nārada uvāca
sa ekadā maheṣvāso
rathaṁ paṣcāśvam āśu-gam
dvīṣaṁ dvi-cakram ekākṣaṁ
tri-veṇuṁ paṣca-bandhuram
eka-raśmy eka-damanam
eka-nīḍaṁ dvi-kūbaram
paṣca-praharaṇaṁ sapta-
varūthaṁ paṣca-vikramam
haimopaskaram āruhya
svarṇa-varmākṣayeṣudhiḥ
ekādaśa-camū-nāthaḥ
paṣca-prastham agād vanam
nāradaḥ uvāca-Nārada said; saḥ-King Purañjana; ekadā-once upon a time; mahā-iṣvāsaḥ-carrying his strong bow and arrows; ratham-chariot; pañca-aśvam-five horses; āśu-gam-going very swiftly; dvi-īṣam-two arrows; dvi-cakram-two wheels; eka-one; akṣam-axle; tri-three; veṇum-flags; pañca-five; bandhuram-obstacles; eka-one; raśmi-rope, rein; eka-one; damanam-chariot driver; eka-one; nīḍam-sitting place; dvi-two; kūbaram-posts to which the harnesses are fixed; pañca-five; praharaṇam-weapons; sapta-seven; varūtham-coverings or ingredients of the body; pañca-five; vikramam-processes; haima-golden; upaskaram-ornaments; āruhya-riding on; svarṇa-golden; varmā-armor; akṣaya-inexhaustible; iṣu-dhiḥ-quiver; ekādaśa-eleven; camū-nāthaḥ-commanders; pañca-five; prastham-destinations, objectives;
agāt-went; vanam-to the forest.
The great sage Nārada continued: My dear King, once upon a time King Purañjana took up his great bow, and equipped with golden armor and a quiver of unlimited arrows and accompanied by eleven commanders, he sat on his chariot driven by five swift horses and went to the forest named Pañca-prastha. He took with him in that chariot two explosive arrows. The chariot itself was situated on two wheels and one revolving axle. On the chariot were three flags, one rein, one chariot driver, one sitting place, two poles to which the harness was fixed, five weapons and seven coverings. The chariot moved in five different styles, and five obstacles lay before it. All the decorations of the chariot were made of gold.
These three verses explain how the material body of the living entity is under the control of the three qualities of the external energy. The body itself is the chariot, and the living entity is the owner of the body, as explained in Bhagavad-gītā (2.13): dehino 'smin yathā dehe. The owner of the body is called the dehī, and he is situated within this body, specifically within the heart. The living entity is driven by one chariot driver. The chariot itself is made of three guṇas, three qualities of material nature, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (18.61): yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. The word yantra means "carriage." The body is given by material nature, and the driver of that body is Paramātmā, the Supersoul. The living entity is seated within the chariot. This is the actual position. The living entity is always being influenced by the three qualities-sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance). This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.13). Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ: the living entity is bewildered by the three qualities of material nature. These three qualities are described in this verse as three flags. By a flag, one can come to know who the