Shloka 631
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
एकां नाभि सप्तशता अरा:ः श्रिता: प्रधिष्वन्या विंशतिरपिंता अरा: । अनेमि चक्र परिवर्तते5जरं मायाश्विनौ समनक्ति चर्षणी
ekāṃ nābhiṃ saptaśatā arāḥ śritāḥ pradhiṣvaṇyā viṃśatir apiṃtā arāḥ | anemi cakraṃ parivartate 'jaraṃ māyāśvinau samanakti carṣaṇī ||
Dijo Rāma: “Es una rueda prodigiosa: tiene un solo cubo; en ella están asentados setecientos radios, y otros veinte más están fijados en su borde. Esa rueda sin llanta gira sin envejecer. Dos caballos, maestros en obrar ilusiones, la arrastran, y los perspicaces contemplan su movimiento.” Con esta imagen, la enseñanza apunta al incesante fluir del tiempo y del proceso mundano—vasto, intrincado y en apariencia autosuficiente—e insta al oyente a cultivar discernimiento, en vez de dejarse llevar por las apariencias.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the image of an immense, unaging wheel drawn by wondrous horses to suggest the relentless, intricate cycle of time and worldly process. The ethical thrust is toward viveka (discernment): one should recognize the power of appearances (māyā) and seek steadiness in dharma rather than being swept along by the turning of the world.
Rāma speaks in a riddle-like, symbolic description—presenting a cosmic wheel with a single hub and many spokes, revolving without decay, drawn by two extraordinary horses. The speech functions as a reflective, teaching passage rather than a literal scene, inviting listeners to interpret the metaphor.