Unit 19

King Puraïjana
SB Canto 4
Chapters 25-28

SB Canto 4 Chapter 25
The Descriptions of the Characteristics of King Puraïjana Preliminary Self-Study
(Pürva-svädhyäya)

1. Define karma-bandha-phäìsa and küöa-dharma. (5-6)

As long as a person is entangled in fruitive activities, he is bound to accept one body

after another. This is called karma-bandha-phāṅsa, entanglement in fruitive
activities.

Those who are too much attached to family life, which consists of entanglement
with wife, children, wealth and home, are engaged in kūṭa-dharma, pseudo duties.

2. Explain why knowledge and renunciation are called the ultimate goal of life? (7)

Without knowledge, one cannot become detached from material enjoyment, and
without being detached from material enjoyment, one cannot make spiritual
advancement.
3. List the six people implicated in animal slaughter. (8)

The person who gives permission for the killing, the person who kills, the person
who helps, the person who purchases the meat, the person who cooks the flesh and
the person who eats it, all become entangled in the killing.

4. What does puraïjana mean? (9)

The word purañ-jana means “one who enjoys in a body.”

5. Why did Puraïjana remain unsatisfied? (12)

Being part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the living entity is
also seeking complete enjoyment. However, complete enjoyment cannot be
achieved separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In his wanderings in
the different species of life, the living entity may taste some type of enjoyment in
one body or another, but full enjoyment of the senses cannot be obtained in any
material body. Thus Purañjana, the living entity, wanders in different types of
bodies, but everywhere meets frustration in his attempt to enjoy.

6. Describe which animals are victimized by their different senses. (12)

A deer may become absorbed in the musical sounds vibrated by the hunter, but the
result is that it loses its life. Similarly, a fish is very expert in gratifying its tongue,
but when it eats the bait offered by the fisherman, it loses its life. Even the elephant,
who is so strong, is captured and loses its independence while satisfying its genitals
with a female elephant.

7. What is andha-paìgu-nyäya and how can we apply it? (13)

 A blind man can walk but not see, and a lame man cannot walk but can see
Following the logic called andha-paṅgu-nyāya, the blind man may take the lame
man over his shoulder, and as the blind man walks the lame man may give him
directions. Thus, combined they may walk, but individually neither the blind man
nor the lame man can walk successfully.
At the present moment, India may be compared to the lame man and the Western
countries to the blind man.
The blind man of the Western countries and the lame man of India should combine
together in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
The material advancement of the Western countries and the spiritual assets of India
should combine for the elevation of all human society.

8. What are the walls, parks, canals, windows, and three metals compared to? (14)

The body is protected by walls of skin. The hairs on the body are compared to parks,
and the highest parts of the body, like the nose and head, are compared to towers.
The wrinkles and depressions on different parts of the body are compared to
trenches or canals, the eyes are compared to windows, and the eyelids are compared
to protective gates. The three types of metal — gold, silver and iron — represent
the three modes of material nature. Gold represents goodness; silver, passion; and
iron, ignorance.

9. List what these living beings represent:

a) The beautiful woman – Youth / Intelligence
b) Her ten servants - Ten Senses
c) The servants’ wives - Desires
d). A five-hooded snake – Vital Force (20-21)

10. Describe the two ways a living entity can be a hero. (25)
 Then he is a victim of the illusory energy, he works as a great hero in the material
world, as a great leader, politician, businessman, industrialist, etc., and his heroic
activities contribute to the material advancement of civilization. One can also
become a hero by being master of the senses, a gosvāmī. Material activities are false
heroic activities, whereas restraining the senses from material engagement is great
heroism.

11. What is the difference between a demon and a demigod? (29)

To desire to enjoy this material world as a subordinate of the Supreme Personality

of Godhead is godly. The demons, however, want to enjoy this material world
without considering the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the difference
between a demon and a demigod.

12. Why do materialists feel non-gåhastha statuses “worse than animal life?” (38)

The karmīs do not practice brahmacarya, vānaprastha or sannyāsa life, for they are
very much interested in gṛhastha life. In other words, a human being is very much
materially inclined. Indeed, all living entities are materially inclined. They
prefer gṛhastha life because there is a concession for sex. The karmīs think the other
statuses of life are worse than animal life, for animals also have sex whereas
the brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī completely give up sex.

