> Srimad Bhagavatam - Canto 5
> Sanskrit, word-for-word and original translation of Swami Prabhupâda
> (for the purports one will have to consult the books under the copyright of the BBT)

> Canto 5

> **************

> Chapter Twenty-three: The Sisumara Planetary Systems

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> TEXT 1

> srî-suka uvâca

> atha tasmât paratas trayodasa-laksa-yojanântarato yat tad visnoh

> paramam padam abhivadanti yatra ha mahâ-bhâgavato dhruva

> auttânapâdir agninendrena prajâpatinâ kasyapena dharmena ca

> samakâla-yugbhih sabahu-mânam daksinatah kriyamâna idânîm api

> kalpa jîvinâm âjîvya upâste tasyehânubhâva upavarnitah.

> srî-sukah uvâca--Srî Sukadeva Gosvâmî said; atha--thereupon; tasmât--the sphere of the seven stars; paratah--beyond that; trayodasa-laksa-yojana-antaratah--another 1,300,000 yojanas; yat--which; tat--that; visnoh paramam padam--the supreme abode of Lord Visnu, or the lotus feet of Lord Visnu; abhivadanti--the Rg Veda mantras praise; yatra--on which; ha--indeed; mahâ-bhâgavatah--the great devotee; dhruvah--Mahârâja Dhruva; auttânapâdih--the son of Mahârâja Uttânapâda; agninâ--by the fire-god; indrena--by the heavenly King, Indra; prajâpatinâ--by the Prajâpati; kasyapena--by Kasyapa; dharmena--by Dharmarâja; ca--also; samakâla-yugbhih--who are engaged at the time; sa-bahu-mânam--always respectfully; daksinatah--on the right side; kriyamânah--being circumambulated; idânîm--now; api--even; kaloa jîvinâm--of the living entities who exist at the end of the creation; âjîvyah--the source of life; upâste--remains; tasya--his; iha--here; anubhâvah--greatness in discharging devotional service; upavarnitah--already described (in the Fourth Canto of Srîmad-Bhâgavatam).

> TRANSLATION

> Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, 1,300,000 yojanas [10,400,000 miles] above the planets of the seven sages is the place that learned scholars describe as the abode of Lord Visnu. There the son of Maharaja Uttanapada, the great devotee Maharaja Dhruva, still resides as the life source of all the living entities who live until the end of the creation. Agni, Indra, Prajapati, Kasyapa and Dharma all assemble there to offer him honor and respectful obeisances. They circumambulate him with their right sides toward him. I have already described the glorious activities of Maharaja Dhruva [in the Fourth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam].

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> TEXT 2

> sa hi sarvesâm jyotir-ganânâm graha-naksatrâdînâm animisenâvyakta-

> ramhasâ bhagavatâ kâlena bhrâmyamânânâm sthânur ivâvastambha

> isvarena vihitah sasvad avabhâsate.

> sah--that planet of Dhruva Mahârâja; hi--indeed; sarvesâm--of all; jyotih-ganânâm--the luminaries; graha-naksatra-âdînâm--such as the planets and stars; animisena--who does not rest; avyakta--inconceivable; ramhasâ--whose force; bhagavatâ--the most powerful; kâlena--by the time factor; bhrâmyamânânâm--being caused to revolve; sthânuh iva--like a post; avastambhah--the pivot; îsvarena--by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vihitah--established; sasvat--constantly; avabhâsate--shines.

> TRANSLATION

> Established by the supreme will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the polestar, which is the planet of Maharaja Dhruva, constantly shines as the central pivot for all the stars and planets. The unsleeping, invisible, most powerful time factor causes these luminaries to revolve around the polestar without cessation.

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> TEXT 3

> yathâ medhîstambha âkramana-pasavah samyojitâs tribhis tribhih

> savanair yathâ-sthânam mandalâni caranty evam bhaganâ-grahâdaya

> etasminn antar-bahir-yogena kâla-cakra âyojitâ dhruvam evâvalambya

> vâyunodîryamânâ âkalpântam parican kramanti nabhasi yathâ meghâh

> syenâdayo vâyu-vasâh karma-sârathayah parivartante evam

> jyotirganâh prakrti-purusa-samyogânugrhîtâh karma-nirmita-gatayo

> bhuvina patanti.

