FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.5.28

अजस्य चक्रं त्वजयेर्यमाणं मनोमयं पञ्चदशारमाशु । त्रिनाभि विद्युच्चलमष्टनेमि यदक्षमाहुस्तमृतं प्रपद्ये ॥ २८ ॥
ajasya cakraṁ tv ajayeryamāṇaṁ
[ajasya chakram tv ajayeryamaanam]
manomayaṁ pañcadaśāram āśu
[manomayam panchadashaaram aashu]
tri-nābhi vidyuc-calam aṣṭa-nemi
[tri-naabhi vidyuch-chalam ashta-nemi]
yad-akṣam āhus tam ṛtaṁ prapadye
[yad-aksham aahus tam ritam prapadye]
Word-for-word
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 pañcadaśa — 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.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ajasya cakraṁ tv ajayeryamāṇaṁ
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
manomayaṁ pañcadaśāram āśu
pañcadaśa
fifteen
aram
possessing spokes
āśu
very quick
tri-nābhi vidyuc-calam aṣṭa-nemi
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.)
yad-akṣam āhus tam ṛtaṁ prapadye
yat
who
akṣam
the hub
āhuḥ
they say
tam
unto Him
ṛtam
the fact
prapadye
let us offer our respectful obeisances.
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.
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.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
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.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Material life is a wheel: senses and life airs are spokes, the modes are the hub of activity, the eight elements are the rim, and external energy turns it. At the very center stands the Lord. We can spend a lifetime on the rim or learn to sit near the hub.
Reflection Questions
  • Am I living mostly on the spinning rim of activity or close to the still hub?
  • What practice keeps me regularly within touching distance of the Lord at the center?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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