Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.22.2
Sthāna· The universe in orderDistinguish Shared Motion From Individual Motion
“Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī clearly answered: When a potter’s wheel is moving and small ants located on that big wheel are moving with it, one can see that their motion is different from that of the wheel because they appear sometimes on one part of the wheel and sometimes on another. Similarly, the signs and constellations, with Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on their right, move with the wheel of time, and the antlike sun and other planets move with them. The sun and planets, however, are seen in different signs and constellations at different times. This indicates that their motion is different from that of the zodiac and the wheel of time itself.”
What the purport teaches
- Ants on a moving potter’s wheel move with the wheel, yet their changing positions show that they also have their own motion.
- Similarly, the signs and constellations move with the wheel of time, keeping Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on their right.
- The sun and planets move with them but appear in different signs and constellations at different times. This indicates a motion distinct from the wheel of time itself.
Try this today
Sketch a wheel with an ant on it, using separate arrows to mark the wheel’s motion and the ant’s own motion.
Ask yourself
How does the example of ants on a wheel help me understand two movements occurring together?
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.