SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 5

The king said: 'Your lordship described how the most powerful god of the sun leaves Mount Meru and Dhruvaloka to its right moving through the different signs and as well going around facing them forwards leaves them at his left side; how must we according reason accept that?

King Parîkshit inquired from S'ukadeva Gosvâmî: My dear lord, you have already affirmed the truth that the supremely powerful sun-god travels around Dhruvaloka with both Dhruvaloka and Mount Sumeru on his right. Yet at the same time the sun-god faces the signs of the zodiac and keeps Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on his left. How can we reasonably accept that the sun-god proceeds with Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on both his left and right simultaneously? (Vedabase)

Text 2

To that he [S'uka] clearly stated: 'Just like one, with the movements of small ants spinning around on a potters wheel, may be sure that, due to their changing locations, there is a different experience, may one also be sure of such a difference in moving relative to Meru and Dhruvaloka [the central heap of stars and the galaxy center]: with the stars, that go around with the great wheel of time, they are located at the right, but of the individual motions by the planets lead by the sun upon that spinning wheel of time, is the movement to the stars and signs for sure observed differently.

S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî clearly answered: When a potter's wheel is moving and small ants located on that big wheel are moving with it, one can see that their motion is different from that of the wheel because they appear sometimes on one part of the wheel and sometimes on another. Similarly, the signs and constellations, with Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on their right, move with the wheel of time, and the antlike sun and other planets move with them. The sun and planets, however, are seen in different signs and constellations at different times. This indicates that their motion is different from that of the zodiac and the wheel of time itself. (Vedabase)

Text 3

That cause, this supremely powerful original person directly seen as Nârâyana the Supersoul of the three Vedas, who is there for the benefit and karmic purification of all the worlds, is the cause after which all the saintly and vedic knowing inquires; He arranges for the twelve divisions of the year as well as, according to what was enjoyed before, for the different qualities to the sixfold of the seasons beginning with spring.

The original cause of the cosmic manifestation is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nârâyana. When great saintly persons, fully aware of the Vedic knowledge, offered prayers to the Supreme Person, He descended to this material world in the form of the sun to benefit all the planets and purify fruitive activities. He divided Himself into twelve parts and created seasonal forms, beginning with spring. In this way He created the seasonal qualities, such as heat, cold and so on. (Vedabase)

Text 4

All people down here who, of the threefold of vedic knowledge and the higher or more earthly doings of the statusoriëntations, follow this of Him, attain without difficulty the ultimate benefit of life, as they according their karma worship and to their faith grow in yoga.

According to the system of four varnas and four âs'ramas, people generally worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nârâyana, who is situated as the sun-god. With great faith they worship the Supreme Personality as the Supersoul according to ritualistic ceremonies handed down in the three Vedas, such as agnihotra and similar higher and lower fruitive acts, and according to the process of mystic yoga. In this way they very easily attain the ultimate goal of life. (Vedabase)

Text 5

Therefore is He this living force of all the three worlds that between the upper and lower of the universe are positioned in outer space on the wheel of time; in twelve months passing through signs that accordingly divide the solar year, is there a month with two fortnights, that are like the day and night, and indeed that portion of the year that is remembered as a season covering one sixth of the orbit or two and a quarter constellation by stellar calculation [thus one speaks of twelve or more constellations].

The sun-god, who is Nârâyana, or Vishnu, the soul of all the worlds, is situated in outer space between the upper and lower portions of the universe. Passing through twelve months on the wheel of time, the sun comes in touch with twelve different signs of the zodiac and assumes twelve different names according to those signs. The aggregate of those twelve months is called a samvatsara, or an entire year. According to lunar calculations, two fortnights--one of the waxing moon and the other of the waning--form one month. That same period is one day and night for the planet Pitriloka. According to stellar calculations, a month equals two and one quarter constellations. When the sun travels for two months, a season passes, and therefore the seasonal changes are considered parts of the body of the year. (Vedabase)

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So too is the period of time the sun moves through half of the outer space called an ayana.

Thus the time the sun takes to rotate through half of outer space is called an ayana, or its period of movement [in the north or in the south]. (Vedabase)

Text 7

Now also for the time that it takes the sun, thus speeding slow, fast or moderate, to move entirely through the spheres above and below, is indeed with its passage, to the descriptions of the scholars, spoken of a samvatsara [tropical year], a parivatsara [full year], an idâvatsara [the current year] an anuvatsara [a repeated year] and a vatsara [single year].

The sun-god has three speeds--slow, fast and moderate. The time he takes to travel entirely around the spheres of heaven, earth and space at these three speeds is referred to, by learned scholars, by the five names Samvatsara, Parivatsara, Idâvatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara. (Vedabase)

Text 8

By the sunlit moon, that is situated a hundred thousand yojanas [astronomy: ± 385.000 km] above [the earth] and is moving much faster [than the sun], is so the passage of one year of the sun covered by the passage of two fortnights, is in two and a quarter of a day one solar month [or one twelfth of the sky] passed and is in only one day [the portion of] a fortnight of solar days passed.

Above the rays of the sunshine by a distance of 100.000 yojanas [800.000 miles] is the moon, which travels at a speed faster than that of the sun. In two lunar fortnights the moon travels through the equivalent of a samvatsara of the sun, in two and a quarter days it passes through a month of the sun, and in one day it passes through a fortnight of the sun. (Vedabase)

Text 9

So too does the moon, in changing its phases, wax to the part of the moon that is of the demigods and does it wane to the part of the moon that is of the forefathers. Thus it distributes the days and nights of the sum total of all living entities and is it considered the Jîva or essence of their life by one after another in [about] thirty muhûrtas [a full day] passing through a constellation.

