॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ अष्टाविंशोऽध्यायः - २८ ॥
|
Discourse XXVIII
Purañjana is reborn as a woman and attains liberation through the teaching of his friend, Avijñāta (Preamble)
|
नारद उवाच ।
सैनिका भयनाम्नो ये बर्हिष्मन् दिष्टकारिणः ।
प्रज्वारकालकन्याभ्यां विचेरुरवनीमिमाम् ॥ १॥
त एकदा तु रभसा पुरञ्जनपुरीं नृप ।
रुरुधुर्भौमभोगाढ्यां जरत्पन्नगपालिताम् ॥ २॥
कालकन्यापि बुभुजे पुरञ्जनपुरं बलात् ।
ययाभिभूतः पुरुषः सद्यो निःसारतामियात् ॥ ३॥
तयोपभुज्यमानां वै यवनाः सर्वतोदिशम् ।
द्वार्भिः प्रविश्य सुभृशं प्रार्दयन् सकलां पुरीम् ॥ ४॥
तस्यां प्रपीड्यमानायामभिमानी पुरञ्जनः ।
अवापोरुविधांस्तापान् कुटुम्बी ममताकुलः ॥ ५॥
|
Nārada continued : Accompanied by Prajwāra and the daughter of Kāla; the hordes of the lord of the Yavanas, Bhaya by name, who were the agents of fate, O Barhiṣman, ranged over this globe. (1)
On a certain day, O king, they besieged with (great) speed the capital of Purañjana, rich in (all) earthly enjoyments and guarded by the old serpent (Prajāgara). (2)
The daughter of Kāla too took possession of the city of Purañjana by force. Overcome by her, any man would become powerless at once. (3)
The Yavanas (the troops of Bhaya) entered the city, which was (thus) being forcibly enjoyed by her, through the (various) entrances on all sides and oppressed the entire population very much. (4)
The city being thus tormented, Purañjana, who loved it as his own self, and who had a large family and was troubled with the feeling of mineness, fell a prey to manifold agonies. (5) (1-5)
|
|
कन्योपगूढो नष्टश्रीः कृपणो विषयात्मकः ।
नष्टप्रज्ञो हृतैश्वर्यो गन्धर्वयवनैर्बलात् ॥ ६॥
विशीर्णां स्वपुरीं वीक्ष्य प्रतिकूलाननादृतान् ।
पुत्रान् पौत्रानुगामात्यान् जायां च गतसौहृदाम् ॥ ७॥
आत्मानं कन्यया ग्रस्तं पञ्चालानरिदूषितान् ।
दुरन्तचिन्तामापन्नो न लेभे तत्प्रतिक्रियाम् ॥ ८॥
कामानभिलषन् दीनो यातयामांश्च कन्यया ।
विगतात्मगतिस्नेहः पुत्रदारांश्च लालयन् ॥ ९॥
गन्धर्वयवनाक्रान्तां कालकन्योपमर्दिताम् ।
हातुं प्रचक्रमे राजा तां पुरीमनिकामतः ॥ १०॥
भयनाम्नोऽग्रजो भ्राता प्रज्वारः प्रत्युपस्थितः ।
ददाह तां पुरीं कृत्स्नां भ्रातुः प्रियचिकीर्षया ॥ ११॥
|
Embraced by that maid (the daughter of Kāla) and divested of (his) glory, Purañjana felt (very) wretched, his mind being engrossed in the pleasures of sense. Nay, forcibly robbed of his power and affluence by the Gandharvas and the Yavanas, he lost his power of discrimination (too). (6)
Seeing his city destroyed, his sons and grandsons, servants and ministers rebellious and disrespectful, his wife cold and indifferent, his body caught in the snares of that maid and the land of Pañcāla overrun by the enemy, he was plunged in anxiety which was hard to overcome, and found no remedy for it. (7-8)
Miserably hankering after the objects of enjoyment, rendered insipid by that maid, and affectionately taking care of his progeny and wife, the king lost his spiritual moorings as well as the affection of his people and reluctantly proceeded to quit that city, which had (now) been taken possession of by the Gandharvas and Yavanas and devastated by the daughter of Kāla. (9-10)
