॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Sunday, 20 November 2022 IV.27 - Puranjana's worldly existence continues while Destiny's forces close in on him and his world of pleasure.
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Puranjana is not a historical person or a "real" Puranic character. Sage Narada is spinning this tale as an allegory for teaching King Prachinabarhi what is the wrong way and what is the right way to live. But like any fictional movie packaged as history, it holds wonderful moments of Rasa and deep metaphors!
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Conceding to her husband's pressing demand, his queen washed up, dressed up, and gave him a great time in bed.
The tragedy was that Purnjana was in a vice-like grip of his wife, his pleasure world, and lost all sense of the hereafter, just as Destiny was busy making her moves.
शयान उन्नद्धमदो महामना महार्हतल्पे महिषीभुजोपधि: ।
तामेव वीरो मनुते परं यतस्तमोऽभिभूतो न निजं परं च यत् ॥
T: Thus deluded, Puranjana, otherwise quite mature, always spent his days and nights in his wife's physical company, mostly in bed, considering her to be his ultimate life and soul. Overpowered by Tamas or mental darkness, he had no idea of the truth of this world's impermanence and delusion, nor any idea about the true goal of liberation.
Narada says that Puranjana had whatever he wanted - a wonderful life with his queen. They produced a very large number of children - princes and princesses, who were good and settled well to multiply enormously his lineage.
तेषु तद्रिक्थहारेषु गृहकोशानुजीविषु । निरूढेन ममत्वेन विषयेष्वन्वबध्यत ॥
T: While all his progeny was happy living off his wealth and emptying the treasury, Puran Jana, being engrossed in the world, and most attached to his wife and children, was busy in his pleasure activities and unconscious of what was going to come.
Sage Narada says that King Puranjana did not default in performing Yajnas. In fact, he also did them grandly, sacrificing a very large number of animals mercilessly.
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Meanwhile, something else was developing. There was a Gandharva king by the name of Chandavega (literally means whirlwind speed). He had 360 soldiers (metaphor for the days and nights of a year). Chandavega's soldiers, men and women, always plundered everything (just like Time robs us when we are not looking).
When these soldiers attacked Puranjana's city, the only one ready to fight them was the old five-hooded serpent defender! The city folk were clueless, and the serpent grew tired and was about to give up against these marauders.
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Switching tracks, Narada now speaks of the daughter of Time as Jaraa (literally means old age).
Jaraa could not find a husband as everyone ignored her or avoided her as bad luck.
Narada says that, once, Jaraa accosted him in heaven and insistently proposed that they get married. Narada was at his wit's end but managed to convince her that he was a Naishthika Brahmachari (avowed lifelong celibate) and marrying him was a meaningless idea for her. Jaraa was livid and cursed Narada that he would henceforth never be able to stay at any place for long. That made him the proverbial travelling sage.
Jaraa then went to the king of Yavanas ( This term is applied to people from the west, red skinned, perhaps referring to people of West Asia and Greeks etc. They are generally described as not nice people even in Srimad Ramayanam). The king's name was Bhaya (Fear).
Bhaya listened to Jaraa, also known as Kalakanya (daughter of Time), but politely suggested that she should marry his brother, Prajvaara (debility, disease).
"Dear Jaraa, I now accept you as my sister. I shall employ my brother Prajvaara and you, as well as my dangerous soldiers, to impact the entire world. "
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
