SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 4

(1) Maitreya said: 'The great Lord, thus giving instruction, by the sons of Barhishat being worshiped, vanished from there before the princes their eyes. (2) At that water did all of the Pracetâs, executing austerities, recite the prayer sung by Lord S'iva, for a ten thousand years. (3) O Vidura, King Prâcînabarhi, with a mind of attachment to fruitive activities, received [meanwhile] instruction from a compassionate Nârada well versed in the spiritual truth: (4) 'O King, what is for the soul that ultimate blessing you expect from acting for an outcome? That benediction of the disappearance of all distress and the attainment of happiness, you can never get in this connection.'

(5) The king replied: 'I do not know, o great transcendental soul, my intelligence is occupied by my desiring the fruits, please tell me of the spotless spiritual knowledge that will relieve me of my workload. (6) In the superficial duties of the family life with sons, a wife and wealth is the goal of life not considered to be that of transcendence, and thus one comes to realize that one is a fool wandering around on all paths of material existence.'

(7) Nârada said: 'Wait a minute, o ruler of the citizens, o King, please think of the whole lot of the thousands of animals that you without pity have killed in the sacrifices. (8) They are all, remembering the harm you did to them, waiting for you boiling with anger to pierce you with horns of iron after you've died. (9) To this I will relate to you the very old story of Purañjana ['he who is after the city that is the body']; just try to understand this character as I am speaking. (10) Once there was a king of great renown named Purañjana, o Ruler, who had a friend called Avijñâta ['the unknown one'] of whom nobody knew what he did. (11) He restlessly traveled the planet all over to become his own man, but when he could never find himself that way, he got morose. (12) Nobody on this earth thought anything good of him, wherever that king stayed or whatever he desired to enjoy for his purpose. (13) When he was once south of the Himalayas he spotted on its ridges a city with nine gates [compare B.G. 5:13] that offered him all facility. (14) Surrounded by walls it, being packed with houses, had towers, gates, parks, canals, windows and domes made of gold and silver. (15) The floors of the palaces were bedecked with sapphires, crystal, diamonds, pearls, emeralds and rubies and were in their beauty as lustrous as the celestial town called Bhogavatî. (16) There were assembly houses, squares and streets with gambling houses, shops and places to repose, that were decorated with flags and festoons and hanging gardens. (17) The outskirts of that town had very nice trees with creepers and a lake, vibrating with the sounds of chirping birds and colonies of humming bees. (18) From the cold waterfall of a mountain stream received the treasury of trees on the bank of the lotus-filled lake a springtime mist of water on their branches. (19) The different groups of forest animals were as tame as the wisest sages and all its cooing of cuckoos would make any passenger feel invited. (20) As he arrived there, he all of a sudden saw a very beautiful woman surrounded by ten servants who each led a hundred of them, coming towards him. (21) She was at all sides protected by a guarding five-hooded snake and being not old at all arousing a man's desire, she appeared to be looking for a husband. (22) With a beautiful nose and beautiful teeth had the young woman a nice forehead and, equally arranged to her beautiful face, beautiful ears with dazzling earrings. (23) She wore a yellow garment and had a beautiful waist with a dark skin, a golden belt and at her feet anklebells tinkling as she walked; she appeared just like a denizen of heaven. (24) With the end of her sârî she, timidly, tried to cover her youthful, equally round and full breasts, pacing as graceful as an elephant. (25) Pierced by the sex-appeal of the arrows of her looks, the exciting love of her eyebrows and the great beauty of her coy smiles, addressed the hero her very gently.

(26) 'Who are you, you with your beautiful lotus petals of eyes; are you from near this city, o chaste one - please be so kind to tell me what you are after, o timid girl. (27) Who are all these followers, the eleven of your guards and all these women, o beautiful eyes and who is this snake of yours preparing your way? (28) In your shyness you are as the wife of S'iva [Umâ] or rather Sarasvatî [of Brahmâ] or even better the goddess of Fortune [Lakshmî belonging to Vishnu]. Where is the lotus flower that must have fallen from the palm of your hand looking after your husband, alone in this forest, on those feet from which one achieves all things that one desires? (29) And if you are none of these, o fortunate one, as your feet are touching the ground, then you, who art so much alike the transcendental goddess with the enjoyer of the sacrifices, deserve to walk for the better of this city along with this great hero, who is of the greatest glory in this world! (30) By your shy looks, affectionate smiles and bewildering eyebrows you have upset me, raising the most powerful Cupid in me; be therefore of mercy unto me, my dearest beauty. (31) Your face, with such nice eyebrows and warm eyes, surrounded by the locks of your bluish hair hanging loose, you in your shyness haven't even lifted to grant me the vision of your look and speech in the sweetest words, o woman of the lovely smile.'