(In the meantime) Prajwāra, the elder brother of the lord of the Yavanas, who bore the name of Bhaya, made his appearance (there) and set fire to the entire city with intent to please his brother. (11) (6-11)
|
|
तस्यां सन्दह्यमानायां सपौरः सपरिच्छदः ।
कौटुम्बिकः कुटुम्बिन्या उपातप्यत सान्वयः ॥ १२॥
यवनोपरुद्धायतनो ग्रस्तायां कालकन्यया ।
पुर्यां प्रज्वारसंसृष्टः पुरपालोऽन्वतप्यत ॥ १३॥
न शेके सोऽवितुं तत्र पुरुकृच्छ्रोरुवेपथुः ।
गन्तुमैच्छत्ततो वृक्षकोटरादिव सानलात् ॥ १४॥
शिथिलावयवो यर्हि गन्धर्वैर्हृतपौरुषः ।
यवनैररिभी राजन्नुपरुद्धो रुरोद ह ॥ १५॥
दुहितॄः पुत्रपौत्रांश्च जामिजामातृपार्षदान् ।
स्वत्वावशिष्टं यत्किञ्चिद्गृहकोशपरिच्छदम् ॥ १६॥
अहं ममेति स्वीकृत्य गृहेषु कुमतिर्गृही ।
दध्यौ प्रमदया दीनो विप्रयोग उपस्थिते ॥ १७॥
लोकान्तरं गतवति मय्यनाथा कुटुम्बिनी ।
वर्तिष्यते कथं त्वेषा बालकाननुशोचती ॥ १८॥
न मय्यनाशिते भुङ्क्ते नास्नाते स्नाति मत्परा ।
मयि रुष्टे सुसन्त्रस्ता भर्त्सिते यतवाग्भयात् ॥ १९॥
प्रबोधयति माविज्ञं व्युषिते शोककर्शिता ।
वर्त्मैतद्गृहमेधीयं वीरसूरपि नेष्यति ॥ २०॥
कथं नु दारका दीना दारकीर्वापरायणाः ।
वर्तिष्यन्ते मयि गते भिन्ननाव इवोदधौ ॥ २१॥
|
When the city was in flames, Purañjana, the head of his family, suffered (untold) agony with the entire city, his own retinue, the mistress of the family and his sons and daughters. (12)
When Prajāgara's own abode was besieged by the Yavanas and the city was occupied by the daughter of Kāla, the said guard of the city felt sorely distressed as he closed with Prajāvāra. (13)
When he was unable to defend the city while on that post and found himself in great straits, he shook violently and sought to fly away therefrom even as a serpent would try to escape from the hollow of a tree on fire. (14)
With his limbs enfeebled, and himself deprived of his manliness by the Gandharvas, he actually wept when intercepted by his enemies, the Yavanas, O king! (15)
Purañjana (the master of his house), whose mind has been perverted by the thoughts of 'I' and 'mine' in respect of his (body and) house etc., felt (very) wretched when the hour of separation from his wife came, and (anxiously) thought of his daughters, sons and grandsons, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law and retainers, house, treasury and (other) belonging, whatever (still) remained his in name only. (16-17)
(He said to himself,) "When I am gone to the other world, how should this widowed mother of the family eke out her existence, lamenting the lot of her children? (18)
(Entirely) depending on me, she would not take her food until I had been fed nor would she bathe until I had taken my bath. (Nay,) she would get awfully frightened when I was angry and would hold her tongue out of fear when scolded by me. (19)
She would admonish me when my judgement failed, and would grow emaciated through grief when I was away from home. (Now) will she be able to follow the way of the householders (when I am no longer with her), even though she is the mother of heroic sons? (Very likely she will not; rather she will try to follow me to the other world by ascending my pyre.) (20)
And how will these helpless sons and daughters, who have no one else to depend upon, survive when I am gone? On the other hand, they will perish like the inmates of a broken vessel in mid ocean." (21) (12-21)
|
|
एवं कृपणया बुद्ध्या शोचन्तमतदर्हणम् ।
