The Shishumara Wheel of Stars

Verse 1 (bhagavata.5.23.1)

श्रीशुक उवाच अथ तस्मात्परतस्त्रयोदशलक्षयोजनान्तरतो यत्तद्विष्णोः परमं पदमभिवदन्ति यत्र ह महाभागवतो ध्रुव औत्तानपादिरग्निनेन्द्रेण प्रजापतिना कश्यपेन धर्मेण च समकालयुग्भिः सबहुमानं दक्षिणतः क्रियमाण इदानीमपि कल्पजीविनामाजीव्य उपास्ते तस्येहानुभाव उपवर्णितः ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca atha tasmāt paratas trayodaśa-lakṣa-yojanāntarato yat tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam abhivadanti yatra ha mahā-bhāgavato dhruva auttānapādir agninendreṇa prajāpatinā kaśyapena dharmeṇa ca samakāla-yugbhiḥ sabahu-mānaṁ dakṣiṇataḥ kriyamāṇa idānīm api kalpa-jīvinām ājīvya upāste tasyehānubhāva upavarṇitaḥ.

Shukadeva Gosvami said: Now, beyond that, at a distance of thirteen hundred thousand yojanas, lies what they call the supreme abode of Vishnu, where the great devotee Dhruva, son of Uttanapada, still abides, sustaining the life of all beings who live out the duration of the kalpa. Agni, Indra, Prajapati, Kashyapa and Dharma, appearing there together at the same appointed time, honor him with the deepest reverence and circumambulate him keeping him to their right. His glory has already been described here.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.5.23.2)

स हि सर्वेषां ज्योतिर्गणानां ग्रहनक्षत्रादीनामनिमिषेणाव्यक्तरंहसा भगवता कालेन भ्राम्यमाणानां स्थाणुरिवावष्टम्भ ईश्वरेण विहितः शश्वदवभासते ॥ २ ॥

sa hi sarveṣāṁ jyotir-gaṇānāṁ graha-nakṣatrādīnām animiṣeṇāvyakta-raṁhasā bhagavatā kālena bhrāmyamāṇānāṁ sthāṇur ivāvaṣṭambha īśvareṇa vihitaḥ śaśvad avabhāsate.

He indeed, set by the Lord as an unmoving pivot, shines forever as the support around which all the luminous bodies, the planets, stars, and all the rest, are made to revolve by Bhagavan Kala, time itself, ever wakeful and of imperceptible speed.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.5.23.3)

यथा मेढीस्तम्भ आक्रमणपशवः संयोजितास्त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः सवनैर्यथास्थानं मण्डलानि चरन्त्येवं भगणा ग्रहादय एतस्मिन्नन्तर्बहिर्योगेन कालचक्र आयोजिता ध्रुवमेवावलम्ब्य वायुनोदीर्यमाणा आकल्पान्तं परिचङ्क्रमन्ति नभसि यथा मेघाः श्येनादयो वायुवशाः कर्मसारथयः परिवर्तन्ते एवं ज्योतिर्गणाः प्रकृतिपुरुषसंयोगानुगृहीताः कर्मनिर्मितगतयो भुवि न पतन्ति ॥ ३ ॥

yathā meḍhīstambha ākramaṇa-paśavaḥ saṁyojitās tribhis tribhiḥ savanair yathā-sthānaṁ maṇḍalāni caranty evaṁ bhagaṇā grahādaya etasminn antar-bahir-yogena kāla-cakra āyojitā dhruvam evāvalambya vāyunodīryamāṇā ākalpāntaṁ paricaṅ kramanti nabhasi yathā meghāḥ śyenādayo vāyu-vaśāḥ karma-sārathayaḥ parivartante evaṁ jyotirgaṇāḥ prakṛti-puruṣa-saṁyogānugṛhītāḥ karma-nirmita-gatayo bhuvi na patanti.

