Attack by Caṇḍavega on the City of King Purañjana; the Character of Kālakanyā

The Twenty-seventh Chapter describes how Purañjana, endowed with proper intelligence performed pious acts, but became afflicted by old age and disease, which is described through another story.

The dharmic jīva, encountering some obstacles, becomes contaminated internally by various sins. He then regains his intelligence and performs charity, vows, and atonements. However, because the contamination does not leave his mind, he becomes torn apart by constant regret. By good fortune he attains his proper intelligence. This has been described. This chapter describes his household life with proper conduct and intelligence rules by dharma as previously. He was controlled completely (sadhryak) by her affectionate actions (vibhramaiḥ). Giving up the inclination for sinful life, the jīva becomes attached to dharmic intelligence as before.

Seeing the happiness of his dharmic intelligence, and freed from contaminations in his mind, he felt himself successful.

He was attracted by her private, pleasing words (animantraiḥ). He lost his intelligence for crossing saṁsāra because of mantras concerning dharma and karma. He was not aware of the force of time because he had no detachment. He was not aware that day had passed and night had arrived.

He made a pillow his wife’s arms. In another version, bhujopadhi becomes a modifier of śayānaḥ. Because of sex life he thought she was the ultimate. He thought that association with his wife was the goal of life. Another version has amanuta instead of manute. He did not consider himself or anyone else, because he was defeated by ignorance. The spiritual meaning is that because of association with dharma represented by his wife, he became attached to dharma, and that became his goal of life, rather than liberation, because he did not know himself as jīva and did not know the Lord. He became engrossed in dharma (unnada-madaḥ) and thought of performing charities (mahā-manāḥ). He slept on a valuable bed: he was engrossed in pious acts. He made a pillow (upadhi) of his wife’s arms: he was covered (upādhi) by ignorance.

Virāṭ is the king or the jīva. He passed fifty years in sex life and material enjoyment.

He had daughters like shame, enthusiasm and thoughtfulness. The number of sons was more, because it is considered proper in household life to have more sons. The daughters had good qualities because of their previous pious acts. Because they were his daughters, they were called paurañjanyaḥ.

The wives were consideration, determination etc. The grooms were humility, affection etc.

The sons of the sons were pious acts etc. Pañcāla refers to the sense objects such as sound.

He became attached to sons such as discrimination, who stole his treasure of pride, to his life airs (gṛha anujīviṣu) and his strength of mind and senses (koṣa anujīviṣu).

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There is only one meaning here. I am telling a story about you. I have hidden the meaning only to make an example of you.

He was inattentive to things beneficial for him, like bhakti and detachment. Kālaḥ means old age. It is disliked by the women, since it is unfavorable for enjoyment.

O King! Caṇòavega, King of the Gandharvas and his 360 powerful Gandharva soldiers, paired with female Gandharvas, some of whom were white and some of whom were black, circled the city built to fulfill all desires and plundered it.

Caṇòavega (moving strongly), which is the year, was the leader of the Gandharvas. The Gandharvas are days. The women Gandharvas are the nights. They were paired with the days. The white ones were the waxing phase of the moon, and the black one were the waning phase of the moon. They circled around the city and plundered it. This indicates that from birth, every day the life span is stolen by time.

When they began to plunder the body which had surpassed fifty years, the watchman, the life air, defended it. “Do not loot this city while I am here!” he said with pride. Even if one reaches fifty years, for two or three years the strength does not decrease.

The battle between the Gandharvas and the guard actually began from birth. For 720 days and nights each year, they fought. The lifespan is one hundred years.

For fifty-three years, the watchman could not be defeated. After that, however, gradually he was defeated. Purañjana became unhappy on seeing that his life air, his relative, was growing weak.

He enjoyed insignificant pleasures (madhu-bhuk) along with the senses (sva-pārṣadaiḥ).

The entrance of old age is described through a story. O Barhiṣman! No one wanted (pratyanandata) her.

Since she was accepted by the son of Yayāti, Puru, she gave him a boon. Yayātī, satisfied with the son for accepting his old age, gave him the kingdom. That is the meaning when it is said in this verse that old age gave him a benediction.

She thought Nārada was an earthling when he came to the earth. She did not at all reject him even though he was a life-long celibate, or sannyāsī, having great powers.

Angry with me for refusing, she cursed me. Actually, because I do not have any prārabdha-karmas in my body, and thus am devoid of the six afflictions of lamentation, illusion, old age, death, hunger and thirst, she cannot affect me. By refusing her request, I am able to travel everywhere to deliver people as a result of her curse, which became a form of mercy.

Nārada, showing mercy instructed, “People’s fear should be weakened by the influence of old age.”

Fear was the king of the Yavanas, who represents mental and physical diseases. There is a second meaning to the last phrase. The vow of the devotees is never destroyed (riṣyati). The devotee Nārada made a vow that peoples’ fear should become lessened. So let that not be otherwise. Therefore, become my husband so I can enjoy you. Bhūta can mean the devotee of the Lord for it is said:

janasya kṛṣṇād vimukhasya daivād

adharma-śīlasya suduḥkhitasya

anugrahāyeha caranti nūnaṁ

bhūtāni bhavyāni janārdanasya

In order to give mercy to the suffering people engaged in sin, under the control of karma, who are ignorant of Kṛṣṇa, the auspicious devotees of the Lord move in this world. SB 3.5.3

The devotees lament two types of ignorant people. The ignorant person does not give things that should be given according to scripture and common understanding and does not receive things to be received. I, an unmarried girl, have come suddenly to your house. You, as a householder, should accept me. Or, Nārada, being merciful to the people, desired that people’s fear should decrease. That wish is according to common understanding and scripture. Therefore accept me.

Paursaḥ means “accomplished by a man.” Even if you show strength, you cannot say “I will not accept old age” because, equipped with Nārada’s vow, I will destroy you. Internally saying this, externally she then spoke with crooked, joking words.

He desired to put the wheel of saṁsāra into motion. This is the secret of the Lord (deva-guhyam). By smiling, he indicated that he could not refuse her words.

I have decided on a husband to enjoy you. The people of the earth planet (ayam lokaḥ) do not want you. Ātma-samādhinā means “by thoughts in the mind.”

Everyone will ask “Where has she come from?” Your movement is invisible. Acting in this way, you will attack the people and by force, the world will be your husband. This is the meaning. If you fear that the people will kill you, since you are so undesirable, you will be assisted by my troops. With them, be victorious! After enjoying the people, you will destroy them. Who will have the power to kill you?

Prajvāra means the Visnujvāra, since it includes the destructive nature of Śiva as well. I do not have a sister, so you become my sister. “But Nārada’s words should not become false. Please be my husband.” This will also be true. You are my sister, since we were both born in the family of Adharma, and you will also be my wife.1 I am your brother and your husband. Thus, Nārada’s words will be true. If I go near the devotees of the Lord, however, having enjoyed me exceedingly, destroy me. And just as you did not make Nārada your husband, do not make the devotee of the Lord your husband. Therefore, I have said, “Enjoy invisibly the people made of karma.” Since the devotees are not made of karma, they do not become your husbands. I am your husband among all people (since they all have fear). Thus, Nārada’s words are made true.

Thus ends the commentary on the Twenty-seventh Chapter of the Fourth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.