FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.5.19

కాలచక్రం భ్రమి తీక్ష్ణం సర్వం నిష్కర్షయజ్జగత్ । స్వతన్త్రమబుధస్యేహ కిమసత్కర్మభిర్భవేత్ ॥ ౧౯ ॥
kāla-cakraṁ bhrami tīkṣṇaṁ
[kaala-chakram bhrami teekshnam]
sarvaṁ niṣkarṣayaj jagat
[sarvam nishkarshayaj jagat]
svatantram abudhasyeha
[svatantram abudhasyeha]
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
[kim asat-karmabhir bhavet]
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.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kāla-cakraṁ bhrami tīkṣṇaṁ
kāla-cakram
the wheel of eternal time
bhrami
revolving automatically
tīkṣṇam
very sharp
sarvaṁ niṣkarṣayaj jagat
sarvam
all
niṣkarṣayat
driving
jagat
the world
svatantram abudhasyeha
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-karmabhir bhavet
kim asat-karmabhiḥ bhavet
what is the use of engaging in temporary fruitive activities.
[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?

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.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
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?
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