Science of Gender change – King Puranjana becomes a princess Vaidarbhi

Here is a story that Narada recites to King Prachinabarhishat about the futility of spending all energy in maintaining ourselves and engaged in sexual activity. If you prefer to watch the history - go here:

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Prachinabarhi, was performing various kinds of fruitive activities (activities that bear fruit - Karma-Kanda-vicara), the great sage Narada became compassionate, and then appeared before him to impart instructions about spiritual life. After being properly received by Prachinabarhishat, Narada inquired,

“My dear King, what do you hope to achieve by performing these fruitive activities? The chief aim of life is to get rid of all miseries and enjoy perfect happiness, but his cannot be attained by such fruitive endeavors.”

The King replied,

“O great soul, Narada, because my intelligence is entangled in fruitive activities, I do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Therefore, kindly instruct me in pure knowledge so that I can get out of the entanglement of household life, wherein one takes wealth and women to be of prime importance.”

Narada then said,

“My dear King, by utilizing my mystic power I will show you the animals that you have mercilessly killed in the sacrificial arena. Look up into the sky and see how they are awaiting your death so that they can gain revenge by piercing your body with their iron horns. Those animals that are sacrificed properly can immediately be promoted to the human form of life, but when there are discrepancies, the performer of the sacrifice becomes liable for such punishment. Now, in order to instruct you, I will relate a very old history about King Puranjana, and so please try to hear me with great attention.”

The story that was then narrated by Narada was actually nothing other than the life of King Prachinabarhishat, told in an allegorical way. The word puranjana literally means, “one who enjoys within a body”.

Once, there lived a king of the Panchala country, named Puranjana, who was very famous because of his heroic activities. He had a friend named Avigyata (the unknown one, the Paramatma), whose activities could not be understood by anyone. With the desire to find a suitable place to live, King Puranjana travelled all over the world, and yet, he still could not find a residence to his liking. Although he had tried to find a place for fulfilling his unlimited desires for sense gratification, he finally became morose and disappointed because he experienced insufficiency everywhere.

Then, once, while wandering, Puranjana came to a place called Bharata-varsha, on the southern side of the Himalayas. There, he saw a city having nine gates and containing all auspicious facilities (a human birth in India). Surrounding the city were walls (skin) and parks (hair), and within were towers (raised parts, such as the head and nose), canals (wrinkles and depressions), and houses whose domes were made of gold, silver and iron (the three modes of material nature). Within the houses, the floors were made of sapphire, crystal, diamonds, pearls, emeralds and rubies (desires for material enjoyment within the heart), and thus the city resembled Bhogavati, the capital of the Nagas (the heart is considered to be the capital of the body). Within the city there were also many nice assembly houses (the heart of the body, where the atma and Paramatma reside), restaurants, market places, resting places, streets (airs blowing within the body), and beautiful parks.

On the outskirts of the city was a nice lake, encircled by many beautiful trees and creepers. The humming of bees and singing of birds combined to make the whole atmosphere very pleasing. (Such lakes and gardens refer to those parts of the body that incite sexual impulses.) The branches of the trees received particles of water that were being carried by the spring air from waterfalls coming down from the icy mountain. (The waterfall represents the sexual mellow, the spring air represents Cupid. When they come in contact, one becomes agitated.)

In such a nice atmosphere, even the forest animals were nonviolent and non-envious, like great sages. (The serene atmosphere is compared to a peaceful family life, and the animals represent the children.) Above all other sounds could be heard the cooing of the cuckoos. (In family life, even the turmoil that is created by the wife and children appear to one just like the cooing of cuckoos.) Anyone who came to this nice park would be invited to take rest by the very pleasing atmosphere.

While wandering here and there in that garden (the body), King Puranjana suddenly saw a very beautiful woman who was walking there, without any particular engagement. (In youth, when the sex impulse is awakened, a man searches after the opposite sex by the use of intelligence, either actively or in his imagination.) She was accompanied by ten servants (five knowledge acquiring and five working senses), and each of them was followed by hundreds of wives (desires of the senses).

