Shloka 28
Raivata and Cākṣuṣa Manvantaras; Brahmā’s Prayers at Śvetadvīpa
Prelude to Samudra-manthana
अजस्य चक्रं त्वजयेर्यमाणं मनोमयं पञ्चदशारमाशु । त्रिनाभि विद्युच्चलमष्टनेमि यदक्षमाहुस्तमृतं प्रपद्ये ॥ २८ ॥
ajasya cakraṁ tv ajayeryamāṇaṁ manomayaṁ pañcadaśāram āśu tri-nābhi vidyuc-calam aṣṭa-nemi yad-akṣam āhus tam ṛtaṁ prapadye
Im Kreislauf materieller Tätigkeiten gleicht dieser Körper dem Rad eines geistigen Wagens: die zehn Sinne und die fünf Lebenslüfte sind seine fünfzehn Speichen; die drei Guṇas sind die Nabe; die acht Naturbestandteile bilden den Reifen; und die äußere Māyā treibt es wie elektrische Kraft rasch umher. Seine Achse ist der Paramātmā, Ajita, die höchste Wahrheit; Ihm, dem Unsterblichen, ergeben wir uns.
The cycle of repeated birth and death is figuratively described herein. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.5) :
FAQs
This verse describes time as a swift, lightning-like wheel that turns all beings, yet it ultimately rests upon and is governed by the Supreme Truth (Vishnu), the imperishable center.
Facing crisis and seeking divine protection, the Devas glorify Vishnu as the ultimate controller of time and the mind, taking refuge in Him as the only stable foundation amid cosmic change.
When life feels driven by anxiety and constant change, this shloka teaches grounding oneself in steady devotion—remembering the Lord as the unchanging center rather than being swept away by mental turbulence.