Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 5
Dhruva-loka as the Cosmic Pivot and the Śiśumāra-cakra
Viṣṇu’s Astral Form
यस्य पुच्छाग्रेऽवाक्शिरस: कुण्डलीभूतदेहस्य ध्रुव उपकल्पितस्तस्य लाङ्गूले प्रजापतिरग्निरिन्द्रो धर्म इति पुच्छमूले धाता विधाता च कट्यां सप्तर्षय: । तस्य दक्षिणावर्तकुण्डलीभूतशरीरस्य यान्युदगयनानि दक्षिणपार्श्वे तु नक्षत्राण्युपकल्पयन्ति दक्षिणायनानि तु सव्ये । यथा शिशुमारस्य कुण्डलाभोगसन्निवेशस्य पार्श्वयोरुभयोरप्यवयवा: समसंख्या भवन्ति । पृष्ठे त्वजवीथी आकाशगङ्गा चोदरत: ॥ ५ ॥
yasya pucchāgre ’vākśirasaḥ kuṇḍalī-bhūta-dehasya dhruva upakalpitas tasya lāṅgūle prajāpatir agnir indro dharma iti puccha-mūle dhātā vidhātā ca kaṭyāṁ saptarṣayaḥ; tasya dakṣiṇāvarta-kuṇḍalī-bhūta-śarīrasya yāny udagayanāni dakṣiṇa-pārśve tu nakṣatrāṇy upakalpayanti dakṣiṇāyanāni tu savye; yathā śiśumārasya kuṇḍalā-bhoga-sanniveśasya pārśvayor ubhayor apy avayavāḥ samasaṅkhyā bhavanti; pṛṣṭhe tv ajavīthī ākāśa-gaṅgā codarataḥ.
Cette forme de śiśumāra a la tête tournée vers le bas et le corps enroulé. À l’extrémité de sa queue se trouve Dhruvaloka ; sur le corps de la queue se trouvent les planètes de Prajāpati, Agni, Indra et Dharma ; et à la base de la queue, celles de Dhātā et Vidhātā. Là où seraient ses hanches se tiennent les sept sages, tels Vasiṣṭha et Aṅgirā. Le corps enroulé tourne vers la droite : sur le flanc droit se trouvent quatorze constellations, d’Abhijit à Punarvasu ; sur le flanc gauche, quatorze, de Puṣyā à Uttarāṣāḍhā. Ainsi, le nombre égal d’étoiles de chaque côté rend la forme équilibrée. Sur son dos se trouve le groupe d’étoiles nommé Ajavīthī, et sur son ventre l’Ākāśa-gaṅgā, le Gange céleste (la Voie lactée).
FAQs
This verse explains the Śiśumāra as a coiled celestial form in which Dhruva is at the tail-tip, various deities are positioned on the tail and waist, and the stars of the sun’s northward and southward courses are arranged on its two sides.
The text presents Dhruva as a fixed cosmic reference point (the pole), and situating him at the tail-tip of the Śiśumāra-cakra conveys his role as an anchoring axis around which the heavenly arrangement is contemplated.
Use it as a meditation aid: contemplating the ordered placement of Dhruva, sages, and deities cultivates reverence for divine order (ṛta) and steadiness of mind—qualities supportive of bhakti practice.