॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 18 November 2022 IV.25 - Sage Narada begins to tell a fascinating allegorical tale to King Prachinabarhi to teach him the higher truths.
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Trust Srimad Bhagavatam to give us veritable gems of stories full of meaning and allegory. I found this reading of Sage Narada's story of Puranjana to be incomparable in insights. It continues for a few chapters, too!
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My spiritual master, Ishwar Puri-Ji, often tells how human progress is a series of steps cyclical in nature. He says they are Tapo-Raj-Narak. The cycle repeats, and one goes TRNTRNTRNTRN...
Tapo is austerity and contrition. Raj is reaping the rewards of heavenly pleasures. Narak is the fall from that pleasurable state, and suffering, which in turn gives wisdom and regret. So one again goes to Tapo.
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King Prachinabarhi's ten sons, the princes Prachetas, worshipped Lord Shiva for having vouchsafed to them the Rudra Geeta. Then, Lord Shiva, as they were looking on, disappeared. In fact the English word "disappeared" is a poor translation of the Sanskrit word "Antardhana" which means "dissolved within Himself" and hence was no longer materially perceivable.
The Prachetas strictly followed Lord Shiva's teaching and prayed in a status of Tapas for ten thousand years, immersed in the ocean.
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Devarshi Narada, the great sage who illumines the Srimad Bhagavatam time and again, now came, out of great compassion, to take King Prachinabarhi out of his rut of engaging constantly in Yajna Karmas. The idea is simple. Each Karma, especially the one like a Yajna to attain some material rewards, is nothing but another knot in the bondage of existence. Liberation escapes a Karma-Kandi as such a person is called.
Narada asked Prachinabarhi, "My dear King, what do you desire to achieve by performing these Yajnas - fruitive activities? The chief aim of life is to get rid of all miseries and enjoy happiness, but these two things cannot be realized by such reward-seeking activity."
Prachinabarhi replied that this was all he knew to do, and would the sage kindly instruct him in the higher truth?
Sage Narada now pointed sternly at the sky.
नारद उवाच
भो भो: प्रजापते राजन् पशून् पश्य त्वयाध्वरे । संज्ञापिताञ्जीवसङ्घान्निर्घृणेन सहस्रश: ॥
एते त्वां सम्प्रतीक्षन्ते स्मरन्तो वैशसं तव । सम्परेतम् अय:कूटैश्छिन्दन्त्युत्थितमन्यव: ॥
T: Sage Narada said: Oh King, please behold in the sky all those animals that you have sacrificed mercilessly during your Yajnas. All these animals are awaiting your death so that they can avenge the injuries you have inflicted upon them. After you die, they will angrily pierce your body with iron horns."
"In this context, I wish to tell you an old legend about a king called Puranjana. Listen with great attention."
Long ago, there was a famous king, Puranjana. He had a friend Avijnata, who remained unknown and ununderstood by all.
Puranjana wanted the perfect capital for his kingdom. Basically, Puranjana was after pleasure and fun, and wanted to live where he would enjoy life without any restraint. After much searching, he arrived at a magical place on the southern slopes of the Himalayas.
That magical city had nine gates all around and was wonderfully attractive, with towers,mansions, parks and pleasure gardens. Puranjana saw that the city was decorated with precious metals, gems, and ornaments endlessly. It was like the heavenly city of pleasure called Bhogavati, full of all material facilities for living, shopping, enjoying, and so on.
On the fringe of that city, in a lovely garden, Puranjana saw a godly-looking young woman of irresistible beauty. Sage Vyasa paints the picture of a woman so well-endowed that no Miss Universe or Miss World would stand a chance against her. She was coyly walking around, unsuccessfully hiding her amble breasts in her garment, obviously in search of a perfect mate. She was attended upon by several man-servents who in turn were followed by a large contingent of handmaids. There was a five-hooded serpent going in front of her, obviously some kind of protector.
Puranjana was besotted. He could barely hold his amoral excitement as he addressed the woman,
"My dear lotus-eyed, kindly explain to me where you are coming from, who you are, and whose daughter you are. You appear very chaste. What is the purpose of your coming here? What are you trying to do? Please explain all these things to me. My dear lotus-eyed, who are those eleven strong bodyguards with you, and who are those ten specific servants? Who are those women following the ten servants, and who is the snake that is preceding you?"
"You could well be Goddess Lakshmi or Goddess Saraswati, but I think you are only a mortal, seeking the right man. Am I correct?"
"My dear, your coy and sexually enticing look has shattered my defences. Kindly grace me! See me! Take me!"
The young woman replied with a positive reaction.
"Oh King, I don't know who I am, what is my lineage, and how I have come here. I do not even know who arranged all these attendants or this serpent protector, who guards me day and night. But indeed, I accept you, as you are peerless, as my husband!"
"My dear lord, I have just arranged this city of nine gates for you so that you can have all kinds of sense gratification. You may live here for one hundred years, and everything for your pleasure will be supplied.
I accept you readily. How can I expect to unite with anyone else who is neither conversant about sex nor capable of knowing how to enjoy life while living here or after death? Such foolish persons are like animals because they do not know the process of sense pleasures in this life and after death."
" I think the householder has the best chance to enjoy the here and the hereafter. He can pursue his vocation, his wealth-creation, wife, children, everything, and also earn name and fame. He can perform Yajnas and go to higher worlds. What do the so-called spiritualists understand of all these positive aspects of existence?"
"Oh, my dear hero, who in this world will not accept a husband like you? You are so famous, so magnanimous, so beautiful and so easily gotten. Oh, mighty-armed one, which woman in this world will not be attracted by your arms, which are well-developed like mighty serpents? Indeed, you relieve the distress of husbandless women like me with your attractive smile and your unbridled kindness."
Their ready union established Puranjana and his queen in that magical city of nine gates, and they started living wantonly.
Puranjana did not lack any pleasure or comfort in any season. Musicians readily sang his praises. Women were on hand anytime he needed their company. This went on for a hundred years.
Sage Narada now names the nine gates of the city and where they led, for what purpose, and who accompanied the king. It is easy for me to see that these nine gates are the famous "nine gates of the human body", viz. the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, organ of procreation and defecation.
Using flowery descriptions in allegorical form, Sage Narada gives Prachinabarhi a chance to figure out this whole story about the downfall of man given to material pursuits, sense pleasures and reward-seeking Yajnas. (Sorry, I perhaps added a spoiler!)
Sage Narada says Puranjana had two confidants, both blind! He trusted their judgement in all matters.
Soon, Puranjana was a total slave to the queen's moods, whims and fancies. When she would get drunk, he would, too. When she laughed, he would laugh, too. When she cried, he would cry, too.This is also described eloquently by Sage Narada.
विप्रलब्धो महिष्यैवं सर्वप्रकृतिवञ्चित: । नेच्छन्ननुकरोत्यज्ञ: क्लैब्यात्क्रीडामृगो यथा ॥
T: "In this way, King Puranjana was completely subjugated and robbed by his charming wife. This was nothing short of total slavery to this worldly existence. Even if he didn't want this anymore, he had no choice. He was like a miserable pet animal who is nothing but a plaything for his owner."
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
