The two wheels are merit and demerit.
The axle is Pradhana.
The three flags are the three Gunas.
The five chains are the five Pranas.
The bridle is Manas the seat of desires.
The charioteer is Buddhi.
The yoke-ends are sorrow and delusion.
The seven fenders are the seven Dhatus or essential ingredients of the
body.
The five courses are the five organs of action.
The gold color of the armour is due to Rajas.
Brihadbala is the even perceiving mind.
The sons are the transformations of perception.
The daughters are the concepts following such transformations.
"Chandavega", the Gandharva king, is the year, every year of human life.
The Gandharvas are days.
Their wives are nights.
The 360 Gandharvas are the 360 days of the year. With their wives or
nights they form the number 720.
The daughter of Kala is Jara or decrepitude.
The Yavanas are diseases or infirmities.
Fear is the King of all diseases and infirmities viz., Death.
Prajvara is destructive fever.
As long as Purusha does not know his real self, but identifies himself
with the Gunas of Prakriti, he becomes subject to births and deaths. The
only remedy for this malady is pure devotion to Guru and to Bhagavan. By
such devotion, dispassion and wisdom are both acquired.
"Darbha" is Kusa grass, symbolical of Yajna. "Vidarbha" is pure land.
"Malaya" or the Deccan is famous for Vishnu worship.
"Malayadhvaja" is therefore a Vaishnava king.
[It appears that Vaishnavism had its rise and growth in the South of
India before it overspread Northern India. This would be natural
considering the hold of Vedic Brahmanism in Northern India.]
The daughter of Malayadhvaja is Devotion. The seven sons are the seven
divisions of Bhakti, viz. --
1) _Sravana_ or hearing the glory of Vishnu,
2) _Kirtana_ or reciting the glory of Vishnu,
3) _Smarana_ or constant remembrance of Vishnu,
4) _Padasevana_ or shewing respect to Vishnu,
5) _Archana_ or worship of Vishnu,
6) _Bandana_ or adoration of Vishnu,
7) _Dasya_ or consecration of one self to the service of Vishnu.
The other two divisions, _Saukhya_ or companionship with Vishnu and
_Atma nivedana_ or complete resignation are not mentioned in this
connection as they relate to a highly advanced spiritual state.
These modes of Bhakti worship are prevalent in Dravida.
The millions of sons are sub-divisions of Sravana, &c.
"Agastya" is mind.
"Dridhachyuta" is one confirmed in dispassion.
"Idhmavaha" is one who goes to Guru, fuel in hand, for instructions.
Isvara, the unknown friend, called Himself and the Purusha two Kansas of
the Manasa Lake. Hansa is one absolutely pure. Manasa Lake is the Heart.
"For one thousand years" -- Both Jiva and Isvara remained together as
friends, the same in essence and in form, during the one thousand years
of Maha Pralaya, at the end of a Kaipa. During Manvantaric
Manifestation, the Jiva parts from his Friend Isvara and launches into a
wild course of enjoyments, of joys and sorrows. The touch of that
fascinating lady Buddhi destroys all previous remembrances and the Jiva
plays several characters in the drama of life, in dream and delusion.
Narada concluded his explanation of the allegory with this eloquent
exhortation: --
"Know thou, O King, the deer, skipping in the flower-garden, in company
with its sweet-heart, deeply attached to the sweets of that garden,
devouring with eager ears the humming music of _bhramaras_, little
caring for the wolves on its way or for the arrows of the huntsman that
pierce its back.
"The flowers are but women who bloom only to droop. The fragrance and
honey, the sweets of the garden, are the enjoyments brought on by the
_karma_ of another birth."
"The music of _bhramaras_ is the pleasing conversation of women and
others. The wolves are the days and nights. The huntsman who stealthily
flings arrows at the deer is Death. The deer is thy own self."
"Consider Well the efforts of the deer. Concentrate _chitta_ into the
heart and all perceptions into _chitta_. Give up the company of woman.
Turn a deaf ear to all idle talks. Be devoted to that one true Friend of
Jivas -- Isvara. Retire, retire from all others."
King Prachina Barhis wondered why such beautiful teachings were with
held by his teachers. Or forsooth, they knew not themselves. He
requested Narada however to remove two doubts that were still lurking in
his mind. -- Purusha acquires _karma_ in one body, but he reaps the
fruits of that _karma_ in another body. One body is the doer while
another is the enjoyer and sufferer. To one body, the fruits of its own
work are lost. To another body, there is an acquisition of fruits it did
not sow. How can this be? This was the first doubt.
What is done is done. Nothing apparently remains of our _karma_. How can
then the sequences be accounted for? This was the second doubt.