Shloka 15

Kāla-cakra and the Motions of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Grahas

Bhāgavata Jyotiṣa Framework

Devanagari script

तत उपरिष्टाद्विलक्षयोजनान्तरगता भगवान् बृहस्पतिरेकैकस्मिन् राशौ परिवत्सरं परिवत्सरं चरति यदि न वक्र: स्यात्प्रायेणानुकूलो ब्राह्मणकुलस्य ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

tata upariṣṭād dvi-lakṣa-yojanāntara-gatā bhagavān bṛhaspatir ekaikasmin rāśau parivatsaraṁ parivatsaraṁ carati yadi na vakraḥ syāt prāyeṇānukūlo brāhmaṇa-kulasya.

Translation

അതിന്റെ മുകളിൽ പതിനാറുലക്ഷം യോജന അകലത്തിൽ ഭഗവാൻ ബൃഹസ്പതി സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു. അദ്ദേഹം ഓരോ രാശിയിലും ഒരു പരിവത്സരകാലം സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നു; അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഗതി വക്രമല്ലെങ്കിൽ സാധാരണയായി ബ്രാഹ്മണകുലത്തിനും ലോകത്തിനും അനുകൂലനായി ധർമ്മവും വിദ്യയും വർധിപ്പിക്കുന്നു।

Synonyms

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable adverb

• upariṣṭāt: above
• upariṣṭāt: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upariṣṭāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable adverb ‘above’

• dvi-lakṣa-yojanāntara-gataḥ: situated at a gap of two lakh yojanas
• dvi-lakṣa-yojanāntara-gataḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + yojana (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (√gam धातु + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; determinative compound: ‘gone/located at an interval of two-lakh yojanas’ (agrees with bṛhaspatiḥ)

• bhagavān: the venerable one
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• bṛhaspatiḥ: Jupiter (Bṛhaspati)
• bṛhaspatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• ekaikasmin: in each
• ekaikasmin: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; distributive ‘in each’

• rāśau: in a zodiac sign
• rāśau: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāśi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative Singular

• parivatsaram: for a year
• parivatsaram: Kāla (काल/Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parivatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative Singular; adverbial duration (कालावधि-द्वितीया)

• parivatsaram: (a full) year
• parivatsaram: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parivatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative Singular; repetition for emphasis

• carati: moves/traverses
• carati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु)
• Form: Present/लट्, 3rd person, Singular; Parasmaipada

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• vakraḥ: retrograde
• vakraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; predicate adjective

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Optative/विधिलिङ्, 3rd person, Singular; Parasmaipada

• prāyeṇa: generally
• prāyeṇa: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indeclinable adverb ‘generally’

• anukūlaḥ: favorable
• anukūlaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anukūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; predicate adjective (for bṛhaspatiḥ)

• brāhmaṇa-kulasya: of the Brahmin class
• brāhmaṇa-kulasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of the Brahmin community/family’

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Brihaspati (Jupiter) and his movement through the zodiac?

In Bhagavatam 5.22.15, Śukadeva explains that Bṛhaspati moves through each zodiacal sign for about one year, and his position is described within the planetary orbits of Canto 5’s cosmology.

Why is Brihaspati considered favorable for the brahmana community according to the Bhagavatam?

This verse states that when Bṛhaspati is not retrograde (vakra), he is generally anukūla—favorable—to brāhmaṇas, reflecting his traditional role as the guru of the devas and a support for dharma, learning, and sacred conduct.

Practical application of this shloka in modern life?

The verse highlights respect for dharma and guidance (guru-tattva): cultivate learning, integrity, and sattvic habits—qualities associated with Bṛhaspati—rather than becoming overly anxious about astrological fluctuations.