Text 2]
The Orbits of the Planets
339
TRANSLATION
King Parikṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear lord, you have already affirmed the truth that the supremely powerful sun-god travels around Dhruvaloka with both Dhruvaloka and Mount Sumeru on his right. Yet at the same time the sun-god faces the signs of the zodiac and keeps Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on his left. How can we reasonably accept that the sun-god proceeds with Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on both his left and right simultaneously?
TEXT 2
स होवाच
यथा कुलालचक्रेण भ्रमता सह भ्रमतां तदाश्रयाणां पिपीलिकादीनां गतिरन्यैव प्रदेशान्तरेष्वप्युपलभ्यमानत्वादेवं नक्षत्रराशिभिरुपलक्षितेन कालचक्रेण ध्रुवं मेरुं च प्रदक्षिणेन परिधावता सह परिधावमानानां तदाश्रयाणां सूर्यादीनां ग्रहाणां गतिरन्यैव नक्षत्रान्तरे राश्यन्तरे चोपलभ्यमानत्वात् ॥ २ ॥
sa hovāca
yathā kulāla-cakreṇa bhramatā saha bhramatām tad-āśrayāṇām pipīlikādīnām gatir anyaiva pradeśāntareṣv apy upalabhyamānatvād evam nakṣatra-rāśibhir upalakṣitena kāla-cakreṇa dhruvam merum ca pradakṣiṇena paridhāvatā saha paridhāvamānānām tad-āśrayāṇām sūryādīnām grahāṇām gatir anyaiva nakṣatrāntare rāśy-antare copalabhyamānatvāt.
saḥ—Śukadeva Gosvāmī; ha—very clearly; uvāca—answered; yathā—just as; kulāla-cakreṇa—a potter's wheel; bhramatā—turning around; saha—with; bhramatām—of those turning around; tat-āśrayāṇām—being located on that (wheel); pipīlika-ādīnām—of small ants; gatiḥ—the motion; anyā—other; eva—certainly; pradeśa-antareṣu—in different locations; api—also; upalabhyamānatvāt—due to being experienced; evam—similarly; nakṣatra-rāśibhiḥ—by the stars and signs; upalakṣitena—being seen; kāla-cakreṇa—with the great