Allegory of Chariot

Here is the allegory of the chariot to describe the jivatman, the individual soul enmeshed in the body-mind complex. The body is the chariot. The senses are the horses. The mind is the reins. The intellect is the charioteer. The Self is the master of the chariot. The objects of the senses are the road by which the chariot moves. If the horses are controlled by an expert charioteer, he can take the chariot to the right destination. An inefficient charioteer and restive horses will lead the chariot astray into a ditch and endanger the life of the owner.

Similarly one who can control his senses through a disciplined mind will reach the final goal of his life, viz. liberation. On the other hand, a person of impure mind and uncontrolled senses will end up in samsara or transmigration.

The atman or the Self is also called 'Purusa'(divine being), who is deeply hidden in one's heart, can be seen or realized by a person of refined and subtle mind through concentration. For this, one has to awaken to his reality and approach the great spiritual teachers, to learn from them, because, the path that leads to this atman is extremely difficult to tread.