ग्रहीतुं कृतधीरेनं भयनामाभ्यपद्यत ॥ २२॥
पशुवद्यवनैरेष नीयमानः स्वकं क्षयम् ।
अन्वद्रवन्ननुपथाः शोचन्तो भृशमातुराः ॥ २३॥
पुरीं विहायोपगत उपरुद्धो भुजङ्गमः ।
यदा तमेवानु पुरी विशीर्णा प्रकृतिं गता ॥ २४॥
विकृष्यमाणः प्रसभं यवनेन बलीयसा ।
नाविन्दत्तमसाऽऽविष्टः सखायं सुहृदं पुरः ॥ २५॥
तं यज्ञपशवोऽनेन संज्ञप्ता येऽदयालुना ।
कुठारैश्चिच्छिदुः क्रुद्धाः स्मरन्तोऽमीवमस्य तत् ॥ २६॥
अनन्तपारे तमसि मग्नो नष्टस्मृतिः समाः ।
शाश्वतीरनुभूयार्तिं प्रमदासङ्गदूषितः ॥ २७॥
तामेव मनसा गृह्णन् बभूव प्रमदोत्तमा ।
अनन्तरं विदर्भस्य राजसिंहस्य वेश्मनि ॥ २८॥
उपयेमे वीर्यपणां वैदर्भीं मलयध्वजः ।
युधि निर्जित्य राजन्यान् पाण्ड्यः परपुरञ्जयः ॥ २९॥
तस्यां स जनयाञ्चक्र आत्मजामसितेक्षणाम् ।
यवीयसः सप्त सुतान् सप्त द्रविडभूभृतः ॥ ३०॥
एकैकस्याभवत्तेषां राजन्नर्बुदमर्बुदम् ।
भोक्ष्यते यद्वंशधरैर्मही मन्वन्तरं परम् ॥ ३१॥
अगस्त्यः प्राग्दुहितरमुपयेमे धृतव्रताम् ।
यस्यां दृढच्युतो जात इध्मवाहात्मजो मुनिः ॥ ३२॥
|
While Purañjana was sorrowing thus with a feeble mind, even though he should not have done so, there came up the lord of the Yavanas, Bhaya by name, bent upon seizing him. (22)
When he was being taken by the Yavanas to their own place, bound as a beast, his attendants (too) followed him, sorrowing in extreme perturbation. (23)
When the serpent (too), that had been held up (till now by the Yavanas) deserted the city and came up (to his master), the city was completely destroyed after him and reduced to the elements. (24)
(Even) while being forcibly dragged by the mighty Yavana, Purañjana failed to remember his old friend and companion (Avijñāta), seized as he was with infatuation. (25)
The sacrificial animals that had been mercilessly slaughtered by him (now) chopped him with axes in anger, remembering that cruelty of his. (26)
Steeped in ignorance, to which there was no limit or end, and having lost his memory, he suffered (untold) agony (in hell) for numberless years, his mind being perverted through attachment to his wife. (27)
Mentally clinging to her alone (even at the last moment), he was then born as a most beautiful girl in the house of the (then) ruler of Vidarbha, a veritable lion among kings. (28)
Malayadhwaja, a ruler of the Pāṇḍya kingdom, who had conquered (all) his enemies' cities, married this princess of Vidarbha, who was offered as the prize of valour, after vanquishing all the other princes in battle. (29)
Through her Malayadhwaja begot a lovely daughter with dark eyes and seven younger sons, who became the seven rulers of the Draviḍa kingdom. (30)
A hundred million sons were born to each one of these latter, by whose descendants the earth will be ruled over for a whole Manvantara and (even) beyond it. (31)
Agastya married the first-born daughter (of Malayadhwaja), constant in virtue; of her was born the sage Dṛḍacyuta, who (in his turn) had a son, Idhmavāha by name. (32) (22-32)
|
|
विभज्य तनयेभ्यः क्ष्मां राजर्षिर्मलयध्वजः ।
आरिराधयिषुः कृष्णं स जगाम कुलाचलम् ॥ ३३॥
हित्वा गृहान् सुतान् भोगान् वैदर्भी मदिरेक्षणा ।
अन्वधावत पाण्ड्येशं ज्योत्स्नेव रजनीकरम् ॥ ३४॥
तत्र चन्द्रवसा नाम ताम्रपर्णी वटोदका ।
तत्पुण्यसलिलैर्नित्यमुभयत्रात्मनो मृजन् ॥ ३५॥
कन्दाष्टिभिर्मूलफलैः पुष्पपर्णैस्तृणोदकैः ।