As draft-oxen, yoked to a central post, tread their circles, each in its proper place, through three-times-repeated rounds, so too the multitudes of stars, planets and the rest, bound to this wheel of time by an inner and outer connection and resting upon Dhruva alone, are driven onward by the wind and circle about until the very end of the kalpa. Just as clouds drift through the sky, or as hawks and the like, though moved by the wind, are in truth carried by the momentum of their own past deeds and so do not fall, so too the multitudes of luminaries, sustained by the union of matter and spirit and their courses shaped by karma, never fall down to the earth.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.5.23.4)

केचनैतज्ज्योतिरनीकं शिशुमारसंस्थानेन भगवतो वासुदेवस्य योगधारणायामनुवर्णयन्ति ॥ ४ ॥

kecanaitaj jyotir-anīkaṁ śiśumāra-saṁsthānena bhagavato vāsudevasya yoga-dhāraṇāyām anuvarṇayanti.

Some describe this array of luminaries as taking the structure of a Shishumara, a river-dolphin, for the sake of meditative contemplation upon Bhagavan Vasudeva.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.5.23.5)

यस्य पुच्छाग्रेऽवाक्शिरसः कुण्डलीभूतदेहस्य ध्रुव उपकल्पितस्तस्य लाङ्गूले प्रजापतिरग्निरिन्द्रो धर्म इति पुच्छमूले धाता विधाता च कट्यां सप्तर्षयः । तस्य दक्षिणावर्तकुण्डलीभूतशरीरस्य यान्युदगयनानि दक्षिणपार्श्वे तु नक्षत्राण्युपकल्पयन्ति दक्षिणायनानि तु सव्ये । यथा शिशुमारस्य कुण्डलाभोगसन्निवेशस्य पार्श्वयोरुभयोरप्यवयवाः समसंख्या भवन्ति । पृष्ठे त्वजवीथी आकाशगङ्गा चोदरतः ॥ 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.

Its body coiled, its head turned downward, at the very tip of its tail is placed Dhruva; along the tail itself are Prajapati, Agni, Indra and Dharma; at the root of the tail are Dhata and Vidhata; and upon its hips sit the seven sages. Of its body, coiled toward the right, the constellations marking the northern course are set upon its right side, and those marking the southern course upon its left. As with the coiled and curved form of the Shishumara, the members on both its sides are equal in number. Upon its back lies the Ajavithi, and upon its belly, the heavenly Ganga, the Milky Way.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.5.23.6)

पुनर्वसुपुष्यौ दक्षिणवामयोः श्रोण्योरार्द्राश्लेषे च दक्षिणवामयोः पश्चिमयोः पादयोरभिजिदुत्तराषाढे दक्षिणवामयोर्नासिकयोर्यथासङ्ख्यं श्रवणपूर्वाषाढे दक्षिणवामयोर्लोचनयोर्धनिष्ठा मूलं च दक्षिणवामयोः कर्णयोर्मघादीन्यष्ट नक्षत्राणि दक्षिणायनानि वामपार्श्ववङ्क्रिषु युञ्जीत तथैव मृगशीर्षादीन्युदगयनानि दक्षिणपार्श्ववङ्क्रिषु प्रातिलोम्येन प्रयुञ्जीत शतभिषाज्येष्ठे स्कन्धयोर्दक्षिणवामयोर्न्यसेत् ॥ ६ ॥

punarvasu-puṣyau dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ śroṇyor ārdrāśleṣe ca dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ paścimayoḥ pādayor abhijid-uttarāṣāḍhe dakṣiṇa-vāmayor nāsikayor yathā-saṅkhyaṁ śravaṇa-pūrvāṣāḍhe dakṣiṇa-vāmayor locanayor dhaniṣṭhā mūlaṁ ca dakṣiṇa-vāmayoḥ karṇayor maghādīny aṣṭa nakṣatrāṇi dakṣiṇāyanāni vāma-pārśva-vaṅkriṣu yuñjīta tathaiva mṛga-śīrṣādīny udagayanāni dakṣiṇa-pārśva-vaṅkriṣu prātilomyena prayuñjīta śatabhiṣā-jyeṣṭhe skandhayor dakṣiṇa-vāmayor nyaset.

