SB 5.21.13 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यस्यैकं चक्रं द्वादशारं षण्नेमि त्रिणाभि संवत्सरात्मकं समामनन्ति तस्याक्षो मेरोर्मूर्धनि कृतो मानसोत्तरे कृतेतरभागो यत्र प्रोतं रविरथचक्रं तैलयन्त्रचक्रवद् भ्रमन्मानसोत्तरगिरौ परिभ्रमति ॥ १३ ॥

Verse text

yasyaikaṁ cakraṁ dvādaśāraṁ ṣaṇ-nemi tri-ṇābhi saṁvatsarātmakaṁ samāmananti tasyākṣo meror mūrdhani kṛto mānasottare kṛtetara-bhāgo yatra protaṁ ravi-ratha-cakraṁ taila-yantra-cakravad bhraman mānasottara-girau paribhramati.

Synonyms

yasya — of which ; ekam — one ; cakram — wheel ; dvādaśa — twelve ; aram — spokes ; ṣaṭ — six ; nemi — the segments of the rim ; tri — ṇābhi — the three pieces of the hub ; saṁvatsara — ātmakam — whose nature is a saṁvatsara ; samāmananti — they fully describe ; tasya — the chariot of the sun-god ; akṣaḥ — the axle ; meroḥ — of Sumeru Mountain ; mūrdhani — on the top ; kṛtaḥ — fixed ; mānasottare — on the mountain known as Mānasottara ; kṛta — fixed ; itara — bhāgaḥ — the other end ; yatra — where ; protam — fixed on ; ravi — ratha — cakram — the wheel of the chariot of the sun-god ; taila — yantra — cakra — vat — like the wheel of an oil-pressing machine ; bhramat — moving ; mānasottara — girau — on Mānasottara Mountain ; paribhramati — turns .

Translation

The chariot of the sun-god has only one wheel, which is known as Saṁvatsara. The twelve months are calculated to be its twelve spokes, the six seasons are the sections of its rim, and the three cātur-māsya periods are its three-sectioned hub. One side of the axle carrying the wheel rests upon the summit of Mount Sumeru, and the other rests upon Mānasottara Mountain. Affixed to the outer end of the axle, the wheel continuously rotates on Mānasottara Mountain like the wheel of an oil-pressing machine.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The chariot of the sun-god has only one wheel, which is known as the year. The wheel has twelve spokes, six rims, and three hubs. One side of the axle carrying the wheel rests upon the summit of Mount Sumeru, and the other rests upon Mānasottara Mountain. Affixed to the outer end of the axle, the wheel continuously rotates on Mānasottara Mountain like the wheel of an oil-pressing machine. The spokes of the wheel of the chariot (yasya) are the twelve months. The six rims are the six seasons. The three hubs are the three sets of four months. It is fixed on the lower portion of Meru. It is compared to the wheel of an oil pressing machine. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that it rotates on Mānasottara at a height of 50,000 yojanas on a surface made flat by the wind. Because Mānasottara is only 10,000 yojanas high, the total height at which the wheel rotates is 60,000 yojanas. The distance (from Meru) is a little less than 15,700,000 yojanas. [Note: Possibly this is because of the width of the wheel, which must be 100,000 yojanas wide. If it travels in the center of the road which is 200,000 yojanas wide, 50,000 yojanas of the wide would protrude over the center of the road.]