822
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 21]
can stop this process. It is stated in the Vedic literatures,  hariṁ vinā na sṛtiṁ taranti : Without the mercy of the Lord, one cannot stop the cycle of birth and death. In  Bhagavad-gītā  it is stated that only by understanding the transcendental nature of the Lord and His activities, His appearance and disappearance, can one stop the cycle of death and go back to Him. The time factor is divided into many fractions of moments, hours, months, years, periods, seasons, etc. All the divisions in this verse are determined according to the astronomical calculations of Vedic literature. There are six seasons, called  ṛtus , and there is the period of four months called  cātur-māsya . Three periods of four months complete one year. According to Vedic astronomical calculations, there are thirteen months. The thirteenth month is called  adhi-māsa  or  mala-māsa  and is added every third year. The time factor, however, cannot touch the life span of the devotees. In another verse it is stated that when the sun rises and sets it takes away the life of all living entities, but it cannot take away the life of those who engage in devotional service. Time is compared here to a big wheel which has 360 joints, six rims in the shape of seasons and numberless leaves in the shape of moments. It rotates on the eternal existence, Brahman.
TEXT 19
एकः स्वयं सञ्जगतः सिमृक्षया- द्वितीययाऽऽत्मन्नधियोगमायया । मृजस्यदः पासि पुनर्ग्रसिष्यसे यथोर्णनाभिर्भगवन् स्वशक्तिभिः ॥१९॥
ekaḥ svayaṁ sañ jagataḥ siṣṛkṣayā- dvitīyayātmann adhi-yogamāyayā sṛjasy adaḥ pāsi punar grasiṣyase yathorṇa-nābhir bhagavan sva-śaktibhiḥ
ekaḥ —one;  svayaṁ —Yourself;  san —being;  jagataḥ —the universes;  siṣṛkṣayā —with a desire to create;  advitīyayā —without a second;  ātman —in Yourself;  adhi —controlling;  yoga-māyayā —by  yogamāyā ;  sṛjasi —You create;  adaḥ —those universes;  pāsi —You maintain;  punaḥ —again;  grasiṣyase —You will wind up;  yathā —like;  ūrṇa-nābhiḥ —a spider;  bhagavan —O Lord;  sva-śaktibhiḥ —by its own energy.