वर्तमानः शनैर्गात्रकर्शनं तप आस्थितः ॥ ३६॥
शीतोष्णवातवर्षाणि क्षुत्पिपासे प्रियाप्रिये ।
सुखदुःखे इति द्वन्द्वान्यजयत्समदर्शनः ॥ ३७॥
तपसा विद्यया पक्वकषायो नियमैर्यमैः ।
युयुजे ब्रह्मण्यात्मानं विजिताक्षानिलाशयः ॥ ३८॥
आस्ते स्थाणुरिवैकत्र दिव्यं वर्षशतं स्थिरः ।
वासुदेवे भगवति नान्यद्वेदोद्वहन् रतिम् ॥ ३९॥
स व्यापकतयाऽऽत्मानं व्यतिरिक्ततयाऽऽत्मनि ।
विद्वान् स्वप्न इवामर्शसाक्षिणं विरराम ह ॥ ४०॥
साक्षाद्भगवतोक्तेन गुरुणा हरिणा नृप ।
विशुद्धज्ञानदीपेन स्फुरता विश्वतोमुखम् ॥ ४१॥
परे ब्रह्मणि चात्मानं परं ब्रह्म तथाऽऽत्मनि ।
वीक्षमाणो विहायेक्षामस्मादुपरराम ह ॥ ४२॥
|
Having divided the earth among his (seven) sons, that royal sage, Malayadhwaja, betook himself to the Kulācala mountain, eager to worship Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (33)
Abandoning her house, sons and luxuries, the lovely eyed daughter of the king of Vidarbha followed the lord of the Pāṇḍyas, even as moonlight follows the moon. (34)
(Three) rivers, Candravasā, Tāmraparṇī, and Vaṭodakā by name, flow in that region. Cleansing the impurities of both his body and mind with their holy waters everyday, and subsisting on bulbs and seeds, roots and fruits, flowers and leaves, as well as on blades of grass and water, he practised austerities, which gradually emaciated his body. (35-36)
He triumphed over pairs of opposites such as heat and cold, storm and rain, hunger and thirst, the agreeable and the disagreeable, pleasure and pain, viewing all with the same eye. (37)
With his latent desires eradicated through asceticism and worship, and having controlled his senses, breath and mind through the religious vows (of purity—both internal and external, muttering the divine name and sacred texts) etc., and the various forms of self-discipline (viz., non-violence, truthfulness etc.), he united (identified) his self with Brahma (the Infinite). (38)
He sat motionless like a stump at one place for a hundred celestial years. (And) having found (supreme) delight in Lord Vāsudeva, he ceased to be conscious of everything else. (39)
With the light of pure wisdom imparted by the divine Śrī Hari Himself as a preceptor, which shed lustre all round in his heart, O king he perceived the Self, who is the witness even of the activities of the mind, as illuminating the body etc., and (therefore quite) distinct from them—even as a man sees himself apart from his severed head etc., in a dream—and verily grew indifferent to everything else. (40-41)
He realized himself as one with the transcendent Brahma and the transcendent Brahma as identical with himself and (then), giving up even this consciousness, actually rose above (quitted) this world. (42) (33-42)
|
|
पतिं परमधर्मज्ञं वैदर्भी मलयध्वजम् ।
प्रेम्णा पर्यचरद्धित्वा भोगान् सा पतिदेवता ॥ ४३॥
चीरवासा व्रतक्षामा वेणीभूतशिरोरुहा ।
बभावुप पतिं शान्ता शिखा शान्तमिवानलम् ॥ ४४॥
अजानती प्रियतमं यदोपरतमङ्गना ।
सुस्थिरासनमासाद्य यथापूर्वमुपाचरत् ॥ ४५॥
यदा नोपलभेताङ्घ्रावूष्माणं पत्युरर्चती ।
आसीत्संविग्नहृदया यूथभ्रष्टा मृगी यथा ॥ ४६॥
आत्मानं शोचती दीनमबन्धुं विक्लवाश्रुभिः ।
स्तनावासिच्य विपिने सुस्वरं प्ररुरोद सा ॥ ४७॥
उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ राजर्षे इमामुदधिमेखलाम् ।
दस्युभ्यः क्षत्रबन्धुभ्यो बिभ्यतीं पातुमर्हसि ॥ ४८॥
