SB 5.24.1 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्रीशुक उवाच अधस्तात्सवितुर्योजनायुते स्वर्भानुर्नक्षत्रवच्चरतीत्येके योऽसावमरत्वं ग्रहत्वं चालभत भगवदनुकम्पया स्वयमसुरापसद: सैंहिकेयो ह्यतदर्हस्तस्य तात जन्म कर्माणि चोपरिष्टाद्वक्ष्याम: ॥ १ ॥

Verse text

śrī-śuka uvāca 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.

Synonyms

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 .

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 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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

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.