na te ’jarākṣa-bhramir āyur eṣāṁ

na te ’jarākṣa-bhramir āyur eṣāṁ

trayodaśāraṁ tri-śataṁ ṣaṣṭi-parva

ṣaṇ-nemy ananta-cchadi yat tri-ṇābhi

karāla-sroto jagad ācchidya dhāvat

The devotees’ lives are not subject to the wheel of time which has Brahman as the axel, thirteen months as spokes, three hundred and sixty days and nights as the joints, six seasons as the rim, unlimited seconds as the edges, and three groups of four months as the nave. The wheel moves with extreme velocity, chasing and destroying the universe.

 

The devotees and no others conquer time. The wheel of time (trinābhi) pursues and destroys the universe, but it does not pursue and destroy the life of the devotees. This wheel rotates (bhramiḥ) on the axel of the indestructible Brahman (ajara-brahmākṣa). It is said be a wheel in a metaphorical sense, because of its explicit rotary motion. It has thirteen spokes composed of the twelve months plus the adhika-māsa (puruṣottama-māsa). It has three hundred and sixty joints composed of the days and nights of the year. Lack of proper ending on tri-śatam is poetic license. It has wheel rims in the form of the six seasons. In has unlimited edges in the form of seconds. It has three groups of four months as the nave of the wheel. It travels with great speed. These descriptive terms are used to portray the wheel of time consisting of a year.

|| 3.21.19||

ekaḥ svayaṁ sañ jagataḥ sisṛkṣayā-

dvitīyayātmann adhi-yogamāyayā

sṛjasy adaḥ pāsi punar grasiṣyase

yathorṇa-nābhir bhagavan sva-śaktibhiḥ

O Lord! You alone exist, and desiring to create the universe, since there is no one else to desire, you create, maintain and destroy this universe through the guṇas, using material energy which contacts you through your glance, just as a spider creates a web independently.

“You say the devotees are fortunate, but that you cannot be free of desire. Why do you not fulfil your desires by worshipping devatās who quickly fulfil those desires?” “But I do not see anyone except you in this universe.” That is stated in this verse. You alone exist. It is your desire alone to create, since there is no one else (advitīyayā), or, it is your desire to create, which becomes Brahmā’s desire. You alone permit him. You perform creation by your māyā which attained (adhi) you (atman) by contact (yoga) with your glance. Or you create the universe (adaḥ) by your material guṇas which you accepted through the influence of your spiritual energy (yoga-māyayā) under your control. The example of the spider is given to show that no one except the Lord performs the creation. I should serve you alone, even if I have material desires, since no devatās exist except you.

|| 3.21.20||