देहो रथस्त्विन्द्रियाश्व: संवत्सररयोऽगति: । द्विकर्मचक्रस्त्रिगुणध्वज: पञ्चासुबन्धुर: ॥ १८ ॥ मनोरश्मिर्बुद्धिसूतो हृन्नीडो द्वन्द्वकूबर: । पञ्चेन्द्रियार्थप्रक्षेप: सप्तधातुवरूथक: ॥ १९ ॥ आकूतिर्विक्रमो बाह्यो मृगतृष्णां प्रधावति । एकादशेन्द्रियचमू: पञ्चसूनाविनोदकृत् ॥ २० ॥
deho rathas tv indriyasvah samvatsara-rayo ’gatih dvi-karma-cakras tri-guna- dhvajah pancasu-bandhurah mano-rasmir buddhi-suto hrn-nido dvandva-kubarah pancendriyartha-praksepah sapta-dhatu-varuthakah akutir vikramo bahyo mrga-trsnam pradhavati ekadasendriya-camuh panca-suna-vinoda-krt
- dehah
- body
- rathah
- chariot
- tu
- but
- indriya
- the knowledge-acquiring senses
- asvah
- the horses
- samvatsara
- total years
- rayah
- duration of life
- agatih
- without advancing
- dvi
- two
- karma
- activities
- cakrah
- wheels
- tri
- three
- guna
- modes of nature
- dhvajah
- flags
- panca
- five
- asu
- life airs
- bandhurah
- bondage
- manah
- the mind
- rasmih
- rope
- buddhi
- intelligence
- sutah
- chariot driver
- hrt
- heart
- nidah
- sitting place
- dvandva
- duality
- kubarah
- the posts for the harness
- panca
- five
- indriya-artha
- sense objects
- praksepah
- weapons
- sapta
- seven
- dhatu
- elements
- varuthakah
- coverings
- akutih
- attempts of the five working senses
- vikramah
- prowess or processes
- bahyah
- external
- mrga-trsnam
- false aspiration
- pradhavati
- runs after
- ekadasa
- eleven
- indriya
- senses
- camuh
- soldiers
- panca
- five
- suna
- envy
- vinoda
- pleasure
- krt
- doing
Narada Muni continued: What I referred to as the chariot was in actuality the body. The senses are the horses that pull that chariot. As time passes, year after year, these horses run without obstruction, but in fact they make no progress. Pious and impious activities are the two wheels of the chariot. The three modes of material nature are the chariot’s flags. The five types of life air constitute the living entity’s bondage, and the mind is considered to be the rope. Intelligence is the chariot driver. The heart is the sitting place in the chariot, and the dualities of life, such as pleasure and pain, are the knotting place. The seven elements are the coverings of the chariot, and the working senses are the five external processes. The eleven senses are the soldiers. Being engrossed in sense enjoyment, the living entity, seated on the chariot, hankers after fulfillment of his false desires and runs after sense enjoyment life after life.