The beautiful young woman was being protected on all sides by a five-hooded snake. (The vital force, which includes five kinds of air, is likened to a bodyguard, for without it, one could not live for a moment.) She appeared very anxious to find a suitable husband. (The woman represents intelligence, which cannot act without consciousness, the husband. she is described as very young, indicating that intelligence must be very fresh.) Her nose, teeth, and forehead were very lovely, as were her ears, which were adorned with dazzling earrings. (In material life, one utilizes the body of intelligence to enjoy the objects of sense gratification.) The girl’s waist and hips were exquisitely formed, and she wore a yellow sari with a golden sash. Due to shyness, she repeatedly tried to cover her well-rounded breasts with the end of her sari, and as she walked, her ankle-bells tinkled. (These descriptions express the mind’s joyfulness at seeing a beautiful young girl. The two breasts represent attachment and envy, which are but opposite sides of the same coin, and thus non-different.)

The great hero, Puranjana (When one chooses to be a servant of the senses, he can become a great material hero. If one chooses to resist the attraction of beautiful women, thus becoming a controller of the senses, a gosvami, he can become a great spiritual hero.) was very attracted by the woman’s shyly smiling face, and his heart became pierced by the arrows of her lusty glances.

Being captivated, Puranjana could not resist addressing her as follows: “My dear lotus-eyed one, please tell me who you are, from where you have come, who is your father, and what is your purpose in coming here? (In the human form of life, one should utilize his intelligence to inquire about self-realization.) Who are these eleven strong bodyguards that accompany you, (the mind and the senses) and who are the women that are following them? Who is the snake that precedes you?”

“My dear beautiful girl, you appear to be exactly like the goddess of fortune, Lakshmi; the goddess of learning, Sarasvati; or Uma, the wife of Lord Shiva. And yet, on the other hand, you seem to be loitering in this forest as if in search of a husband.”

“You appear to be the goddess of fortune, but because I do not see a lotus flower in your hand, I wonder where you may have thrown it. (Puranjana knew very well that the goddess of fortune cannot be enjoyed by anyone except Lord Vishnu.) Then again, it appears that you must be a woman of this planet, and not any of the above-mentioned goddesses, for your feet are seen to touch the ground. Still, just like the goddess of fortune, who increases the beauty of the Vaikuntha planets, you can enhance the beauty of my city by associating with me.”

“You should know that I am a very famous, powerful, and heroic king, and I possess all kinds of opulence. (Because every woman wants such a husband, Puranjana introduced himself in this way.) By your glances you have greatly excited my mind. Your smile, which is full of shyness, but is at the same time very lusty, has agitated the cupid within me.”

“My dear girl, your face is so beautiful and your voice so sweet, but you are so shy that you do not look me directly in the eye. Please be merciful and raise your smiling face so that you can see me.”

Puranjana spoke in this way because he was eager to see the complete feature of maya. Because he was so eager to touch and enjoy the young girl, he wooed her very aggressively, and as a result, she also became attracted to him.

Having thus become captivated, the woman accepted Puranjana’s request by smiling, and then she replied,

“O best of human beings, I do not know who has begotten me, nor do I know the names or origin of my associates (this is the ignorance of the conditioned soul in material existence). I only know that I am existing in this place, and I have no idea about what will become of me hereafter. Indeed, I am so foolish that I do not even care to understand who has created this beautiful place for my residence. All I know is that these men and women are my friends, and the snake that always remains awake protects this city even during my sleep (even during sleep, the breathing process goes on).”

“O great hero, it is my good fortune that you have somehow or other come here. I know that you have a great desire to satisfy your senses, and so I, and all of my friends will try our best to gratify you in all respects. (The woman represents intelligence, which is given by the Supreme Soul; and Puranjana, the conditioned soul, utilizes the direction of intelligence for gratifying his senses to the best of his ability.) I have arranged this city of nine gates so that you may live here for one hundred years and enjoy all kinds of sense gratification to your full satisfaction.”

“How could I desire to unite with anyone other than you- especially those who are not self-centered householders (grihamedhi) and followers of the pravrti-marga (the path of increasing attachment)? Such persons are no better than plants (having no facility for sexual intercourse) or animals (being without knowledge of how to really enjoy sex-life). On the other hand, householders can attain success in terms of dharma, artha, and kama, which culminates in heavenly elevation. Indeed, the poor brahmacharis, vanaprasthas and sannyasis, as well as the lower forms of life, can hardly imagine the happiness that is enjoyed in household life, centered around sex.”

“Household life is so glorious because it is not only pleasing to oneself, but also to the forefathers, the demigods, the great sages, and people in general.” (Householders may, in fact, fulfill all kinds of material obligations, but they usually neglect their real duty, which is to satisfy Mukunda, the Supreme Lord.)