13. Describe pravåtti and nivåtti-märgas. (39)

Pravṛtti-mārga means sense enjoyment, and nivṛtti-mārga means spiritual

advancement.
Pravṛtti-mārga maintains that even though one has the propensity for sense
gratification, he can gratify his senses according to the directions of the Vedic
injunctions.
In the nivṛtti-mārga, however, on the path of transcendental realization, sex is
completely forbidden.
14. Explain why the mouth is described as the most important gate. (49)

The mouth is a very important entrance because one has two functions to conduct
with the mouth. One function is eating, and the other is speaking. Our eating is
done with the friend Rasajña, the tongue, which can taste so many different types of
foods. The tongue is also used for speaking, and it can speak of either material sense
enjoyment or Vedic knowledge.

15. Why is the right ear called Pitåhü and the left ear Devahü? (51)

The right ear, or the ear on the southern side, is called Pitṛhū, which indicates that
it is used for attaining the higher planetary systems known as Pitṛloka, but the left
ear, which is known as Devahū, is utilized for hearing about even higher planetary
systems, such as Maharloka, Tapoloka and Brahmaloka — or yet even higher
planets, situated in the spiritual universe, where one becomes more inclined to be
permanently situated.

16. Who are the “friends” of the different gates of the city? (47-53)

• Two eyes - Dyuman - Sun

• Two Nostrils - Avadhuta – Air
• Mouth - Rasajna - Tongue
• Two Ears - Surtadhara – Hearing
• Genitals - Durmada – Sinful and Madness
• Rectum – Lubdhaka - Greed

Analogies:
4.25.12: A desert requires oceans of water to satisfy it, and if only a drop of water is
supplied, what is its use? Similarly, the living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and is also seeking complete enjoyment. However, complete
enjoyment cannot be achieved separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

4.25.45: The king, or the ruler of the body, who is the living entity, uses all these doors
to enjoy different types of material pleasures. The point of this simile is that the living
entity wants to enjoy different types of material opulences, and to this end nature has
given him various holes in his body that he can utilize for sense enjoyment.
SB Canto 4 Ch.26: King Puraïjana Goes to the Forest to Hunt and Ch.27: Attack by
Candavega on the City of King Puraïjana Preliminary Self-Study (Pürva-svädhyäya)

1. List what the following represent: . (26.1-3)

VCT purport:
He had a bow. This indicates his absorption in being the doer and enjoyer. The five horses are the five knowledge
senses, which travel quickly. There are two shafts on the chariot , ego and possessiveness, and there are two
wheels, sinful and pious acts. It has one axel, pradhäna, and three flags or guëas. It has five supports (bandhuram),
the five life airs.

It has one rein, the mind and one driver, the intelligence. There is one seat, the heart. There are two shafts for
binding the yoke, namely lamentation and illusion. There are five weapons, the activities of the five (knowledge)
senses such as hearing. There are seven protective coverings on the chariot, the seven dhätus. Païca-vikrama
means widespread exploits. Païca can mean widespread as well as five from the root pac. This refers to the actions
of the five action senses. It is covered in gold (haima). The other meaning is the jéva has many material coverings
as one puts on clothing to keep warm in winter (another meaning of haima). The golden armor is the protection of
rajoguna. The inexhaustible quiver means infinite desires. He has eleven commanders. The eleventh commander is
mind. The mind is called the reins because of its desires or impressions, but is called the commander because of its
power to make decisions. He went to a place called Pancaprastha, which means articles containing the five sense
objects. Prasthä means a plateau or plain.

• The chariot - Body

• The three flags - 3 guṇas
• Païca-prastha forest - Objects of the Five Senses
• The five horses - Five Sense Organs
• Two explosive weapons - False Ego; I am this Body, and Everything
belongs to me
• Two chariot wheels – Sinful Life and Religious Life
• Seven coverings – Skin, Muscle, Fat, Blood , Marrow , Bone, Semen
• Revolving axle -
• Rein – Mind (Rope)
• Chariot driver - Parmatma
• Sitting place -
• Two poles -
• Five weapons -
• Five different styles -
• Five obstacles - Find Kinds of Air within the body
 Prana, Apana, Udana, Samana , Vyana
• Gold decorations - Living Entities influenced by the quality of Rajo guna

2. What does Puraïjana’s going hunting symbolize? (26.1-3)

King Purañjana’s going to the forest to kill animals is symbolic of the living
entity’s being driven by the mode of ignorance and thus engaging in different
activities for sense gratification.

