In this edition, we are publishing another beautiful allegorical story from Srimad Bhagavatham. As the readers may find the allegory difficult to understood, we intend to explain the allegorical sense of each sentence immediately after the sentence. We hope this will help readers to grasp the philosophical content of the story better.

Devarshi Narada told King Pracheena Barhis! O King, you are very much attracted with the worldly Karma Kanda like performing sacrifices etc. What uplift do you expect from these? Real uplift is the attainment of happiness or the end of sorrows & miseries. Karma Kanda does not achieve the above 2 goals. The King requested the Rishi to teach him Brahma Jnana by which he can get detachment from natural instincts and get perfect knowledge. Narada through his Yoga Shakti brought all the animals sacrif iced by the King, before him and advised him "see these harmless animals which you have sacrificed are waiting for you (after your death) to take revenge for your cruelty. They will tear you with their horns. To escape from this predicament I will tell you the story of Puranjana. Please listen carefully & understand".

1. In the olden days, there was a famous King named Puranjana (Symbolism: Puramjana means a person who dwells in a palace i.e. the Jeevatma which is entangled in a body. It gets polluted due to its desire to enjoy through the 5 sense organs)

2. He had a friend whose names & actions are unknown to others (The friend here is the Paramatma or the one & only ultimate God)

3. The King roamed throughout the earth searching for a suitable palace to live in. He became unhappy because he was not satisfied with any palace fit enough to fulfil his desires. (Here palace means body. Earth means Brahmanda. Jeevatma left paramatma and entered several bodies to enjoy worldly desires but remained unsatisfied with his birth in other Yonis & felt that he can fulfil his desires by getting a human body)

4. While he was going through the Southern Valleys of the Himalayas, he found a new well designed palace having 9 entrances. ( The new palace is the human body & the 9 entrances are the 9 outlets )

5. In that palace he found compound walls, gardens, deep trenches, windows, decorations & containing gold, silver, iron domes ( Buildings skin, flesh etc. windows organs, gardens- Mooladhara diplexus i.e. places of rest for Jiva at the time of its journey towards Mukti as per Yoga Sastra, Domes Satva, Rajas & Tamas Gunas )

6. There, he also saw playing & resting places ( harmyas ) made of Neela, Quartz, Vaidoorya marakata, Pearl & Manikya and were as bright as Nagapuri. (Heart is the Harymya stana, colours pertain to Veins of red & blue colours).

7. In that palace he found places like meeting halls, junctions, big ways, play grounds, market, resting places, flag & Flag posts seats made of pearls ( Since jeevatma is deeply entangled with desires (Aaskti ) different part of the body are explained as Gardens etc.

8. There was a garden outside the inner palace where lakes, trees, bushes, bees, butter flies, birds etc were seen and a lady was also there. The garden was containing waterfalls. Air was blowing with fragrance of flowers & mist and the branches of trees & the leaves were lightly shaking with that wind.

9. The lady, who came there by chance had 10 commandos each of them with thousands of soldiers under them ( Symbolism here the lady represents the mind, commanders, the 10 parts of the body and soldiers are the actions done by these Indriyas )

10. The lady was black. She was protected by a snake soldier having 5 heads. She was 16 years old and was capable of taking any form. She had a beautiful face & nose, shining teeth & glowing cheeks and was decorated with ornaments. (Here mind is called a black body as the Vedas interpret mind in that manner.) She was walking like an elephant & was having fully bloomed breasts. She was smiling and peeping at him with the corners of her eyes.

11. Puramjana asked " O beautiful lady, who are you? Whos e daughter you are? Wherefrom you have come here. What do you want to do near this palace? Please tell me, Who are these 10 commanders? Which is this snake? Are you Parvati, Lakshmy or Saraswathy? Just as Lakshmy has decorated the abode of Naryana, Vaikuntha, you are fit to decorate this palace of mine by becoming my wife & staying with me Though courageous, Puramjana entreated to the lady like a coward.

