Text 16
indriyāṇi śarān āhur
ākūtīr asya syandanam
tan-mātrāṇy asyābhivyaktiṁ
mudrayārtha-kriyātmatām
indriyāṇi — the senses; śarān — His arrows; āhuḥ — they say; ākūtīḥ — (the mind with its) active functions; asya — of Him; syandanam — the chariot; tat-mātrāṇi — the objects of perception; asya — His; abhivyaktim — external appearance; mudrayā — by the gestures of His hands (symbolizing the giving of benedictions, the offering of fearlessness, and so on); artha-kriyā-ātmatām — the essence of purposeful activity.
His arrows are said to be the senses, and His chariot is the active, forceful mind. His external appearance is the subtle objects of perception, and the gestures of His hands are the essence of all purposeful activity.
All activity is ultimately aimed at the supreme perfection of life, and this perfection is awarded by the merciful hands of the Lord. The gestures of the Lord remove all fear from the heart of a devotee and elevate him to the Lord’s own association in the spiritual sky.