3. What marks the beginning of religious life? (26.10)

When a man comes in contact with a saintly person, he becomes aware of the
stringent laws of nature and thus becomes a religious person.
Such persons can come to a sense of understanding things as they are and
abandon the four principles of prohibited activities, namely illicit sex life, meat-
eating, gambling and intoxication. This is the beginning of religious life.

4. What does Puraïjana’s coming home, taking bath, and eating indicate?
(26.11)

King Purañjana’s coming home, taking bath and having an appropriate dinner
indicate that a materialistic person must retire from sinful activities and become
purified by accepting a spiritual master and hearing from him about the values
of life. If one would do this, he would feel completely refreshed, just as one feels
after taking a bath.
One must eat appropriately and not take after food as hogs take after stool. For a
human being there are eatables described in Bhagavad-gītā (17.8) as sāttvika-
āhāra, or food in the mode of goodness. One should not indulge in eating food
in the modes of passion and ignorance.
Must give these things up so that his real consciousness may be awakened. In
this way one may become peaceful and refreshed.

King Purañjana’s returning home is indicative of man’s returning to his original

consciousness, known as Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is
absolutely necessary for one who has committed a lot of sinful activities,
especially killing animals or hunting in the forest.

5. What does the mother represent? (26.15)

The real mātā, or mother, is devotional service to the Lord

6. What is the main quality of a dharma-patné? (26.16)

A woman accepted in marriage by ritualistic ceremony is called dharma-

patnī, which signifies that she is accepted in terms of religious principles.
The word dharma-patnī also refers to a chaste wife.
She can be of great help when one is threatened by the many dangerous situations
of life. Actually, such a wife can become the source of all good intelligence. With
such a good wife, the family’s engagement in the devotional service of the Lord
makes a home a gṛhastha-āśrama, or household dedicated to spiritual cultivation.

7. How do we come back to our good intelligence and Kåñëa consciousness?

(26.19)

When a person regrets his sinful activities, the abandoning of Kṛṣṇa

consciousness and good intelligence, his path of deliverance from the path of
material clutches is opened.
Only by this process can one be delivered from the clutches of nescience or
ignorance in materialistic life.

8. Explain why brähmaëas and Vaiñëavas break neither the laws of the state
nor the laws of nature. (26. 24)

Brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas never transgress the laws of the state or the laws of
nature because they know perfectly well the resultant reactions caused by such
law-breaking.

9. How can sinful life be counteracted? (27.1)

A sinful life can be counteracted by various processes of religion such as yajña,
vrata and dāna — that is, the performance of sacrifices, the taking of a vow for
some religious ritual, and the giving of charity. In this way one may become free
from the reactions of sinful life and at the same time awaken his original Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.

10. Define and elaborate on the word pramadä. (27.3)

A beautiful wife is certainly enlivening to her husband, but at the same time is
the cause of degradation. The word pramadā means “enlivening” as well as
“maddening.” Generally, a householder does not take the passing of days and
nights very seriously.
Day after day the span of one’s life is reduced, and forgetting the duty of human
life, the foolish man simply remains in the company of his wife and enjoys her in
a secluded place.
When a person is too much attracted to his wife and family affairs, he does not
take Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously.
Simply by becoming “dutiful” we do not make any profit in life.

11. What is Cärväka’s philosophy? (27.18)

Cārvāka recommended that man should live very opulently by either begging,
borrowing or stealing. He also maintained that one should not be afraid of death,
the next life, the past life or an impious life because after the body is burnt to
ashes everything is finished. This is the philosophy of those who are too much
materially addicted.

12. Identify what the following personalities represent: (27.16, 26, 30)

• Kälakanyä - Daughter of Time

• Caëòavega - Time
• Caëòavega’s soldiers And Female companions - 360 Days and 360
Nights, Pass away
our span of Life
 • Prajvära - Fever sent by Lord Vishnu
• Yavana-räja - Bhaya or Fear
• Yavana-räja’s soldiers – Non Hygienic Conditions, Illicit Sex, High
degree of Temperature

13. List one benefit of being a naiñöhika-brahmäcäré? (27. 21)

He was consequently an ever-green youth. Old age, jarā, could not attack him.

