SB 5.24.2

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Fifth Canto - Chapter 24: The Subterranean Heavenly Planets

SB 5.24.1 - SB 5.24.3

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT 2

yad adas taraṇer maṇḍalaṁ pratapatas tad vistarato yojanāyutam

ācakṣate dvādaśa-sahasraṁ somasya trayodaśa-sahasraṁ

rāhor yaḥ parvaṇi tad-vyavadhāna-kṛd vairānubandhaḥ

sūryā-candramasāv abhidhāvati

SYNONYMS

yat — which; adaḥ — that; taraṇeḥ — of the sun; maṇḍalam — globe; pratapataḥ — which is always distributing heat; tat — that; vistarataḥ — in terms of width; yojana — a distance of eight miles; ayutam — ten thousand; ācakṣate — they estimate; dvādaśa-sahasram — 20,000 yojanas (160,000 miles); somasya — of the moon; trayodaśa — thirty; sahasram — one thousand; rāhoḥ — of the planet Rāhu; yaḥ — which; parvaṇi — on occasion; tat-vyavadhāna-kṛt — who created an obstruction to the sun and moon at the time of the distribution of nectar; vaira-anubandhaḥ — whose intentions are inimical; sūryā — the sun; candramasau — and the moon; abhidhāvati — runs after them on the full-moon night and the dark-moon day.

TRANSLATION

The sun globe, which is a source of heat, extends for 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles]. The moon extends for 20,000 yojanas [160,000 miles], and Rāhu extends for 30,000 yojanas [240,000 miles]. Formerly, when nectar was being distributed, Rāhu tried to create dissension between the sun and moon by interposing himself between them. Rāhu is inimical toward both the sun and the moon, and therefore he always tries to cover the sunshine and moonshine on the dark-moon day and full-moon night.

PURPORT

As stated herein, the sun extends for 10,000 yojanas, and the moon extends for twice that, or 20,000 yojanas. The word dvādaśa should be understood to mean twice as much as ten, or twenty. In the opinion of Vijayadhvaja, the extent of Rāhu should be twice that of the moon, or 40,000 yojanas. However to reconcile this apparent contradiction to the text of the Bhāgavatam, Vijayadhvaja cites the following quotation concerning Rāhu; rāhu-soma-ravīṇāṁ tu maṇḍalā dvi-guṇoktitām. This means that Rāhu is twice as large as the moon, which is twice as large as the sun. This is the conclusion of the commentator Vijayadhvaja.

SB 5.24.1 - SB 5.24.3