> yathâ--exactly like; medhîstambhe--to the pivot post; âkramana-pasavah--bulls for threshing rice; samyojitâh--being yoked; tribhih tribhih--by three; savanaih--movements; yathâ-sthânam--in their proper places; mandalâni--orbits; caranti--traverse; evam--in the same way; bha-ganâh--the luminaries, like the sun, the moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter; graha-âdayah--the different planets; etasmin--in this; antah-bahih-yogena--by connection with the inner or outer circles; kâla-cakre--in the wheel of eternal time; âyojitâh--fixed; dhruvam--Dhruvaloka; eva--certainly; avalambya--taking support of; vayunâ--by the wind; udîryamânâh--being propelled; â-kalpa-antam--until the end of the creation; parican kramanti--revolve all around; nabhasi--in the sky; yathâ--exactly like; meghâh--heavy clouds; syena-âdayah--birds such as the big eagle; vâyu-vasâh--controlled by the air; karma-sârathayah--whose chariot drivers are the results of their own past activities; parivartante--move around; evam--in this way; jyotih-ganâh--the luminaries, the planets and stars in the sky; prakrti--of material nature; purusa--and of the Supreme Personality, Krsna; samyoga-anugrhîtâh--supported by the combined efforts; karma-nirmita--caused by their own past fruitive activities; gatayah--whose movements; bhuvi--on the ground; na--not; patanti--fall down.

> TRANSLATION

> When bulls are yoked together and tied to a central post to thresh rice, they tread around that pivot without deviating from their proper positions--one bull being closest to the post, another in the middle, and a third on the outside. Similarly, all the planets and all the hundreds and thousands of stars revolve around the polestar, the planet of Maharaja Dhruva, in their respective orbits, some higher and some lower. Fastened by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to the machine of material nature according to the results of their fruitive acts, they are driven around the polestar by the wind and will continue to be so until the end of creation. These planets float in the air within the vast sky, just as clouds with hundreds of tons of water float in the air or as the great syena eagles, due to the results of past activities, fly high in the sky and have no chance of falling to the ground.

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> TEXT 4

> kecanaitajjyotir-anîkam sisumâra-samsthânena bhagavato

> vâsudevasya yoga-dhâranâyâm anuvarnayanti.

> kecana--some yogîs or learned scholars of astronomy; etat--this; jyotih-anîkam--great wheel of planets and stars; sisumâra-samsthânena--imagine this wheel to be a sisumâra (dolphin); bhagavatah--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vâsudevasya--Lord Vâsudeva (the son of Vasudeva), Krsna; yoga-dhâranâyâm--in absorption in worship; anuvarnayanti--describe.

> TRANSLATION

> This great machine, consisting of the stars and planets, resembles the form of a sisumara [dolphin] in the water. It is sometimes considered an incarnation of Krsna, Vasudeva. Great yogis meditate upon Vasudeva in this form because it is actually visible.

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> TEXT 5

> yasya pucchâgre 'vâksirasah kundalî-bhûta-dehasya dhruva

> upakalpitas tasya lângûle prajâpatir agnir indro dharma iti puccha-

> mûle dhâtâ vidhâtâ ca katyâm saptarsayah. tasya daksinâvarta-

> kundalî-bhûta-sarîrasya yâny udagayanâni daksina-pârsve tu

> naksatrâny upakalpayanti daksinâyanâni tu savye. yathâ sisumârasya

> kundalâ-bhoga-sannivesasya pârsvayor ubhayor apy avayavâh

> samasankhyâ bhavanti. prsthe tv ajavîthî âkâsa-gangâ codaratah.