एवं विलपती बाला विपिनेऽनुगता पतिम् ।
पतिता पादयोर्भर्तू रुदत्यश्रूण्यवर्तयत् ॥ ४९॥
चितिं दारुमयीं चित्वा तस्यां पत्युः कलेवरम् ।
आदीप्य चानुमरणे विलपन्ती मनो दधे ॥ ५०॥
तत्र पूर्वतरः कश्चित्सखा ब्राह्मण आत्मवान् ।
सान्त्वयन् वल्गुना साम्ना तामाह रुदतीं प्रभो ॥ ५१॥
|
Renouncing (all) sensuous enjoyments, the aforesaid Vaidarbhi (the daughter of the king of Vidarbha), who looked upon her husband as a veritable god, lovingly waited upon her spouse, Malayadhwaja, who was conscious of his paramount duty (viz., that of propitiating the Lord). (43)
Clad in tatters, and emaciated through fasting and other vows, her hair stuck together in knots, she shone beside her husband like a subdued flame by the side of a flameless fire (live coals). (44)
Going up to her most beloved spouse, who was seated in a steady posture even when he had expired, the lady waited upon him as before, little knowing that he was dead. (45)
When (however) she did not feel any warmth in the feet of her husband while serving them, she was much perturbed at heart like a doe that had strayed away from its herd. (46)
Lamenting her lot as she was now friendless and miserable, she felt greatly alarmed and wept loudly in that forest, bathing her breasts in tears. (47)
"Arise, stand up, O royal sage! Be pleased to protect this earth, girt by the ocean, (terribly) afraid as she is of robbers and renegade Kṣatriyas." (48)
Weeping and wailing thus, that young woman, who had followed her spouse to the forest, fell prostrate at her husband's feet and shed (profuse) tears. (49)
Piling up a pyre of fuel, she laid the body of her husband (thereon) and, setting fire to it, made up her mind (proceeded) to follow him to the other world, weeping (all the time). (50)
That very moment an old friend of hers, a Brāhmaṇa who had mastered his self (appeared there and), soothing her with sweet words of consolation, (thus) addressed the weeping woman, O king. (51) (43-51)
|
ब्राह्मण उवाच ।
का त्वं कस्यासि को वायं शयानो यस्य शोचसि ।
जानासि किं सखायं मां येनाग्रे विचचर्थ ह ॥ ५२॥
अपि स्मरसि चात्मानमविज्ञातसखं सखे ।
हित्वा मां पदमन्विच्छन् भौमभोगरतो गतः ॥ ५३॥
हंसावहं च त्वं चार्य सखायौ मानसायनौ ।
अभूतामन्तरा वौकः सहस्रपरिवत्सरान् ॥ ५४॥
स त्वं विहाय मां बन्धो गतो ग्राम्यमतिर्महीम् ।
विचरन् पदमद्राक्षीः कयाचिन्निर्मितं स्त्रिया ॥ ५५॥
पञ्चारामं नवद्वारमेकपालं त्रिकोष्ठकम् ।
षट्कुलं पञ्चविपणं पञ्चप्रकृति स्त्रीधवम् ॥ ५६॥
पञ्चेन्द्रियार्था आरामा द्वारः प्राणा नव प्रभो ।
तेजोऽबन्नानि कोष्ठानि कुलमिन्द्रियसङ्ग्रहः ॥ ५७॥
विपणस्तु क्रिया शक्तिर्भूतप्रकृतिरव्यया ।
शक्त्यधीशः पुमांस्त्वत्र प्रविष्टो नावबुध्यते ॥ ५८॥
तस्मिंस्त्वं रामया स्पृष्टो रममाणोऽश्रुतस्मृतिः ।
तत्सङ्गादीदृशीं प्राप्तो दशां पापीयसीं प्रभो ॥ ५९॥
|
The Brāhmaṇa said : Who are you and whose daughter may you be? And who is the man lying (on the funeral pile), whose death you mourn? Do you know me, your friend, with whom indeed you moved about of yore? (52)
Can you recall yourself as one who had a companion, Avijñāta by name, O friend, leaving whom you went in search of an abode, addicted as you were to earthly enjoyments? (53)
You and I, O noble one, were swans living on the bosom of the Mānasa lake and remained there for thousands of years without any shelter. (54)