(32) Nârada said: 'O hero, the woman by the impatient begging of Purañjana being attracted smiled and addressed the staunch one: (33) 'I don't know for sure who put me on this world, o best among men, nor do I know the lineage and name of the others. (34) What I know is that all of us souls are there today, that is all, o great hero, I do not even know who created this city where all beings have their residence. (35) All these males and females with me are my boy- and girlfriends, o respectable one and the snake, there to protect this city, wakes over me when I am asleep. (36) Fortunately for me, all good to you, you have come here - all of us, I and my friends, o killer of the enemy, will supply you the joy for your senses that you desire. (37) Just be so good to stay in this city with the nine gates, o mighty one, that I have arranged for your taking pleasure in things for a hundred years. (38) Who else but you would I allow to enjoy! Without the certainty of your wisdom about it and your knowledge, it would be as foolish as with animals that don't see what's next, to aspire a life hereafter. (39) Here with religious ritual, economic development and regulated pleasures one can enjoy having offspring, the nectar of the sacrifices, repute and a world without lamentation and disease beyond the ken of the transcendentalists. (40) The forefathers, the gods, man in general, all living beings and each person for himself are sure to defend that this householder life is that which is the blessed shelter in the material world. (41) Who indeed, my great hero, would not accept such a magnanimous, beautiful and famous husband that is as readily available as I am? (42) Which woman's mind in this world would not be drawn to your agile body with its strong arms, o mighty one, just traveling around to dissipate with your utmost effort and alluring smiles the distress of poor women like me?'

(43) Nârada continued: 'Thus having fallen in love with one another, they as husband and wife entered that place and lived in the city to enjoy, o King, their life for a hundred years. (44) When it was too hot entered he surrounded by women the river to play, and the singers at different places sang nicely about it. (45) At the city there were seven gates above the ground and two below that lead to different places and were all used by its governor. (46) Five of the doors faced the east, one was at the south, one to the north and similarly two where at the western side; I will now describe their names to you, o King. (47) Two gates facing eastward were named Khadyotâ ['glowworm'] and Âvirmukhî ['torchlight']; they were constructed at the same place and the king used to go through them to the city of Vibhrâjita ['to see clearly'] with his friend Dyumân ['of the sun']. (48) Also constructed at a location at the east there were the gates called Nalinî and Nâlinî [mystical names for the nostrils] and by those gates he used to go with his friend named Avadhûta ['the one who got rid'] to a place called Saurabha ['aroma']. (49) The fifth gate on the eastern side called Mukhyâ ['the chief'] led the king of the city, accompanied by Rasajña ['the taster'] and Vipana ['the commercial one'], to two places called Bahûdana ['many a gift'] and Âpana ['the market']. (50) Through the city gate named Pitrihû ['the ancestral one'] at the south, o King, did Purañjana visit the southern country side named Dakshina-pañcâla ['the southern fivefold'], together with his friend S'rutadhara ['the listener'].

(51) The city gate called Devahû ['the one to God'] in the north did Purañjana use to visit with S'rutadhara the northern countryside Uttara-pañcâla ['the northern fivefold']. (52) The gate on the western side called Âsurî ['the one void of light'] was used by Purañjana to go to the city of pleasure called Grâmaka ['a great number'] in the company of Durmada ['the one mad after']. (53) The western gate called Nirriti ['the bottom, dissolution'] was used by Purañjana to go to the place called Vais'asa ['without the sleeping'] accompanied by his friend Lubdhaka ['the covetous one']. (54) Of all who had eyes among the inhabitants was the ruler used to go out and do things with two blind men called Nirvâk ['the speechless one'] and Pes'askrit ['he who crushes']. (55) When he, as he was used to, went to his private residence, he did so accompanied by Vishûcîna ['the one of the mind'] and then enjoyed from the love of his wife and children either illusion, satisfaction or happiness. (56) Thus overly attached in his fruitive actions was he, lusty and less intelligent, cheated in answering to whatever she, the queen, wanted him to do. (57-61) When she drank liquor, he drank and got drunk. When she ate, he ate, chewing what she chewed with her. When his wife sang he used to sing and when she at times broke down, he also broke. When she had to laugh he laughed also, when she talked chit chat, he prattled after her. Where she went for a walk, he followed her the same way and when she laid herself on her bed, he also used to lie down following her. He also had the habit of sitting down when she sat and at times listened to what she was listening to. When she saw something he looked for the same and when she smelled something, he used to smell it too. When she touched, he touched and when she was lamenting followed he her equally wretched. He enjoyed it when she was enjoying and when she was satisfied, so was he after her. (62) Thus captivated by the queen he was cheated in all he did and was he, unwise in his blindly following in her fooitsteps, as weak as a pet animal.

Maitreya said: 'The great Lord, thus giving instruction, by the sons of Barhishat being worshiped, vanished from there before the princes their eyes.

The great sage Maitreya continued speaking to Vidura: My dear Vidura, in this way Lord S'iva instructed the sons of King Barhishat. The sons of the King also worshiped Lord S'iva with great devotion and respect. Finally, Lord S'iva became invisible to the princes. (Vedabase)

Text 2 :

At that water did all of the Pracetâs, executing austerities, recite the prayer sung by Lord S'iva, for a ten thousand years.