> yasya--of which; puccha-gre--at the end of the tail; avâksirasah--whose head is downward; kundalî-bhûta-dehasya--whose body, which is coiled; dhruvah--Mahârâja Dhruva on his planet, the polestar; upakalpitah--is situated; tasya--of that; lângûle--on the tail; prajâpatih--of the name Prajâpati; agnih--Agni; indrah--Indra; dharmah--Dharma; iti--thus; puccha-mûle--at the base of the tail; dhâtâ vidhâtâ--the demigods known as Dhâtâ and Vidhâtâ; ca--also; katyâm--on the hip; sapta-rsayah--the seven saintly sages; tasya--of that; daksina-âvarta-kundalî-bhûta-sarîrasya--whose body is like a coil turning toward the right side; yâni--which; udagayanâni--marking the northern courses; daksina-pârsve--on the right side; tu--but; naksatrâni--constellations; upakalpayanti--are situated; daksina-âyanâni--the fourteen stars, from Pusyâ to Uttarâsâdhâ, marking the northern course; tu--but; savye--on the left side; yathâ--just like; sisumârasya--of the dolphin; kundalâ-bhoga-sannivesasya--whose body appears like a coil; pârsvayoh--on the sides; ubhayoh--both; api--certainly; avayavâh--the limbs; samasankhyâh--of equal number (fourteen); bhavanti--are; prsthe--on the back; tu--of course; ajavîthî--the first three stars marking the southern route (Mûlâ, Pûrvasâdhâ and Uttarâsâdhâ); âkâsa-gangâ--the Ganges in the sky (the Milky Way); ca--also; udaratah--on the abdomen.

> TRANSLATION

> This form of the sisumara has its head downward and its body coiled. On the end of its tail is the planet of Dhruva, on the body of its tail are the planets of the demigods Prajapati, Agni, Indra and Dharma, and at the base of its tail are the planets of the demigods Dhata and Vidhata. Where the hips might be on the sisumara are the seven saintly sages like Vasistha and Angira. The coiled body of the Sisumara-cakra turns toward its right side, on which the fourteen constellations from Abhijit to Punarvasu are located. On its left side are the fourteen stars from Pusya to Uttarasadha. Thus its body is balanced because its sides are occupied by an equal number of stars. On the back of the sisumara is the group of stars known as Ajavithi, and on its abdomen is the Ganges that flows in the sky [the Milky Way].

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> TEXT 6

> punarvasu-pusyau daksina-vâmayoh sronyor ârdrâslese ca daksina-

> vâmayoh pascimayoh pâdayor abhijid-uttarâsâdhe daksina-vâmayor

> nâsikayor yathâ-sankhyam sravana-pûrvâsâdhe daksina-vâmayor

> locanayor dhanisthâ mûlam ca daksina-vâmayoh karnayor maghâdîny

> asta naksatrâni daksinâyanâni vâma-pârsva-vankrisu yunjîta tathaiva

> mrga-sîrsâdîny udagayanâni daksina-pârsva-vankrisu prâtilomyena

> prayunjîta satabhisâ-jyesthe skandhayor daksina-vâmayor nyaset.

> punarvasu--the star named Punarvasu; pusyau--and the star named Pusyâ; daksina-vâmayoh--on the right and left; sronyoh--loins; ârdrâ--the star named Ârdrâ; aslese--the star named Aslesâ; ca--also; daksina-vâmayoh--at the right and left; pascimayoh--behind; pâdayoh--feet; abhijit-uttarâsâdhe--the stars named Abhijit and Uttarâsâdhâ; daksina-vâmayoh--on the right and left; nâsikayoh--nostrils; yathâ-sankhyam--according to numerical order; sravana-pûrvâsâdhe--the stars named Sravanâ and Pûrvâsâdhâ; daksina-vâmayoh--at the right and left; locanayoh--eyes; dhanisthâ mûlam ca--and the stars named Dhanisthâ and Mûla; daksina-vâmayoh--at the right and left; karnayoh--ears; maghâ-âdîni--the stars such as Maghâ; asta naksatrâni--eight stars; daksina-âyanâni--which mark the southern course; vâma-pârsva--of the left side; vankrisu--at the ribs; yunjîta--may place; tathâ eva--similarly; mrga-sîrsâ-âdîni--such as Mrgasîrsâ; udagayanâni--marking the northern course; daksina-pârsva-vankrisu--on the right side; prâtilomyena--in the reverse order; prayunjîta--may place; satabhisâ--Satabhisâ; jyesthe--Jyesthâ; skandhayoh--on the two shoulders; daksina-vâmayoh--right and left; nyaset--should place.

> TRANSLATION

> On the right and left sides of where the loins might be on the Sisumara-cakra are the stars named Punarvasu and Pusya. Ardra and Aslesa are on its right and left feet, Abhijit and Uttarasadha are on its right and left nostrils, Sravana and Purvasadha are at its right and left eyes, and Dhanistha and Mula are on its right and left ears. The eight stars from Magha to Anuradha, which mark the southern course, are on the ribs of the left of its body, and the eight stars from Mrgasirsa to Purvabhadra, which mark the northern course, are on the ribs on the right side. Satabhisa and Jyestha are on the right and left shoulders.

