Devanagari
कालचक्रं भ्रमि तीक्ष्णं सर्वं निष्कर्षयज्जगत् ।
स्वतन्त्रमबुधस्येह किमसत्कर्मभिर्भवेत् ॥ १९ ॥
Verse text
kāla-cakraṁ bhrami tīkṣṇaṁ
sarvaṁ niṣkarṣayaj jagat
svatantram abudhasyeha
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
Synonyms
kāla
—
cakram — the wheel of eternal time
;
bhrami
—
revolving automatically
;
tīkṣṇam
—
very sharp
;
sarvam
—
all
;
niṣkarṣayat
—
driving
;
jagat
—
the world
;
sva
—
tantram — independent, not caring for the so-called scientists and philosophers
;
abudhasya
—
of one who does not know (this principle of time)
;
iha
—
in this material world
;
kim asat
—
karmabhiḥ bhavet — what is the use of engaging in temporary fruitive activities .
Translation
[Nārada Muni had spoken of a physical object made of sharp blades and thunderbolts. The Haryaśvas understood this allegory as follows.] Eternal time moves very sharply, as if made of razors and thunderbolts. Uninterrupted and fully independent, it drives the activities of the entire world. If one does not try to study the eternal element of time, what benefit can he derive from performing temporary material activities?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
What is the use of insubstantial karmas performed by a person who does not recognize the independent wheel of time rotating relentlessly, destroying the whole universe?
This verse explains the rotating object with razors and thunderbolts. The wheel of time is described as having razors or thunderbolts because time gives fear. It is described as rotating because time is always moving. It is described as sharp because it destroys harshly. Why do you not worship the Lord, since tomorrow or the next day you will die?
Purport
This verse explains the words
kṣaura-pavyaṁ svayaṁ bhrami,
which especially refer to the orbit of eternal time. It is said that time and tide wait for no man. According to the moral instructions of the great politician Cāṇakya Paṇḍita:
āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko ’pi
na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ
na cen nirarthakaṁ nītiḥ
kā ca hānis tato ’dhikā
Even a moment of one’s lifetime could not be returned in exchange for millions of dollars. Therefore one should consider how much loss one suffers if he wastes even a moment of his life for nothing. Living like an animal, not understanding the goal of life, one foolishly thinks that there is no eternity and that his life span of fifty, sixty, or, at the most, one hundred years, is everything. This is the greatest foolishness. Time is eternal, and in the material world one passes through different phases of his eternal life. Time is compared herein to a sharp razor. A razor is meant to shave the hair from one’s face, but if not carefully handled, the razor will cause disaster. One is advised not to create a disaster by misusing his lifetime. One should be extremely careful to utilize the span of his life for spiritual realization, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.