Chariot
- having heard the auspicious, sacred-sounding and sweet words of gratified Brahmanas, like Vasava himself hearing the adorations of the (celestial) Rishis,--and
- having also gone through the customary acts and rites of the morning, purified himself by a bath, and
- decked his person with unguents and ornaments,
- worshipped both the Sun and Fire. And
- having touched the tail of a bull and reverently bowed to the Brahmanas,
- walked round the sacred fire, and
- cast his eyes on the (usual) auspicious articles placed in view,
Janardana recollected Yudhishthira's word and addressed Sini's grandson Satyaki, seated near, saying,
'Let my car be made ready and let my conch and discus along with my mace, and quivers and darts and all kinds of weapons, offensive and defensive, be placed on it, for Duryodhana and Karna and Suvala's son are all of wicked souls, and foes, however contemptible, should never be disregarded by even a powerful person.
Understanding the wishes of Kesava, the wielder of the discus and the mace, his attendants immediately addressed themselves to yoke his car. And
- that car resembled in effulgence the fire that shows itself at the time of the universal dissolution, and
- itself in speed. And
- it was provided with two wheels that resembled the sun and the moon in lustre. And
- it bore emblazonments of moons, both crescent and full, and of fishes, animals, and birds and it was adorned with garlands of diverse flowers and with pearls and gems of various kinds all around. And
- endued with the splendour of the rising sun, it was large and handsome. And
- variegated with gems and gold, it was furnished with an excellent flag-staff bearing beautiful pennons. And
- well-supplied with every necessary article, and incapable of being resisted by the foe, it was covered with tiger-skins, and capable of robbing the fame of every foe, it enhanced the joy of the Yadavas. And
- they yoked unto it those excellent steeds named
- Saivya and
- Sugriva and
- Meghapushpa and
- Valahaka, after these had been bathed and attired in beautiful harness. And
- enhancing the dignity of Krishna still further, Garuda, the lord of the feathery creation, came and perched on the flag-staff of that car producing a terrible rattle. And
- Saurin then mounted on that car, high as the summit of the Meru, and producing a rattle, deep and loud as the sound of the kettle-drum or the clouds and which resembled the celestial car coursing at the will of the rider.
And taking Satyaki also upon it, that best of male beings set out, filling the earth and the welkin with the rattle of his chariot-wheels. And the sky became cloudless, and auspicious winds began to blow around, and the atmosphere freed from the dust became pure.
Indeed, as Vasudeva set out,
- auspicious animals and birds, whirling by the right side, began to follow him, and
- cranes and peacocks and swans all followed the slayer of Madhu, uttering cries of good omens.
- The very fire, fed with Homa libations in accompaniment with Mantras, freed from smoke blazed up cheerfully, sending forth its flames towards the right.
- And
- Vasishtha and
- Vamadeva, and
- Bhuridyumna and
- Gaya, and
- Kratha and
- Sukra and
- Kusika and
- Bhrigu, and other Brahmarshis and celestial Rishis united together, all stood on the right side of Krishna, that delighter of the Yadavas, that younger brother of Vasava. And thus worshipped by those and other illustrious Rishis and holy men, Krishna set out for the residence of the Kurus.
Source
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m05/m05083.htm
Charioteer
1. Chariot: Sarira (physical body), the instrument through which the Self, intellect, mind, and senses operate.
2. Charioteer: Atma (Self, Higher Intellect or Buddhi), is supposed to be the wise giver of instructions to the mind. 3. Passenger: Jivi (Individual Soul, the embodied Atma, the pure centre of consciousness), is always the neutral witness.
4. Horses: Indriyas (Senses, such as eyes-vision, ears-hearing, nose-smell, tongue-taste, skin-touch), through which we relate to the external world by perception and action.
5. Reins: Manas (Mind), through which the senses receive their instructions to act and perceive.
6. Roads: The countless objects of senses and desires in the world and our memory
7. Wheels of the Chariot: Right effort
8. Destination: “Perfection” or “Self Realization”
9. Kurukshetra Battlefield: It’s the inner battlefield, the only place where one can confront, do battle with, and vanquish the Inner Demons.
10. Two Armies: Kauravas (Demonic nature) and Pandavas (Divine nature)
11. Who's driving your chariot? Mostly we don’t let the charioteer on duty. The reins (mind) are flapping around freely without the proper inner guidance and not giving instruction to the horses (senses). Hence they wander freely down any road they feel like in response to their past memories (Chitta). The chariot (body) takes a beating, the horses (senses) get tired, the reins (mind)) get worn, and the charioteer (Intelligence) gets lazy. The passenger is completely ignored.
12. Put the charioteer back on the job: The solution to the problem is to retrain the charioteer (Intelligence) to pick up the reins (mind) and start giving some direction to the horses (senses). This training is called sadhana (spiritual practice). It means training all of the levels of ourselves so that we might experience the still, silent, eternal center.
13. Allow the charioteer to serve the passenger: As the charioteer (Intelligence) becomes more stabilized in being back on the job, there is an ever increasing awareness of the fact the entire purpose of the chariot, horses, reins, and charioteer, are to serve as instruments for the passenger, the true Self.
Source
http://www.indianweekender.co.nz/Pages/ArticleDetails/47/350/Heritage/The-Significance-of-the-Chariot-with-Krishna-and-Arjuna
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