Canto 5: The Creative ImpetusChapter 24: The Subterranean Heavenly Planets

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.24.1

śrī-śuka uvāca

adhastāt savitur yojanāyute svarbhānur nakṣatravac caratīty eke yo 'sāv amaratvaḿ grahatvaḿ cālabhata bhagavad-anukampayā svayam asurāpasadaḥ saiḿhikeyo hy atad-arhas tasya tāta janma karmāṇi copariṣṭād vakṣyāmaḥ

SYNONYMS

śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; adhastāt — below; savituḥ — the sun globe; yojanaa 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; amaratvama lifetime like those of the demigods; grahatvama 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; saiḿhikeyaḥ — being the son of Siḿhikā; hi — indeed; a-tat-arhaḥ — not qualified for that position; tasya — his; tātaO my dear King; janma — birth; karmāṇi — activities; ca — also; upariṣṭāt — later; vakṣyāmaḥI shall explain.

TRANSLATION

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 Siḿhikā, 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.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness