SB 8.5.28 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अजस्य चक्रं त्वजयेर्यमाणं मनोमयं पञ्चदशारमाशु । त्रिनाभि विद्युच्चलमष्टनेमि यदक्षमाहुस्तमृतं प्रपद्ये ॥ २८ ॥

Verse text

ajasya cakraṁ tv ajayeryamāṇaṁ manomayaṁ paṣcadaśāram āśu tri-nābhi vidyuc-calam aṣṭa-nemi yad-akṣam āhus tam ṛtaṁ prapadye

Synonyms

ajasya — of the living being ; cakram — the wheel (the cycle of birth and death in this material world) ; tu — but ; ajayā — by the external energy of the Supreme Lord ; īryamāṇam — going around with great force ; manaḥ — mayam — which is nothing but a mental creation depending chiefly on the mind ; paṣcadaśa — fifteen ; aram — possessing spokes ; āśu — very quick ; tri — nābhi — having three naves (the three modes of material nature) ; vidyut — like electricity ; calam — moving ; aṣṭa — nemi — made of eight fellies (the eight external energies of the Lord — bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ, etc.) ; yat — who ; akṣam — the hub ; āhuḥ — they say ; tam — unto Him ; ṛtam — the fact ; prapadye — let us offer our respectful obeisances .

Translation

In the cycle of material activities, the material body resembles the wheel of a mental chariot. The ten senses [five for working and five for gathering knowledge] and the five life airs within the body form the fifteen spokes of the chariot’s wheel. The three modes of nature [goodness, passion and ignorance] are its center of activities, and the eight ingredients of nature [earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and false ego] comprise the rim of the wheel. The external, material energy moves this wheel like electrical energy. Thus the wheel revolves very quickly around its hub or central support, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul and the ultimate truth. We offer our respectful obeisances unto Him.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

We surrender to the real Lord whom they say is the axel of the fast-moving wheel of saṁsāra belonging to the jīva, with sixteen spokes predominated by the mind, three naves made of the guṇas, and eight rims made of the elements. One should worship this Lord, since he is the shelter of the jīva’s avidyā. The jīva’s (ajasya) wheel of saṁsāra moves by māyā (ajayā). It has sixteen spokes made of the ten sense, five prāṇas and the mind, predominated by the mind (manomayam). It moves quickly. It has naves made of the three guṇas. It is flickering like lightening. It has eight rims or coverings, made of the material elements. The axel or the basis is the Supreme Lord. We surrender to that real form.

Purport

The cycle of repeated birth and death is figuratively described herein. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.5) : apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat The entire world is going on because the living entity, who is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, is utilizing the material energy. Under the clutches of the material energy, the jīvātmā is revolving on the wheel of birth and death under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The central point is the Supersoul. As explained in Bhagavad-gītā (18.61) : īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā “The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” The material body of the living entity is a result of the conditioned soul’s activities, and because the supporter is the Supersoul, the Supersoul is the true reality. Every one of us, therefore, should offer respectful obeisances to this central reality. One should not be misguided by the activities of this material world and forget the central point, the Absolute Truth. That is the instruction given here by Lord Brahmā.