Leaving me, O friend, you came down to the earth with your mind set on carnal pleasures; and in the course of your excursions you saw an abode erected by some woman, with five pleasure-gardens, nine entrances, one porter, three surrounding walls, six families of merchants and five market-places. It was built with five materials and had a woman for its mistress. (55-56)
The objects of the five senses constituted its gardens and the nine appertures locating the Indriyas constituted its nine entrances, O king. Fire, water and earth served as its (three) surrounding walls; the mind and the five senses were its (six) merchant families. (57)
The (five) organs of action constituted its market-place; the (five) elements served as its undecaying materials. Dominated by the intellect, the man who entered this abode ceased to be self-conscious. (58)
Overpowered there by (the wiles of) the woman (the mistress of the dwelling) and enjoying life with her, you forgot your divinity, heard of in the scriptures; and it is through her fellowship that you have been reduced to this most wretched state, O master of your self! (59) (52-59)
|
|
न त्वं विदर्भदुहिता नायं वीरः सुहृत्तव ।
न पतिस्त्वं पुरञ्जन्या रुद्धो नवमुखे यया ॥ ६०॥
माया ह्येषा मया सृष्टा यत्पुमांसं स्त्रियं सतीम् ।
मन्यसे नोभयं यद्वै हंसौ पश्यावयोर्गतिम् ॥ ६१॥
अहं भवान् न चान्यस्त्वं त्वमेवाहं विचक्ष्व भोः ।
न नौ पश्यन्ति कवयश्छिद्रं जातु मनागपि ॥ ६२॥
यथा पुरुष आत्मानमेकमादर्शचक्षुषोः ।
द्विधाभूतमवेक्षेत तथैवान्तरमावयोः ॥ ६३॥
|
You are not the daughter of the king of Vidarbha nor is this hero your husband. Nor are you the spouse of Purañjani by whom you were held captive in the city of nine gates. (60)
It is (nothing but) a piece of illusion created by me, under which you thought yourself (formerly) as a man and (now) regard yourself as a virtuous lady; (really speaking) you are neither. You and I are a pair of swans; (just) realize our true nature (going to be described hereafter). (61)
I am you and you are no other (than me); mark you, you are just the same as I. The wise never perceive the least difference between us. (62)
Just as a man sees himself (his image) differently in a mirror and in the pupil of another's eye, the difference between us two is of the same type. (63) (60-63)
|
|
एवं स मानसो हंसो हंसेन प्रतिबोधितः ।
स्वस्थस्तद्व्यभिचारेण नष्टामाप पुनः स्मृतिम् ॥ ६४॥
बर्हिष्मन्नेतदध्यात्मं पारोक्ष्येण प्रदर्शितम् ।
यत्परोक्षप्रियो देवो भगवान् विश्वभावनः ॥ ६५॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां
चतुर्थस्कन्धे पुरञ्जनोपाख्याने अष्टाविंशोऽध्यायः ॥ २८॥
|
Admonished thus by the fellow-swan, the swan of the Mānasa lake was (once more) established in his own self and regained his self-consciousness, which had been lost due to his having parted company with his friend. (64)
O Prācinabarhi, I have imparted this spiritual truth to you in an indirect manner; for the glorious Lord, the Maker of the universe, loves to remain incognito. (65)
Thus ends the twenty-eighth discourse forming part of the parable of Purañjana, in Book Four of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa -Samhitā. (64-65)
|