evam nakshatra-raashibhir upalakshitena kaala-chakrena dhruvam merum cha pradakshinena paridhaavataa saha paridhaavamaanaanaam tad-aashrayaanaam sooryaadeenaam grahaanaam gatir anyaiva nakshatraantare raashy-antare chopalabhyamaanatvaat.]

Word-for-word

saḥ — Śukadeva Gosvāmī ha — very clearly uvāca — answered yathā — just as kulāla-cakreṇa — a potter’s wheel bhramatā — turning around saha — with bhramatām — of those turning around tat-āśrayāṇām — being located on that (wheel) pipīlika-ādīnām — of small ants gatiḥ — the motion anyā — other eva — certainly pradeśa-antareṣu — in different locations api — also upalabhyamānatvāt — due to being experienced evam — similarly nakṣatra-rāśibhiḥ — by the stars and signs upalakṣitena — being seen kāla-cakreṇa — with the great wheel of time dhruvam — the star known as Dhruvaloka merum — the mountain known as Sumeru ca — and pradakṣiṇena — on the right paridhāvatā — going around saha — with paridhāvamānānām — of those going around tat-āśrayāṇām — whose shelter is that wheel of time sūrya-ādīnām — headed by the sun grahāṇām — of the planets gatiḥ — the motion anyā — other eva — certainly nakṣatra-antare — in different stars rāśi-antare — in different signs ca — and upalabhyamānatvāt — due to being observed.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

sa hovāca

saḥ

Śukadeva Gosvāmī

very clearly

uvāca

answered

yathā

just as

kulāla-cakreṇa

a potter’s wheel

bhramatā

turning around

saha

with

bhramatām

of those turning around

tat-āśrayāṇām

being located on that (wheel)

pipīlika-ādīnām

of small ants

gatiḥ

the motion

anyā

other

eva

certainly

pradeśa-antareṣu

in different locations

api

also

upalabhyamānatvāt

due to being experienced

evam

similarly

nakṣatra-rāśibhiḥ

by the stars and signs

upalakṣitena

being seen

kāla-cakreṇa

with the great wheel of time

dhruvam

the star known as Dhruvaloka

merum

the mountain known as Sumeru

and

pradakṣiṇena

on the right

paridhāvatā

going around

saha

with

paridhāvamānānām

of those going around

tat-āśrayāṇām

whose shelter is that wheel of time

sūrya-ādīnām

headed by the sun

grahāṇām

of the planets

gatiḥ

the motion

anyā

other

eva

certainly

nakṣatra-antare

in different stars

rāśi-antare

in different signs

and

upalabhyamānatvāt

due to being observed.

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī clearly answered: When a potter’s wheel is moving and small ants located on that big wheel are moving with it, one can see that their motion is different from that of the wheel because they appear sometimes on one part of the wheel and sometimes on another. Similarly, the signs and constellations, with Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on their right, move with the wheel of time, and the antlike sun and other planets move with them. The sun and planets, however, are seen in different signs and constellations at different times. This indicates that their motion is different from that of the zodiac and the wheel of time itself.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Śukadeva said: Just as the motion of ants on a potter’s wheel moving in the opposite direction from the rotation of the wheel is different from that of the wheel, because they can be observed moving from place to place on the wheel, the motion of the planets and sun moving with the wheel of time which is moving clockwise around Meru and Dhruva as seen by the stars is different from the movement of the wheel of time, since they can be observed moving in different constellations and zodiac signs (in the opposite direction). Śukadeva clarifies his statement. They are moving in the opposite direction from the wheel (bhramatā saha bhramatām). There is no contradiction since there are two separate movements: the movement of the wheel and the individual movement.

Personal Guidance

Like ants on a moving potter's wheel, planets move both with the larger wheel of time and with their own motion. We too live two motions at once — the great current of time and our small private motion. Distinguishing the two clears up much confusion.

Reflection Questions

Which of my current 'movements' is really my own choice, and which is just being carried by time?
How would I respond differently if I could tell which is which?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io