SB 8.9.26

SB 8.9.26

Devanagari

शिरस्त्वमरतां नीतमजो ग्रहमचीक्लृपत् । यस्तु पर्वणि चन्द्रार्कावभिधावति वैरधी: ॥ २६ ॥

Verse text

śiras tv amaratāṁ nītam ajo graham acīkḷpat yas tu parvaṇi candrārkāv abhidhāvati vaira-dhīḥ

Synonyms

śiraḥ the head ; tu of course ; amaratām immortality ; nītam having obtained ; ajaḥ Lord Brahmā ; graham as one of the planets ; acīkḷpat recognized ; yaḥ the same Rāhu ; tu indeed ; parvaṇi during the periods of the full moon and dark moon ; candra arkau — both the moon and the sun ; abhidhāvati chases ; vaira dhīḥ — because of animosity .

Translation

Rāhu’s head, however, having been touched by the nectar, became immortal. Thus Lord Brahmā accepted Rāhu’s head as one of the planets. Since Rāhu is an eternal enemy of the moon and the sun, he always tries to attack them on the nights of the full moon and the dark moon.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Brahmā made Rāhu's head, which had become immortal by the nectar, into a planet. With animosity, he still pursues the moon and sun. The head became free of death by drinking the nectar. The effect of the nectar is shown: Brahmā made the head into a planet like the sun and moon.

Purport

Since Rāhu had become immortal, Lord Brahmā accepted him as one of the grahas, or planets, like the moon and the sun. Rāhu, however, being an eternal enemy of the moon and sun, attacks them periodically during the nights of the full moon and the dark moon.