FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.24.1

श्रीशुक उवाच अधस्तात्सवितुर्योजनायुते स्वर्भानुर्नक्षत्रवच्चरतीत्येके योऽसावमरत्वं ग्रहत्वं चालभत भगवदनुकम्पया स्वयमसुरापसद: सैंहिकेयो ह्यतदर्हस्तस्य तात जन्म कर्माणि चोपरिष्टाद्वक्ष्याम: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
adhastāt savitur yojanāyute svarbhānur nakṣatravac caratīty eke yo ’sāv amaratvaṁ grahatvaṁ cālabhata bhagavad-anukampayā svayam asurāpasadaḥ saiṁhikeyo hy atad-arhas tasya tāta janma karmāṇi copariṣṭād vakṣyāmaḥ.
[adhastaat savitur yojanaayute svarbhaanur nakshatravach charateety eke yo ’saav amaratvam grahatvam chaalabhata bhagavad-anukampayaa svayam asuraapasadah saimhikeyo hy atad-arhas tasya taata janma karmaani choparishtaad vakshyaamah.]
Word-for-word
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said adhastāt — below savituḥ — the sun globe yojana — a measurement equal to eight miles ayute — ten thousand svarbhānuḥ — the planet known as Rāhu nakṣatra-vat — like one of the stars carati — is rotating iti — thus eke — some who are learned in the Purāṇas yaḥ — which asau — that amaratvam — a lifetime like those of the demigods grahatvam — a position as one of the chief planets ca — and alabhata — obtained bhagavat-anukampayā — by the compassion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead svayam — personally asura-apasadaḥ — the lowest of the asuras saiṁhikeyaḥ — being the son of Siṁhikā hi — indeed a-tat-arhaḥ — not qualified for that position tasya — his tāta — O my dear King janma — birth karmāṇi — activities ca — also upariṣṭāt — later vakṣyāmaḥ — I shall explain.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
adhastāt savitur yojanāyute svarbhānur nakṣatravac caratīty eke yo ’sāv amaratvaṁ grahatvaṁ cālabhata bhagavad-anukampayā svayam asurāpasadaḥ saiṁhikeyo hy atad-arhas tasya tāta janma karmāṇi copariṣṭād vakṣyāmaḥ.
adhastāt
below
savituḥ
the sun globe
yojana
a measurement equal to eight miles
ayute
ten thousand
svarbhānuḥ
the planet known as Rāhu
nakṣatra-vat
like one of the stars
carati
is rotating
iti
thus
eke
some who are learned in the Purāṇas
yaḥ
which
asau
that
amaratvam
a lifetime like those of the demigods
grahatvam
a position as one of the chief planets
ca
and
alabhata
obtained
bhagavat-anukampayā
by the compassion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
svayam
personally
asura-apasadaḥ
the lowest of the asuras
saiṁhikeyaḥ
being the son of Siṁhikā
hi
indeed
a-tat-arhaḥ
not qualified for that position
tasya
his
tāta
O my dear King
janma
birth
karmāṇi
activities
ca
also
upariṣṭāt
later
vakṣyāmaḥ
I shall explain.
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, some historians, the speakers of the Purāṇas, say that 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles] below the sun is the planet known as Rāhu, which moves like one of the stars. The presiding deity of that planet, who is the son of Siṁhikā, is the most abominable of all asuras, but although he is completely unfit to assume the position of a demigod or planetary deity, he has achieved that position by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Later I shall speak further about him.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The speakers of the Purāṇas say that 10,000 yojanas below the sun is the planet known as Rāhu, which moves like one of the constellations. [Note: This is in the direction opposite the sun and the other planets.] The presiding deity of that planet, who is the son of Siṁhikā, the most abominable of all asuras, has attained the position of a devatā by the mercy of the Lord, though he is not qualified to be a devatā. O King! Later I shall speak about him. In the Twenty-fourth Chapter, the places of Rāhu, the Siddhas and others, as well as the seven lower planets starting with Atala are described. A-tat-arhaḥ means he was not qualified to be devatā.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Rāhu — unfit, abominable — is still elevated to planetary status by the Lord's grace. Grace can lift the most unsuitable. Don't measure your eligibility for spiritual life by your past; the Lord has a habit of upgrading the unlikely.
Reflection Questions
  • What about my history have I been using to disqualify myself from grace?
  • Whom in my life have I quietly written off as 'unfit' that the Lord might be planning to elevate?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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