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> TEXT 7

> uttarâ-hanâv agastir adharâ-hanau yamo mukhesu cângârakah

> sanaiscara upasthe brhaspatih kakudi vaksasy âdityo hrdaye nârâyano

> manasi candro nâbhyâm usanâ stanayor asvinau budhah prânâpâ-

> nayo rahur gale ketavah sarvângesu romasu sarve târâ-ganâh.

> uttarâ-hanau--on the upper jaw; agastih--the star named Agasti; adharâ-hanau--on the lower jaw; yamah--Yamarâja; mukhe--on the mouth; ca--also; angârakah--Mars; sanaiscarah--Saturn; upasthe--on the genitals; brhaspatih--Jupiter; kakudi--on the back of the neck; vaksasi--on the chest; âdityah--the sun; hrdaye--within the heart; nârâyanah--Lord Nârâyana; manasi--in the mind; candrah--the moon; nâbhyâm--on the navel; usanâ--Venus; stanayoh--on the two breasts; asvinau--the two stars named Asvin; budhah--Mercury; prânâpânayoh--in the inner airs known as prâna and apâna; rahuh--the planet Rahu; gale--on the neck; ketavah--comets; sama-angesu--all over the body; romasu--in the pores of the body; sarve--all; târâ-ganâh--the numerous stars.

> TRANSLATION

> On the upper chin of the sisumara is Agasti; on its lower chin, Yamaraja; on its mouth, Mars; on its genitals, Saturn; on the back of its neck, Jupiter; on its chest, the sun; and within the core of its heart, Narayana. Within its mind is the moon; on its navel, Venus; and on its breasts, the Asvini-kumaras. Within its life air, which is known as pranapana, is Mercury, on its neck is Rahu, all over its body are comets, and in its pores are the numerous stars.

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> TEXT 8

> etad u haiva bhagavato visnoh sarva-devatâmayam rûpam ahara-

> hah sandhyâyâm prayato vâgyato nirîksamâna upatistheta namo jyo-

> tir-lokâya kâlâyanâyânimisâm pataye mahâ-purusâyâbhidhîmahîti.

> etat--this; u ha--indeed; eva--certainly; bhagavatah--of the Supreme personality of Godhead; visnoh--of Lord Visnu; sarva-devatâ-mayam--consisting of all the demigods; rûpam--form; ahah-ahah--always; sandhyâyâm--in the morning, noon and evening; prayatah--meditating upon; vâgyatah--controlling the words; nirîksamânah--observing; upatistheta--one should worship; namah--respectful obeisances; jyotih-lokâya--unto the resting place of all the planetary systems; kâlâyanâya--in the form of supreme time; animisâm--of the demigods; pataye--unto the master; mahâ-purusâya--unto the Supreme person; abhidhîmahi--let us meditate; iti--thus.

> TRANSLATION

> My dear King, the body of the sisumara, as thus described, should be considered the external form of Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Morning, noon and evening, one should silently observe the form of the Lord as the Sisumara-cakra and worship Him with this mantra: "O Lord who has assumed the form of time! O resting place of all the planets moving in different orbits! O master of all demigods, O Supreme Person, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You and meditate upon You."

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> TEXT 9

> graharksatârâmayam âdhidaivikam

> pâpâpaham mantra-krtâm tri-kâlam

> namasyatah smarato vâ tri-kâlam

> nasyeta tat-kâlajam âsu pâpam

> graha-rksa-târâ-mayam--consisting of all the planets and stars; âdhidaivikam--the leader of all the demigods; pâpa-apaham--the killer of sinful reactions; mantra-krtâm--of those who chant the mantra mentioned above; tri-kâlam--three times; namasyatah--offering obeisances; smaratah--meditating; vâ--or; tri-kâlam--three times; nasyeta--destroys; tat-kâla jam--born at that time; âsu--very quickly; pâpam--all sinful reactions.

> TRANSLATION

> The body of the Supreme Lord, Visnu, which forms the Sisumara-cakra, is the resting place of all the demigods and all the stars and planets. One who chants this mantra to worship that Supreme Person three times a day--morning, noon and evening--will surely be freed from all sinful reactions. If one simply offers his obeisances to this form or remembers this form three times a day, all his recent sinful activities will be destroyed.

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