14. How did Kälakanyä curse Närada Muni? (27. 22)

Because I refused her request, she said that I would not be able to stay in one
place for a long time.

15. What was achieved by Närada’s response to Kälakanyä’s curse? (27. 23)

In one stroke Nārada Muni gave shelter to Kālakanyā and counterattacked the
ordinary karmīs.

16. What is the proper and improper understanding of yavana and mleccha?
(27. 24)

The Sanskrit words yavana and mleccha apply to those who do not follow the
Vedic principles.
One who does not follow all these rules and regulations is called
a yavana or mleccha. One should not mistakenly think that these words refer to
certain classes of men in other countries. There is no question of limitation
according to nationalism. Whether one lives in India or outside of India, he is
called a yavana or mleccha if he does not follow the Vedic principles.
17. List items Çréla Prabhupäda associates with the “Vedic way of civilization.”
(27. 24)

According to the Vedic principles, one should rise early in the morning, take
bath, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, offer maṅgala-ārati to the Deities, study Vedic literature,
take prasāda and engage in dressing and decorating the Deities.

18. Why are all devotees taken to be in Närada Muni’s disciplic succession?
(27. 24)

All devotees are in the disciplic succession stemming from Nārada Muni because
they worship the Deity according to Nārada Muni’s direction, namely
the Nārada-pañcarātra, or the pāñcarātrika-vidhi. A devotee follows the
principles of pāñcarātrika-vidhi as well as bhāgavata-vidhi. Bhāgavata-
vidhi includes preaching work — śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ — the hearing and
chanting of the glories of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The pāñcarātrika-vidhi includes arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-
nivedanam.

19. Describe the effect of old age on a devotee. (27. 24)

Because a devotee rigidly follows the instructions of Nārada Muni, he has no fear
of old age, disease or death. Apparently, a devotee may grow old, but he is not
subjected to the symptoms of defeat experienced by a common man in old age.
Consequently, old age does not make a devotee fearful of death, as a common
man is fearful of death. When jarā, or old age, takes shelter of a devotee,
Kālakanyā diminishes the devotee’s fear. A devotee knows that after death he is
going back home, back to Godhead; therefore, he has no fear of death. Thus,
instead of depressing a devotee, advanced age helps him become fearless and thus
happy.

20. How did Yavana-räja seek to utilize Kälakanyä? (27. 28)

Kālakanyā as jarā, the invalidity of old age, can be used to arouse a sense of fear
in people so that they will prepare for the next life by engaging in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
Analogies:
4.26.10: Those who are not in knowledge, who commit violations of the standard laws,
are subject to be punished under criminal laws. Similarly, the laws of nature are very
stringent. If a child touches fire without knowing the effect, he must be burned, even
though he is only a child.
4.27.14: In different types of bodies, the living entity enjoys various senses, and through
creating various types of facilities, he chews the chewed. Whether we squeeze sugar out
of the sugarcane with our teeth or a machine, the result is the same—sugarcane juice.
We may discover many ways to squeeze the juice out of the sugarcane, but the result is
the same.

SB Canto 4 Chapter 28 Puraïjana Becomes a Woman in the Next Life Preliminary

Self-Study (Pürva-svädhyäya)

1. How does Çréla Prabhupäda define kåpaëa? (7)

A miser is one who gets money but does not spend it properly. This human form
of life is especially meant for understanding Brahman, for becoming
a brāhmaṇa, and if we do not utilize it properly, we remain a kṛpaṇa.
Similarly, when one’s intelligence is spoiled due to sense gratification, he remains
a miser throughout his life.

2. Explain why the living entity does not want to leave his material body. (10)

Due to long association with a particular type of material body and also due to
the grace of Kālakanyā and her māyā, one becomes overly attached to a material
body, although it is the abode of pain.

3. What roles do the subtle and gross bodies play in material enjoyment? (17)

Plans for material enjoyment are made by the subtle body, and the gross body is
the instrument for enjoying these plans. Thus, the gross body can be compared
to the wife, for the wife is the agent for all kinds of sense gratification.

4. Explain why Puraïjana became a well-placed princess in his next life. (28)

King Purañjana gave up his body while remembering his wife.

 When a living entity is accustomed to think of a particular subject matter or
become absorbed in a certain type of thought, he will think of that subject at the
time of death.
Although King Purañjana was overly absorbed in thoughts of his wife and thus
became a woman, he took birth in the family of a king due to his previous pious
activities. The conclusion is that all our activities are taken into consideration
before we are awarded another body.

