Bhagol
HomeSanskrit stars › Dhātā, Vidhātā

धाता, विधाता Dhātā, Vidhātā

two circumpolar star-positions at the root of the Śiśumāra's tail · — · Draco / Ursa Minor region

shishumara positionidentification disputedattestations 1

Attestations

Purāṇas · c. 9th-10th c. CE
यस्य पुच्छाग्रेऽवाक्‌शिरस: कुण्डलीभूतदेहस्य ध्रुव उपकल्पितस्तस्य लाङ्गूले प्रजापतिरग्निरिन्द्रो धर्म इति पुच्छमूले धाता विधाता च कट्यां सप्तर्षय: ॥ ५ ॥
At the tail of this Sisumara resting with its head lowered, and its body coiled up, is Dhruva. Under the ends of the Sisumara's tail are Prajapati, Agni, Indra and Dharma; at the root of its tail are Dhata and Vidhata; and about its waist are the Saptarshis (the seven saints). — J.M. Sanyal (1930s; public domain)

Unique to the Bhāgavata's expanded recension — the older Viṣṇu/Vāyu/Matsya/Brahmāṇḍa version does not have them. Positionally they fall between the tail-group (Prajāpati, Agni, Indra, Dharma) and the Saptarṣi at the waist, so they should lie along the Draco tail toward Ursa Major. No Purāṇa identifies them with visible stars and no defensible modern equation was found.

Bhāgavata Purāṇa 5.23.5 · text · translation

See also

Śiśumāra