On its right and left hips are placed Punarvasu and Pushya; on its right and left feet, Ardra and Ashlesha; on its right and left nostrils, Abhijit and Uttarashadha; on its right and left eyes, Shravana and Purvashadha; on its right and left ears, Dhanishtha and Mula. The eight constellations beginning with Magha, marking the southern course, are set upon the ribs of its left flank; and likewise, the eight beginning with Mrigashira, marking the northern course, are set, in reverse order, upon the ribs of its right flank. Shatabhisha and Jyeshtha are placed upon its right and left shoulders.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.5.23.7)

उत्तराहनावगस्तिरधराहनौ यमो मुखेषु चाङ्गारकः शनैश्चर उपस्थे बृहस्पतिः ककुदि वक्षस्यादित्यो हृदये नारायणो मनसि चन्द्रो नाभ्यामुशना स्तनयोरश्विनौ बुधः प्राणापानयो राहुर्गले केतवः सर्वाङ्गेषु रोमसु सर्वे तारागणाः ॥ ७ ॥

uttarā-hanāv agastir adharā-hanau yamo mukheṣu cāṅgārakaḥ śanaiścara upasthe bṛhaspatiḥ kakudi vakṣasy ādityo hṛdaye nārāyaṇo manasi candro nābhyām uśanā stanayor aśvinau budhaḥ prāṇāpānayo rāhur gale ketavaḥ sarvāṅgeṣu romasu sarve tārā-gaṇāḥ.

On its upper jaw is Agastya, and on its lower jaw, Yama; on its mouth is Mars, on its genitals, Saturn; on the back of its neck is Jupiter, on its chest, the sun, and within its heart, Narayana Himself. Within its mind is the moon, at its navel, Venus, and upon its two breasts, the Ashvini-kumaras. Within its vital breaths of prana and apana is Mercury; upon its throat, Rahu; over all its limbs, the comets; and within the pores of its body, the entire host of stars.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.5.23.8)

एतदु हैव भगवतो विष्णोः सर्वदेवतामयं रूपमहरहः सन्ध्यायां प्रयतो वाग्यतो निरीक्षमाण उपतिष्ठेत नमो ज्योतिर्लोकाय कालायनायानिमिषां पतये महापुरुषायाभिधीमहीति ॥ ८ ॥

etad u haiva bhagavato viṣṇoḥ sarva-devatāmayaṁ rūpam aharahaḥ sandhyāyāṁ prayato vāgyato nirīkṣamāṇa upatiṣṭheta namo jyotir-lokāya kālāyanāyānimiṣāṁ pataye mahā-puruṣāyābhidhīmahīti.

This, indeed, is that all-encompassing, all-deity form of Bhagavan Vishnu. Each day, at the junctures of dawn, noon and dusk, one should stand in silence, restraining speech and gaze, and behold it, worshiping with this mantra: 'We meditate upon You, obeisance to You, O world of light, the very course of time, lord of the sleepless luminaries, the Supreme Person.'

Verse 9 (bhagavata.5.23.9)

ग्रहर्क्षतारामयमाधिदैविकं पापापहं मन्त्रकृतां त्रिकालम् । नमस्यतः स्मरतो वा त्रिकालं नश्येत तत्कालजमाशु पापम् ॥ ९ ॥

graharkṣatārāmayam ādhidaivikaṁ pāpāpahaṁ mantra-kṛtāṁ tri-kālam namasyataḥ smarato vā tri-kālaṁ naśyeta tat-kālajam āśu pāpam

This mantra, embodying the planets, constellations and stars, and belonging to the realm of the divine, destroys sin. For those who recite it, bow to it, or simply remember it three times a day, whatever sin was accumulated in that interval is swiftly destroyed.