FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.1.30

యావదవభాసయతి సురగిరిమనుపరిక్రామన్ భగవానాదిత్యో వసుధాతలమర్ధేనైవ ప్రతపత్యర్ధేనావచ్ఛాదయతి తదా హి భగవదుపాసనోపచితాతిపురుషప్రభావస్తదనభినన్దన్ సమజవేన రథేన జ్యోతిర్మయేన రజనీమపి దినం కరిష్యామీతి సప్తకృత్వస్తరణిమనుపర్యక్రామద్ ద్వితీయ ఇవ పతఙ్గ: ॥ ౩౦ ॥
yāvad avabhāsayati sura-girim anuparikrāman bhagavān ādityo vasudhā-talam ardhenaiva pratapaty ardhenāvacchādayati tadā hi bhagavad-upāsanopacitāti-puruṣa-prabhāvas tad anabhinandan samajavena rathena jyotirmayena rajanīm api dinaṁ kariṣyāmīti sapta-kṛt vastaraṇim anuparyakrāmad dvitīya iva pataṅgaḥ.
[yaavad avabhaasayati sura-girim anuparikraaman bhagavaan aadityo vasudhaa-talam ardhenaiva pratapaty ardhenaavachchaadayati tadaa hi bhagavad-upaasanopachitaati-purusha-prabhaavas tad anabhinandan samajavena rathena jyotirmayena rajaneem api dinam karishyaameeti sapta-krit vastaranim anuparyakraamad dviteeya iva patangah.]
yāvat — so long avabhāsayati — illuminates sura-girim — the Sumeru Hill anuparikrāman — by circumambulating bhagavān — the most powerful ādityaḥ — sun-god vasudhā-talam — the lower planetary system ardhena — by half eva — certainly pratapati — makes dazzling ardhena — by half avacchādayati — covers with darkness tadā — at that time hi — certainly bhagavat-upāsanā — by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead upacita — by satisfying Him perfectly ati-puruṣa — superhuman prabhāvaḥ — influence tat — that anabhinandan — without appreciating samajavena — by equally powerful rathena — on a chariot jyotiḥ-mayena — dazzling rajanīm — night api — also dinam — day kariṣyāmi — I shall make it iti — thus sapta-kṛt — seven times vastaraṇim — exactly following the orbit of the sun anuparyakrāmat — circumambulated dvitīyaḥ — second iva — like pataṅgaḥ — sun.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yāvad avabhāsayati sura-girim anuparikrāman bhagavān ādityo vasudhā-talam ardhenaiva pratapaty ardhenāvacchādayati tadā hi bhagavad-upāsanopacitāti-puruṣa-prabhāvas tad anabhinandan samajavena rathena jyotirmayena rajanīm api dinaṁ kariṣyāmīti sapta-kṛt vastaraṇim anuparyakrāmad dvitīya iva pataṅgaḥ.
yāvat
so long
avabhāsayati
illuminates
sura-girim
the Sumeru Hill
anuparikrāman
by circumambulating
bhagavān
the most powerful
ādityaḥ
sun-god
vasudhā-talam
the lower planetary system
ardhena
by half
eva
certainly
pratapati
makes dazzling
ardhena
by half
avacchādayati
covers with darkness
tadā
at that time
hi
certainly
bhagavat-upāsanā
by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead
upacita
by satisfying Him perfectly
ati-puruṣa
superhuman
prabhāvaḥ
influence
tat
that
anabhinandan
without appreciating
samajavena
by equally powerful
rathena
on a chariot
jyotiḥ-mayena
dazzling
rajanīm
night
api
also
dinam
day
kariṣyāmi
I shall make it
iti
thus
sapta-kṛt
seven times
vastaraṇim
exactly following the orbit of the sun
anuparyakrāmat
circumambulated
dvitīyaḥ
second
iva
like
pataṅgaḥ
sun.
While so excellently ruling the universe, King Priyavrata once became dissatisfied with the circumambulation of the most powerful sun-god. Encircling Sumeru Hill on his chariot, the sun-god illuminates all the surrounding planetary systems. However, when the sun is on the northern side of the hill, the south receives less light, and when the sun is in the south, the north receives less. King Priyavrata disliked this situation and therefore decided to make daylight in the part of the universe where there was night. He followed the orbit of the sun-god on a brilliant chariot and thus fulfilled his desire. He could perform such wonderful activities because of the power he had achieved by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

There is a Bengali saying which describes that someone is so powerful that he can make the night day and the day night. That saying is current because of the prowess of Priyavrata. His activities demonstrate how powerful he became by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Kṛṣṇa is known as Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic powers. In Bhagavad-gītā (18.78) it is said wherever there is the master of all mystic powers ( yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ ), victory, fortune and all other opulences are present. Devotional service is so powerful. When a devotee achieves what he wants to accomplish, it is not by his own mystic power but by the grace of the master of mystic power, Lord Kṛṣṇa: by His grace, a devotee can accomplish wonderful things unimaginable even to the most powerful scientist.

From the description in this verse, it appears that the sun moves. According to modern astronomers, the sun is fixed in one place, surrounded by the solar system, but here we find that the sun is not stationary: it is rotating in a prescribed orbit. This fact is corroborated by Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52) . Yasyājṣayā bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ: the sun is rotating in its fixed orbit in accordance with the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to Jyotir Veda, the science of astronomy in the Vedic literature, the sun moves for six months on the northern side of the Sumeru Hill and for six months on the southern side. We have practical experience on this planet that when there is summer in the north there is winter in the south and vice versa. Modern materialistic scientists sometimes present themselves as knowing all the ingredients of the sun, yet they are unable to offer a second sun like Mahārāja Priyavrata’s.

Although Mahārāja Priyavrata devised a very powerful chariot as brilliant as the sun, he had no desire to compete with the sun-god, for a Vaiṣṇava never wants to supersede another Vaiṣṇava. His purpose was to give abundant benefits in material existence. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that in the months of April and May the rays of Mahārāja Priyavrata’s brilliant sun were as pleasing as the rays of the moon, and in October and November, both morning and evening, that sun provided more warmth than the sunshine. In short, Mahārāja Priyavrata was extremely powerful, and his actions extended his power in all directions.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Priyavrata reigned while the sun, going around Meru, lit up half the surface of the earth while the other half was dark. Attaining super-human power by worship of the Lord, Priyavrata, discontent with this condition, thinking that he would make the night into day by his brilliant chariot which traveled at the speed of the sun, becoming like a second sun, followed the movement of the sun seven times. This verse describes his influence. Priyavrata reigned at the time when the sun would shine, lighting up half the earth up to Lokāloka mountain as daytime, as it rotates around Meru, while covering half the surface of the earth with darkness, which experienced night. By his worship of the Lord he surpassed all humans in influence. Discontent with half the earth’s surface being covered by darkness, he followed the movement of the sun (taruṇim), so that when the sun set, he would light up that area. He followed the sun, not to compete with the sun, but to give happiness to the inhabitants of earth. Because of this arrangement also, in months like Jyeṣṭhya (hot months) the sun made by Priyavrata was cooler than the moon, and in cool months like Mārgaśīrṣa (cold months), the sun made by Priyavrata was warmer than the other sun at dawn and dusk. [Note: This seems to indicate that though the days were longer in summer, it was not excessively hot, and though the days became shorter in winter, the days were not excessively cold. ] This means that by the power of yoga of sages like Saubhari, Priyavrata had two bodies, one as the King and one as the sun.
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 1