12. The lady said O Great man, I do not know about the creator of you & myself. I dont know about our clan & family details. I know only about my present positions here. Who has built this palace where I stay, I do not know. These ladies are my friends. The snake protects the palace when I am asleep. I am lucky that you have come here. You need worldly pleasures. O my Hero, I shall fulfil your desires through my commanders. O Master, you stay in this palace of 9 entrances for 100 years. You have not kno w n what are sexual enjoyment & even other acceptable enjoyments. You are not thinking of either worldly or heavenly happiness. In Kaliyuga human life is considered as 100 years only. In the householders life, (Grihasthashram) Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha can be achieved along with children, fame & Punyalokas. You cannot enjoy or achieve these without my help. Intellectuals say that only in a householders life one can propitiate his ancestors, Devas, Rishis, fellow human beings & all living objects. How can I reject a person like you?

13. Thus agreeing with each other, the couple entered the palace & lived happily for 100 years.

14. Puramjanas life with his wife in the palace is described below. In that palace there are 7 gates at the top & two below, for the movement of the master. ( 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 noseholes & mouth are the top seven gates while 2 gates in the bottom are the exit ends of urine & nightsoil.)

15. Among these gates Khadyota & Aavirmukhi are at the same spot. Puramjana goes through these gates along with a friend named Dhyuman to a place named Vibhrajitam. (Khadyota left eye with seeing power. Aavirmukhi right eye having more power. Dhyuman light or organ of viewing power Vibhrajitam objects that are viewed )

16. Another 2 gates are called Nalini, which originate from a point Puranjana enters these gates along with his friend Avadhoota & goes to a place of Saurabha ( Nalini Nostrils, Avadhoota smelling organs and Saurabha smell )

17. There was one more gate in the front Puramjana enters through this gate along with 2 friends Vipana & Rasajna & goes to places of Apana & Bahoodana (Apana Food, Bahoodana Anna, Vipana Speaking organ & Rasajna Tasting organ).

18. On the right side of the palace there is a gate called Pitoohu. Puramjana enters through this gate & goes along with his friend Shrutadhara to Southern panchala state (Shrutadhara Organ of ears Pitoohu is right ear since the Pitru Mantras are told in the right ear.)

19. On the left side of the palace there is a gate called Devahoo. Puramjana goes through this gate along with his friend Shrutadhara to Uttara Panchala area (Devahoo is left ear; Uttara Panchala is Nivvrutti Sastra which is to be heard through left ear).

20. Puramjana then goes through the gate of Aasuri which opens downwards with his friend Durmala to a place called Gramaka. (Durmada is sexual organ & gramaka is sexual enjoyment )

21. There is one more gate called Nirruti in the back side of the palace. The King goes through this gate along with Lubdaka to the area of Vaishasa. (Nirruti is the exit Portion of excreta and Lubdaka is the Payu organ. Vaishasa is the act of passing stool.)

22. Puramjana walks with 2 blind citizens viz Nirvak & works with 2 blind citizens i.e. Peshasakrut (Nirvak legs, Peshasakrut hands. Having no openings they are called blind )

23. When the King enters the inside chamber alongwith Vishoochina then be gets desires & happiness with his wife & children. ( Inside - Heart, Vishoochina- Mind, happiness, desires etc are actions due to Sathva, Rajas & Tamo gunas, wife is brain & children are the actions of the organs).

24. The Jeevatma which is dissociated from God (Paramatma) is ignorant, becomes eager to do sexual performances and being sexy obeys whatsoever his wife (wisdom) desires. Atma does not do anything but jeeva does actions and becomes desirous due to influence of wisdom).

25. When ever his wife takes drinks, he also does so, when she cries, he also cries. He also follows her in her laughing & loose talk. When she runs he also does so, when she stands, he also stands. When she lies , he lies & when she sits, he sits when ever she listen or sees something, he also does the same, whenever she smells or touches something he also imitates her in the same lines. He imitates her in her sorrow & happiness. Then leaving the original characteristics he being deceived by his wife, e v en through unwillingly, imitates her like a pet animal. (Jeevatma due to the combination of body, mind & intelligence gets polluted & acts according to their dictates ).

(TO BE CONTINUED...)