श्रीशुक उवाच
अधस्तात्सवितुर्योजनायुते स्वर्भानुर्नक्षत्रवच्चरतीत्येके योऽसावमरत्वं
ग्रहत्वं चालभत भगवदनुकम्पया स्वयमसुरापसदः सैंहिकेयो ह्यतदर्हस्तस्य
तात जन्म कर्माणि चोपरिष्टाद्वक्ष्यामः ॥१॥

Å›rÄ«-Å›uka uvÄca
adhastÄt savitur yojanÄyute svarbhÄnur naká¹£atravac caratÄ«ty eke yo 'sÄv amaratvaá¹ grahatvaá¹ cÄlabhata bhagavad-anukampayÄ svayam asurÄpasadaḥ saiá¹hikeyo hy atad-arhas tasya tÄta janma karmÄṇi copariṣṭÄd vaká¹£yÄmaḥ

 Å›rÄ«-Å›ukaḥ uvÄca - ÅšrÄ« Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said; adhastÄt - below; savituḥ - the sun globe; yojana - a measurement equal to eight miles; ayute - ten thousand; svarbhÄnuḥ - the planet known as RÄhu; naká¹£atra-vat - like one of the stars; carati - is rotating; iti - thus; eke - some who are learned in the PurÄṇas; yaḥ - which; asau - that; amaratvam - a lifetime like those of the demigods; grahatvam - a position as one of the chief planets; ca - and; alabhata - obtained; bhagavat-anukampayÄ - by the compassion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam - personally; asura-apasadaḥ - the lowest of the asuras; saiá¹hikeyaḥ - being the son of Siá¹hikÄ; hi - indeed; a-tat-arhaḥ - not qualified for that position; tasya - his; tÄta - O my dear King; janma - birth; karmÄṇi - activities; ca - also; upariṣṭÄt - later; vaká¹£yÄmaḥ - I shall explain.


Text

ÅšrÄ« Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said: My dear King, some historians, the speakers of the PurÄṇas, say that 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles] below the sun is the planet known as RÄhu, which moves like one of the stars. The presiding deity of that planet, who is the son of Siá¹hikÄ, 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.

Purport