রায কহে, চরণ—রথ, হৃদয—সারথি যাহাঙ্লঞা যায, তাহাঙ্যায জীবরথী
राय कहे, चरण—रथ, हृदय—सारथि याहाङ्लञा याय, ताहाङ्याय जीवरथी
rāya kahe, caraṇa—ratha, hṛdaya—sārathi yāhāṅ lañā yāya, tāhāṅ yāya jīva-rathī
Synonyms
rāya kahe—Rāmānanda Rāya replied; caraṇa—the legs; ratha—chariot; hṛdaya—the heart; sārathi—chariot driver; yāhāṅ—wherever; lañā—taking; yāya—goes; tāhāṅ—there; yāya—goes; jīva-rathī—the living entity on the chariot..
Translation
Rāmānanda Rāya said, "The legs are like the chariot, and the heart is like the charioteer. Wherever the heart takes the living entity, the living entity is obliged to go."
Purport
In Bhagavad-gītā (18.61) Lord Kṛṣṇa explains:
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine made of material energy."
Thus the living entity wanders within this universe riding upon a chariot (the body) bestowed by material nature. A similar explanation is given in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.3.3, 4):
ātmānaṁ rathinaṁ viddhi
śarīraṁ ratham eva tu
buddhiṁ tu sārathiṁ viddhi
manaḥ pragraham eva ca
indriyāṇi hayān āhur
viṣayāṁs teṣu gocarān
ātmendriya-mano-yuktaṁ
bhoktety āhur manīṣiṇaḥ
"The individual is the passenger in the car of the material body, and intelligence is the driver. Mind is the driving instrument, and the senses are the horses. The self is thus the enjoyer or sufferer in the association of the mind and senses. In this way it is understood by great thinkers."
Thus the living entity is the charioteer and the body the chariot offered by material nature. The mind is the reins controlling the horses, and the senses are the horses. Thus the living entity is the false enjoyer of the material world. One who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can control the mind and intelligence. In other words, he can control the reins and the horses (the senses), even though the horses are very powerful. One who can control the senses by his mind and intelligence can very easily approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Viṣṇu, who is the ultimate goal of life. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are actually advanced approach Lord Viṣṇu, their ultimate goal. Such people are never captivated by Lord Viṣṇu's external energy, the material world.