artho 'yam brahma-sutranam - Suhotra Maharaja Archives

death in this material world); tu--but; ajaya--by the external energy
of the Supreme Lord; iryamanam--going around with great force; manahmayam--which
is nothing but a mental creation depending chiefly on the
mind; pancadasa--fifteen; aram--possessing spokes; asu--very quick;
tri-nabhi--having three naves (the three modes of material nature);
vidyut--like electricity; calam--moving; asta-nemi--made of eight
fellies (the eight external energies of the Lord--bhumir apo 'nalo
vayuh, etc.); yat--who; aksam--the hub; ahuh--they say; tam--unto Him;
rtam--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.
From the Purport:
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 jivatma 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-gita (l8.61):
isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'juna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
"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 Brahma.
2.10.16
nirodho 'syanusayanam
atmanah saha saktibhih
muktir hitvanyatha rupam
sva-rupena vyavasthitih
nirodhah--the winding up of the cosmic manifestation; asya--of His;
anusayanam--the lying down of the purusa incarnation Maha-Visnu in
mystic slumber; atmanah--of the living entities; saha--along with;
saktibhih--with the energies; muktih--liberation; hitva--giving up;
anyatha--otherwise; rupam--form; sva-rupena--in constitutional form;
vyavasthitih--permanent situation.
TRANSLATION
The merging of the living entity, along with his conditional
living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Maha-Visnu is called
the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. Liberation is the permanent
situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the
changeable gross and subtle material bodies.
From the Purport:
So after the winding up of the cosmic manifestation, most of the