Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 1
Kāla-cakra and the Motions of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Grahas
Bhāgavata Jyotiṣa Framework
राजोवाच यदेतद्भगवत आदित्यस्य मेरुं ध्रुवं च प्रदक्षिणेन परिक्रामतो राशीनामभिमुखं प्रचलितं चाप्रदक्षिणं भगवतोपवर्णितममुष्य वयं कथमनुमिमीमहीति ॥ १ ॥
rājovāca yad etad bhagavata ādityasya meruṁ dhruvaṁ ca pradakṣiṇena parikrāmato rāśīnām abhimukhaṁ pracalitaṁ cāpradakṣiṇaṁ bhagavatopavarṇitam amuṣya vayaṁ katham anumimīmahīti.
Le roi dit : « Seigneur vénérable, tu as déjà affirmé comme vérité que le puissant dieu Soleil circule autour de Dhruvaloka en gardant le mont Meru et Dhruva à sa droite. Pourtant, en même temps, il fait face aux signes du zodiaque et semble tenir Meru et Dhruva à sa gauche. Comment pouvons-nous admettre raisonnablement qu’il ait Meru et Dhruvaloka à la fois à droite et à gauche ? »
FAQs
In this verse, King Parīkṣit highlights the Bhagavatam’s description that the Sun circumambulates Meru and Dhruvaloka clockwise, yet appears to have a counterclockwise motion relative to the zodiacal signs—prompting a request for clarification.
Because the cosmological description seems paradoxical: the Sun is said to circle Meru and Dhruva clockwise, but its observed relation to the rāśis (zodiacal signs) appears opposite; Parīkṣit asks the sage to reconcile these viewpoints.
It encourages intellectual humility: complex truths may look contradictory from different reference points, so one should inquire carefully, seek proper explanation, and avoid hasty conclusions.