Text 2] The Subterranean Heavenly Planets 373
bhagavat-anukampayaé—by the compassion of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; svayam—personally; asura-apasadah—the lowest of the
asuras; sairnhikeyah—being the son of Sitnhika; hi—indeed; a-tat-
arhah—not qualified for that position; tasya—his; tata—O my dear
King; janma—birth; karmdni—activities; ca—also; uparistat—later;
vaksyamah—I shall explain.
TRANSLATION

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, some historians, the
speakers of the Puranas, say that 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles]
below the sun is the planet known as Rahu, which moves like one
of the stars. The presiding deity of that planet, who is the son of
Simhika, 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
g ° fos be x °
Gees | AATaaseNa «= aITATgaaTTad «= aaTaea
~ LN ° a & Ss

AMA ATMA Ula: Ta aeapnaRsuaaey: sal
TATA U2 UI
yad adas taraner mandalam pratapatas tad vistarato yojandyutam
dcaksate dvddasa-sahasrarn somasya trayodasa-sahasram rahor yah
parvani tad-vyavadhana-krd vairdnubandhah sirya-candramasdav
abhidhavati.

yat—which; adah—that; taraneh—of the sun; mandalam—globe;
pratapatah—which is always distributing heat; tat—that; vistaratah—
in terms of width; yojana—a distance of eight miles; ayutam—ten thou-
sand; dcaksate—they estimate; dvddasa-sahasram—20,000 yojanas
(160,000 miles); somasya—of the moon; trayodasa—thirty;
sahasram—one thousand; rahoh—of the planet Rahu; yah—which:
parvani—on occasion; tat-vyavadhana-krt—who created an obstruction
to the sun and moon at the time of the distribution of nectar; vaira-anu-
