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The Svetaswara Upanisad Chapter 1, Verse 4 goes like this

"We perceive Him as a wheel with one axis, three tiers, sixteen ends, fifty spokes, twenty counter spokes, the six sets of eight, whose one rope is manifold, which has three different paths of salvation and whose delusion arises out of two sets of actions."

Are there any cross-references? This seems to be after we invented Wheel with mechanized spokes...Any Vedic bikers :-) around Ay?

Gopal Anantharaman
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    Sir what made you think that the wheels with mechanical spokes were included later on? For example even 'so-called' earliest of Rigved mentions chariots to be made of Palash. I don't think chariots had wings over that time instead of wheels :) – Chamunda das Aug 11 '22 at 11:56
  • Yes. Looks like the spoked wheel was invented (1000 BCE) way before Svetawara Upanishad ( 5-6 Century BCE). I was checking if there were any references elsewhere to exactly this verse. I have removed the comment about later addition – Gopal Anantharaman Aug 11 '22 at 22:35
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    There is a difference between talking about machines vs using a mechanism for an analogy. If you take the very next verse it talks about water and rivers which is again an analogy. Do have to remember that Upanishads are dialogs between a master explaining to a student. Here is one such link that sheds some light https://www.hinduwebsite.com/brahmawheel.asp – Sanatana Dhara Aug 12 '22 at 01:09
  • Wheel analogies are pretty common to demonstrate phenomenon or ideology in indian philosophy, it is present in Vedic, Buddhist and Jaina philosophic systems. – Bingming Dec 29 '22 at 07:01

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