When the moon is waxing, the illuminating portions of it increase daily, thus creating day for the demigods and night for the pitâs. When the moon is waning, however, it causes night for the demigods and day for the pitâs. In this way the moon passes through each constellation of stars in thirty muhûrtas [an entire day]. The moon is the source of nectarean coolness that influences the growth of food grains, and therefore the moon-god is considered the life of all living entities. He is consequently called Jîva, the chief living being within the universe. (Vedabase)

Text 10

This moon in all its aspects is by the scholars described as the Supreme Person, the predominating deity of the mind, the source of potency for all food and all delight of living and certainly the refreshing, all-pervading life-air of all the gods, the ancestors, all human beings and all living entities like the mammals, the birds, the reptiles and the plants.

Because the moon is full of all potentialities, it represents the influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The moon is the predominating deity of everyone's mind, and therefore the moon-god is called Manomaya. He is also called Annamaya because he gives potency to all herbs and plants, and he is called Amritamaya because he is the source of life for all living entities. The moon pleases the demigods, pitâs, human beings, animals, birds, reptiles, trees, plants and all other living entities. Everyone is satisfied by the presence of the moon. Therefore the moon is also called Sarvamaya [all-pervading]. (Vedabase)

Text 11

[More than] two hundred thousand yojanas behind [the moon], leaving Meru to the right are there, together with the many stars that by the Controller were attached to the wheel of time, the twenty-eight stars headed by Abhijit.

There are many stars located 200.000 yojanas [1.600.000 miles] above the moon. By the supreme will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are fixed to the wheel of time, and thus they rotate with Mount Sumeru on their right, their motion being different from that of the sun. There are twenty-eight important stars, headed by Abhijit. (Vedabase)

Text 12

Two hundred thousand yojanas there about [about the star center or the sun, astronomy: at a distance of 107 million km ] is there Venus, experienced as indeed going in front, behind and going along with the sun, in its movements just like the sun rotating fast, slow or with a moderate speed. Of all the planets is it seen as constantly offering indeed as good as always favorable conditions in causing rainfall the way it wanders around and in its nullifying the influence of the planets that form an obstacle to the rainfall.

Some 1.600.000 miles above this group of stars is the planet Venus, which moves at almost exactly the same pace as the sun according to swift, slow and moderate movements. Sometimes Venus moves behind the sun, sometimes in front of the sun and sometimes along with it. Venus nullifies the influence of planets that are obstacles to rainfall. Consequently its presence causes rainfall, and it is therefore considered very favorable for all living beings within this universe. This has been accepted by learned scholars. (Vedabase)

Text 13

Another two hundred thousand yojanas behind Venus [astronomy: 57.9 million km from the sun], so is explained, is situated Mercury, the son of the moon; it is as good as always working auspiciously, but at the time it stands apart from the sun is there almost always an increase of fearful conditions like draughts, a closed sky, and stormy conditions.

Mercury is described to be similar to Venus, in that it moves sometimes behind the sun, sometimes in front of the sun and sometimes along with it. It is 1.600.000 miles above Venus, or 7.200,000 miles above earth. Mercury, which is the son of the moon, is almost always very auspicious for the inhabitants of the universe, but when it does not move along with the sun, it forbodes cyclones, dust, irregular rainfall, and waterless clouds. In this way it creates fearful conditions due to inadequate or excessive rainfall. (Vedabase)

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Two hundred thousands yojanas outside of our orbit there is also Mars [astronomy: at about 228 million km from the sun]; in three by three fortnights does it, if it doesn't make a curve, one after another pass through the twelve signs; in its approach it is as good as always an unfavorable planet causing trouble.

Situated 1.600.000 miles above Mercury, or 8.800.000 miles above earth, is the planet Mars. If this planet does not travel in a crooked way, it crosses through each sign of the zodiac in three fortnights and in this way travels through all twelve, one after another. It almost always creates unfavorable conditions in respect to rainfall and other influences. (Vedabase)

Text 15

Two hundred thousand yojanas outside of Mars [astronomy: 778.3 million km from the sun] is there the most powerful planet Jupiter which, if it doesn't run a curve, takes a year [parivatsara] to move through a single sign; to the brahmins in the universe it almost always turns out to be very favorable.

Situated 1.600.000 miles above Mars, or 10.400.000 miles above earth, is the planet Jupiter, which travels through one sign of the zodiac within the period of a parivatsara. If its movement is not curved, the planet Jupiter is very favorable to the brâhmanas of the universe. (Vedabase)

Text 16

Two hundred thousand yojanas behind him is situated Saturn [astronomy: 1.43 billion km from the sun], which takes a period of thirty months to travel through each single sign and is as slow as taking an equal number of years [anuvatsaras] to pass through all of them; it means almost always a lot of trouble to all.

Situated 1.600.000 miles above Jupiter, or 12.000.000 miles above earth, is the planet Saturn, which passes through one sign of the zodiac in thirty months and covers the entire zodiac circle in thirty anuvatsaras. This planet is always very inauspicious for the universal situation. (Vedabase)

Text 17

A 1.1 million yojanas beyond that one are situated all the great sages who are always thinking of the good fortune of the inhabitants of all the worlds; leaving it to the right do they circumambulate the transcendental abode of the Supreme Lord Vishnu [the center of the stars].

Situated 8.800.000 miles above Saturn, or 20.800.000 miles above earth, are the seven saintly sages, who are always thinking of the well-being of the inhabitants of the universe. They circumambulate the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu, known as Dhruvaloka, the polestar. (Vedabase)