Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.21.13
Sthāna· The universe in orderThe Chariot’s Wheel Represents Divisions of Time
“The chariot of the sun-god has only one wheel, which is known as Saṁvatsara. The twelve months are calculated to be its twelve spokes, the six seasons are the sections of its rim, and the three cātur-māsya periods are its three-sectioned hub. One side of the axle carrying the wheel rests upon the summit of Mount Sumeru, and the other rests upon Mānasottara Mountain. Affixed to the outer end of the axle, the wheel continuously rotates on Mānasottara Mountain like the wheel of an oil-pressing machine.”
What the purport teaches
- The chariot has one wheel, called Saṁvatsara. Its twelve spokes are the twelve months.
- The six seasons form the sections of its rim, and the three cātur-māsya periods form its three-sectioned hub.
- The axle rests on Mount Sumeru and Mānasottara Mountain. The wheel continuously rotates on Mānasottara Mountain like the wheel of an oil-pressing machine.
Try this today
Draw a simple wheel and label its spokes, rim, and hub with the divisions of time given in the verse.
Ask yourself
How does the picture of a wheel help you remember the divisions of time described here?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.