अन्यच्च रथः स्थाणुर्देहस्तुरगरचना चेन्द्रियगतिः परिस्पन्दो वातो वहनकलितानन्दविषयः । परोऽणुर्वा देही जगति विहरामीत्यनघया धिया दृष्टे तत्त्वे रमणमटनं जागतमिदम् ॥ २२ ॥
anyacca rathaḥ sthāṇurdēhasturagaracanā cēndriyagatiḥ parispandō vātō vahanakalitānandaviṣayaḥ | parō’ṇurvā dēhī jagati viharāmītyanaghayā dhiyā dṛṣṭē tattvē ramaṇamaṭanaṁ jāgatamidam || 22 ||
Translation
And again: the chariot is the body, a tree-stump; the array of horses is the going of the senses; the stirring breath is the wind; the bliss that comes in the carrying is its object. 'Supreme or subtle, as the embodied one I ride through the world': when the truth has been seen so by the stainless mind, this wandering through the world is a delight.
Word by word
- anyacca
- and again
- rathaḥ
- the chariot
- sthāṇur
- (sthāṇuḥ) a tree-stump
- dēhas
- (dehaḥ) the body
- turaga
- of horses
- racanā
- the array
- ca
- and
- indriya
- of the senses
- gatiḥ
- the going
- parispandō
- (parispandaḥ) the stirring
- vātō
- (vātaḥ) the wind
- vahana
- in the carrying
- kalita
- that comes
- ānanda
- the bliss
- viṣayaḥ
- its object
- parō
- (paraḥ) supreme
- aṇur
- (aṇuḥ) subtle
- vā
- or
- dēhī
- the embodied one
- jagati
- through the world
- viharāmi
- I ride
- iti
- so
- anaghayā
- stainless
- dhiyā
- by the mind
- dṛṣṭē
- having been seen
- tattvē
- the truth
- ramaṇam
- a delight
- aṭanaṁ
- wandering
- jāgatam
- through the world
- idam
- this
Meaning
The old figure of the chariot of the body, which is familiar from the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, is here turned to pleasure. The commentary fits it piece by piece. The insensible body is the chariot, like a cut tree; the movement of the senses towards their objects is the skill of the horses; and the mind, in which prāṇa is chief, is the rein. The rider? In samādhi, says the commentary, he is the supreme Self itself, para; in dealings, on account of the limiting intellect, he seems subtle, aṇu. Nothing about the vehicle is changed. The person who has seen the truth goes on riding, and he knows he is the one riding, pure and awake, and is not the cart. Viharāmi, I ride for pleasure, is the word for a king's outing, and the sarga closes on that royal ease.