All the Pracetâ princes simply stood in the water for ten thousand years and recited the prayers given to them by Lord S'iva. (Vedabase)

Text 3:

O Vidura, King Prâcînabarhi, with a mind of attachment to fruitive activities, received [meanwhile] instruction from a compassionate Nârada well versed in the spiritual truth:

While the princes were undergoing severe austerities in the water, their father was performing different types of fruitive activities. At this time the great saint Nârada, master and teacher of all spiritual life, became very compassionate upon the King and decided to instruct him about spiritual life. (Vedabase)

Text 4:

'O King, what is for the soul that ultimate blessing you expect from acting for an outcome? That benediction of the disappearance of all distress and the attainment of happiness, you can never get in this connection.'

Nârada Muni asked King Prâcînabarhishat: My dear King, what do you desire to achieve by performing these 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 fruitive activity. (Vedabase)

Text 5:

The king replied: 'I do not know, o great transcendental soul, my intelligence is occupied by my desiring the fruits, please tell me of the spotless spiritual knowledge that will relieve me of my workload.

The King replied: O great soul, Nârada, my intelligence is entangled in fruitive activities; therefore I do not know the ultimate goal of life. Kindly instruct me in pure knowledge so that I can get out of the entanglement of fruitive activities.. (Vedabase)

Text 6:

In the superficial duties of the family life with sons, a wife and wealth is the goal of life not considered to be that of transcendence, and thus one comes to realize that one is a fool wandering around on all paths of material existence.'

Those who are interested only in a so-called beautiful life--namely remaining as a householder entangled by sons and a wife and searching after wealth--think that such things are life's ultimate goal. Such people simply wander in different types of bodies throughout this material existence without finding out the ultimate goal of life. (Vedabase)

Text 7:

Nârada said: 'Wait a minute, o ruler of the citizens, o King, please think of the whole lot of the thousands of animals that you without pity have killed in the sacrifices.

The great saint Nârada said: O ruler of the citizens, my dear King, please see in the sky those animals which you have sacrificed without compassion and without mercy in the sacrificial arena. (Vedabase)

Text 8:

They are all, remembering the harm you did to them, waiting for you boiling with anger to pierce you with horns of iron after you've died.

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. (Vedabase)

Text 9:

To this I will relate to you the very old story of Purañjana ['he who is after the city that is the body']; just try to understand this character as I am speaking.

In this connection I wish to narrate an old history connected with the character of a king called Purañjana. Please try to hear me with great attention. (Vedabase)

Text 10:

Once there was a king of great renown named Purañjana, o Ruler, who had a friend called Avijñâta ['the unknown one'] of whom nobody knew what he did.

My dear King, once in the past lived a king named Purañjana, who was celebrated for his great activities. He had a friend named Avijñâta ["the unknown one"]. No one could understand the activities of Avijñâta. (Vedabase)

Text 11:

He restlessly traveled the planet all over to become his own man, but when he could never find himself that way, he got morose.

King Purañjana began to search for a suitable place to live, and thus he traveled all over the world. Even after a great deal of traveling, he could not find a place just to his liking. Finally he became morose and disappointed. (Vedabase)

Text 12:

Nobody on this earth thought anything good of him, wherever that king stayed or whatever he desired to enjoy for his purpose.

King Purañjana had unlimited desires for sense enjoyment; consequently he traveled all over the world to find a place where all his desires could be fulfilled. Unfortunately he found a feeling of insufficiency everywhere. (Vedabase)

Text 13

When he was once south of the Himalayas he spotted on its ridges a city with nine gates [compare B.G. 5:13] that offered him all facility.

Once, while wandering in this way, he saw on the southern side of the Himalayas, in a place named Bhârata-varsha [India], a city that had nine gates all about and was characterized by all auspicious facilities. (Vedabase)

Text 14:

Surrounded by walls it, being packed with houses, had towers, gates, parks, canals, windows and domes made of gold and silver.

That city was surrounded by walls and parks, and within it were towers, canals, windows and outlets. The houses there were decorated with domes made of gold, silver and iron. (Vedabase)

Text 15:

The floors of the palaces were bedecked with sapphires, crystal, diamonds, pearls, emeralds and rubies and were in their beauty as lustrous as the celestial town called Bhogavatî.

The floors of the houses in that city were made of sapphire, crystal, diamonds, pearls, emeralds and rubies. Because of the luster of the houses in the capital, the city was compared to the celestial town named Bhogavatî. (Vedabase)

Text 16:

There were assembly houses, squares and streets with gambling houses, shops and places to repose, that were decorated with flags and festoons and hanging gardens.

In that city there were many assembly houses, street crossings, streets, restaurants, gambling houses, markets, resting places, flags, festoons and beautiful parks. All these surrounded the city. (Vedabase)

Text 17:

The outskirts of that town had very nice trees with creepers and a lake, vibrating with the sounds of chirping birds and colonies of humming bees.

On the outskirts of that city were many beautiful trees and creepers encircling a nice lake. Also surrounding that lake were many groups of birds and bees that were always chanting and humming. (Vedabase)

Text 18:

From the cold waterfall of a mountain stream received the treasury of trees on the bank of the lotus-filled lake a springtime mist of water on their branches.

The branches of the trees standing on the bank of the lake received particles of water carried by the spring air from the falls coming down from the icy mountain. (Vedabase)