Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 14

The Orbit of the Sun, the Measure of Day and Night, and the Sun-God’s Chariot

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्नक्षे कृतमूलो द्वितीयोऽक्षस्तुर्यमानेन सम्मितस्तैलयन्त्राक्षवद् ध्रुवे कृतोपरिभाग: ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

tasminn akṣe kṛtamūlo dvitīyo ’kṣas turyamānena sammitas taila-yantrākṣavad dhruve kṛtopari-bhāgaḥ.

Translation

在那第一根轴上又安置第二根轴，其长度为前者的四分之一。此第二轴如榨油机之轴一般，其上端以风之绳索系于德鲁瓦洛迦（北极星界）。

Synonyms

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular)

• अक्षे: axle
• अक्षे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular)

• कृत-मूलः: having its base fixed
• कृत-मूलः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (having a made/fixed base)

• द्वितीयः: second
• द्वितीयः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अक्षः: axle
• अक्षः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• तुर्य-मानेन: by a quarter-measure
• तुर्य-मानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुर्य + मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (मान-शब्दः); तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular); परिमाणवाचक

• सम्मितः: measured
• सम्मितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्√मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (measured)

• तैल-यन्त्र-अक्ष-वत्: like the axle of an oil-press
• तैल-यन्त्र-अक्ष-वत्: Sambandha (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तैल + यन्त्र + अक्ष + वत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (like)

• ध्रुवे: in/at Dhruva (the Pole)
• ध्रुवे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular)

• कृत-उपरि-भागः: with its upper part fixed
• कृत-उपरि-भागः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + उपरि + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (whose upper part is fixed/placed)

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about Dhruva (the Pole Star) in Canto 5?

This verse describes Dhruva as the upper fixed point of a cosmic axle—an anchoring reference in the Bhagavatam’s description of planetary orbits.

Why is an oil-press (taila-yantra) example used in Srimad Bhagavatam cosmology?

The comparison helps visualize a rotating system around a stable pivot, illustrating how the cosmic arrangement is described as turning around a fixed axis.

Practical application of Bhagavatam’s cosmology in modern devotional life?

It encourages seeing the universe as orderly and governed, strengthening faith that creation operates under higher intelligence and divine arrangement.