II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

मन गुंतले लुलयां I

जाय धावोनि त्या ठायां II

मागें परतवी तो बळी I

शूर एक भूमंडळी II

नेऊनिया घाली घाला I

 नेणि काय होईल तुला II

तुका म्हणे येणें I

बहू नाडीले शाहाणे II

"The Vedic Scriptures say, there is a chariot, which has five horses pulling it. The horses have reins in their mouths, which are in the hands of a charioteer. A passenger is sitting at the back of the chariot. Ideally, the passenger should instruct the charioteer, who should then control the reins and steer the horses in proper direction. However here, the passenger has gone to sleep, and so the horses are holding the sway.

In this analogy, the chariot is the body, the horses are the five senses, the reins in the mouth of the horses is the mind, the charioteer is the intellect, and the passenger seated behind is the soul residing in the body. The senses ( horses) desire pleasurable things. The mind (reins) is not exercising restraint on the senses (horses). The intellect (charioteer) submits to the pull of the reins (mind). The senses decide the direction where the chariot will go. The soul experiences the pleasures of the senses vicariously, but they give it no satisfaction. Seated in this chariot, the soul (passenger) is moving around in this material world since eternity.

In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj comments on mind pulled in conflicting directions by compelling desires.

He says, truly mighty is the One who dares to wake up from his  slumber of ignorance and decides to take a proactive role in the journey to become desireless.

Beware of this mind he says, for the mind is full of surprises. The history is replete with examples where even the most sagacious fell prey to the fickleness of the mind."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरूचरणार्पणमस्तु II