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.
Dalam wujud śiśumāra ini, kepalanya menghadap ke bawah dan tubuhnya melingkar. Di ujung ekornya ditempatkan Dhruvaloka; pada badan ekornya terdapat planet-planet Prajāpati, Agni, Indra, dan Dharma; dan pada pangkal ekornya terdapat planet Dhātā dan Vidhātā. Pada bagian yang bagaikan pinggulnya berada tujuh resi suci seperti Vasiṣṭha dan Aṅgirā. Tubuh yang melingkar ke arah kanan memiliki empat belas rasi di sisi kanan, dari Abhijit sampai Punarvasu; dan empat belas di sisi kiri, dari Puṣyā sampai Uttarāṣāḍhā. Karena jumlahnya seimbang di kedua sisi, bentuknya tampak harmonis. Di punggungnya ada gugus bintang Ajavīthī, dan di perutnya mengalir Ākāśa-gaṅgā, Sungai Gangga di langit (Bima Sakti).
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.