5. What is the significance of Malayadhvaja and his children? (29, 30)

The name Malayadhvaja signifies a great devotee who stands as firm as Malaya
Hill and, through his propaganda, makes other devotees similarly as firm.
King Malayadhvaja fathered one daughter, who had very black eyes. He also
had seven sons, who later became rulers of that tract of land known as Draviḍa.
Figuratively this means that the daughter of King Malayadhvaja was also
bestowed with devotional service, for her eyes were always fixed on Kṛṣṇa.
The seven sons are the seven processes of devotional service — hearing,
chanting, remembering, offering worship, offering prayers, rendering
transcendental loving service and serving the lotus feet of the Lord.

6. Explain nirjana-bhajana. (33)

This means sitting silently in a solitary place and executing devotional service.
This nirjana-bhajana, which is the silent worship of the Supreme Lord, is not
possible for a neophyte devotee.

7. How did King Malayadhvaja conquer life’s relativities? (37)

Tolerance
Austerity
Bhakti Yoga

8. Explain the two types of Mäyävädé philosophies. (40)

`There are two types of Māyāvādī philosophers: the followers of the Buddhist
philosophy and the followers of the Śaṅkara philosophy. The followers of Buddha
do not recognize that there is anything beyond the body. The followers of
Śaṅkara conclude that there is no separate existence of the Paramātmā, the
 Supersoul; they believe that the individual soul is identical with the Paramātmā
in the ultimate analysis.

9. What is saha-maraëa and why was it outlawed? (50)

It is the long-standing tradition of the Vedic system that a faithful wife dies along
with her husband. This is called saha-maraṇa. In India this system was prevalent
even to the date of British occupation. At that time, however, a wife who did not
wish to die with her husband was sometimes forced to do so by her relatives.
The British government stopped this practice, considering it inhuman.

10. Who is the brähmaëa friend of King Puraïjana? (51)

The appearance of an old friend in the form of a brāhmaṇa is very significant. In His
Paramātmā feature, Kṛṣṇa is the old friend of everyone.
11. How can a person contact the Supersoul? (52)

Consultation with the Supersoul seated within everyone’s heart is possible only
when one is completely free from the contamination of material attachment.
The Paramātmā is always the caitya-guru, the spiritual master within, and He
comes before one externally as the instructor and initiator spiritual master.
Just as one gets a chance to consult with the Paramātmā within his heart, one
also gets a chance to see Him actually situated before him. Then one can take
instructions from the Supersoul directly.

12. Why does the Lord expand Himself? (53)

In order to enjoy bliss more and more, the Supreme Lord expands Himself in
different categories. As mentioned in the Varāha Purāṇa, He expands Himself
in viṣṇu-tattva (the svāṁśa expansion) and in His marginal potency
(the vibhinnāṁśa, or the living entity).
13. What analogy does the brähmaëa use to explain Vaidarbhé's position? (54, 64)
He uses the analogy of two swans representing the individual soul and super soul.
The heart is compared to Manasa Lake where these two swans live.
The individual soul and the Supersoul are both compared to swans (haṁsa)
because they are white, or uncontaminated.
One swan, however, is superior and is the instructor of the other. When the
inferior swan is separated from the other swan, he is attracted to material
enjoyment. This is the cause of his falldown. When he hears the instructions of
the other swan, he understands his real position and is again revived to his
original consciousness.
The individual soul has to understand his position by the grace of the Lord and
the spiritual master because the text of Bhagavad-gītā cannot be understood
simply by academic qualifications.
One has to learn Bhagavad-gītā from a realized soul.
14. Explain the value of stories in the Puräëas similar to the Puraïjana allegory.
(65)

There are many stories in the Purāṇas that are intended to interest ordinary men
in transcendental subjects, but actually these refer to real facts. They are not to
be considered stories without a transcendental purpose. Some of them refer to
real historical facts. One should be interested, however, in the real purport of the
story. Indirect instruction is quickly understandable for a common man.
Factually the path of bhakti-yoga is the path of hearing directly about the
pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ),
but those who are not interested in hearing directly about the activities of the
Lord, or who cannot understand them, can very effectively hear such stories and
fables as this one narrated by Nārada Muni.