rājā uvāca-the King (Mahārāja Parīkṣit) inquired; yat-which; etat-this; bhagavataḥ-of the most powerful; ādityasya-of the sun (Sūrya Nārāyaṇa); merum-the mountain known as Sumeru; dhruvam ca-as well as the planet known as Dhruvaloka; pradakṣiṇena-by placing on the right; parikrāmataḥ-which is going around; rāśīnām-the different signs of the zodiac; abhimukham-facing toward; pracalitam-moving; ca-and; apradakṣiṇam-placing on the left; bhagavatā-by Your Lordship; upavarṇitam-described; amuṣya-of that; vayam-we (the hearer); katham-how; anumimīmahi-can accept it by argument and inference; iti-thus.
King Parīkṣit 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?
sa hovāca