Text 2]
The Subterranean Heavenly Planets
373
bhagavat-anukampayā —by the compassion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;  svayam —personally;  asura-apasadah —the lowest of the asuras;  saimhikeyah —being the son of Simhikā;  hi —indeed;  a-tat-arhah —not qualified for that position;  tasya —his;  tāta —O my dear King;  janma —birth;  karmāṇi —activities;  ca —also;  upariṣṭāt —later;  vakṣyāmah —I shall explain.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, some historians, the speakers of the Purāṇas, say that 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles] below the sun is the planet known as Rāhu, which moves like one of the stars. The presiding deity of that planet, who is the son of Simhikā, is the most abominable of all asuras, but although he is completely unfit to assume the position of a demigod or planetary deity, he has achieved that position by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Later I shall speak further about him.
TEXT 2
यददस्तरणेर्मण्डलं प्रतपतस्तद्विस्तरतो योजनायुतमाचक्षते द्वादशसहस्रं 
  सोमस्य त्रयोदशसहस्रं राहोर्यः पर्वणि तद्व्यवधानकृद्वैरानुबन्धः सूर्या- 
  चन्द्रमसावभिधावति ॥ २ ॥
yad adas taraṇer maṇḍalam pratapatas tad vistarato yojanāyutam 
  ācakṣate dvādaśa-sahasram somasya trayodaśa-sahasram rāhor yah 
  parvaṇi tad-vyavadhāna-kṛd vairānubandhah sūryā-candramasāv 
  abhidhāvati.
yat —which;  adah —that;  taraṇeh —of the sun;  maṇḍalam —globe;  pratapatah —which is always distributing heat;  tat —that;  vistaratah —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;  rāhoh —of the planet Rāhu;  yah —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-anu-