“My dear hero, who would not accept a husband like you, who is so famous, magnanimous, handsome, and easily gotten? Who would not become attracted by your arms that are just like the bodies of serpents? I think that you travel all over the earth just to relieve the distress of husbandless women like ourselves, with your attractive smile and aggressive mercy.”

Thereafter, King Puranjana and the woman, supporting one another with their mutual understanding, entered the city and continued to enjoy life for one hundred years. Numerous professional singers were engaged in describing the king’s glorious activities, and when it was too hot in the summer, he would enter a nice lake and enjoy the company of many women. Through two gates on the eastern side of the city, named Khadyota (“glowworm”, the weaker left eye) and Avirmukhi (“torchlight”, the stronger right eye) the king used to go to the city of Vibhrajita (clear vision, or form), accompanied by a friend named Dyuman (the sun).

Through another two gates on the eastern side named Nalini and Nalini (nostrils), the king used to go to the city of Saurabha (aroma), accompanied by a friend named Avadhuta (air, or the sense of smell). Through the fifth gate on the eastern side named Mukhya (the mouth, which was the chief gate), the king used to visit two places named Bahudana (varieties of food) and Apana (speech), accompanied by two friends named Rasagya (the tongue, or sense of taste) and Vipana (the faculty of speech).

Through the southern gate named Pitrihu (the right ear, which is used for karma-kandiya activities), the king used to visit the city named Dakshina-panchala (higher planets such as the Pitriloka, or the scriptures that prescribe the pravritti-marga), accompanied by his friend Shrutadhara. Through the northern gate named Devahu (the left ear, which is used for taking spiritual initiation), the king used to go to Uttara-panchala (still higher planets and ultimately, Vaikuntha, or the scriptures that describe the nivritti-marga), along with his friend, Srutadhara.

Through the gate on the western side named Asuri (the genitals, which are especially meant for the asuras), the king used to go to the city of Gramaka (the place where sex is indulged in to a great extent), accompanied by his friend Durmada (the faculty for procreation. dur means “sinful” and mada means “madness”. one who engages in sense gratification must accept this friend, Durmada). Through another gate on the western side, named Nirriti (the anus, or painful gate. A gluttonous person passes stool painfully, and an ordinary person leaves his body painfully through the rectum), the king used to go to the place known as Vaishas (hell), along with his friend Lubdhaka (greed).

The king also used to associate with two blind men named Nirvak and Peshaskrit (the arms and legs, which cannot speak or see), and in their company he would go here and there to perform his various activities. Sometimes he would go to a private house, along with one of his chief servants, named Visuchina (meaning “going everywhere”, the mind), and in the association of his wife and children he would sometimes feel illusioned, sometimes materially satisfied, and sometimes actually happy (the results of ignorance, passion and goodness, respectively).

Becoming entangled in fruitive activities, which arise from mental concoction, Puranjana came completely under the control of material intelligence, and thus he was cheated. Indeed, his entire life was spent in fulfilling the desires of his wife, the queen (material intelligence).

When the queen drank, Puranjana drank- and when she dined, he also ate along with her. When the queen sang, Puranjana also sang- and when she cried, he cried too. When the queen laughed, Puranjana would laugh- and when she walked, he walked behind her. When she stood still, he stood still- and when she would lay down in bed, he would lay down beside her. When the queen would hear something, he would hear the same thing- and when she saw something, he would also look at it. When the queen felt enjoyment, Puranjana also enjoyed- and when she lamented, the poor king had to follow her in her sorrow (the soul is situated in the mind, and the mind is conducted by intelligence. thus, the living entity follows his intelligence, just as the king followed his queen. only by taking help of spiritual intelligence can one come out of this entanglement).

One day, King Puranjana took his great bow and quiver of unlimited arrows (attachment and hatred), and after encasing himself in golden armor (his great pride), he mounted upon his chariot (the body). Accompanied by his eleven military commanders, (the ten senses and the mind) King Puranjana departed for the forest called Pancha-prastha. (five destinations, or the five sense objects. Going to the forest represents how one engages in sinful life, being impelled by ignorance.)

Puranjana’s chariot was driven by five swift horses (the five knowledge-acquiring senses, which go on running, year after year, without making any progress), and had two wheels (religious and sinful life, which are two facilities for progressing to one’s destination) mounted upon one axle. The chariot had three flags (the three modes of nature), one rein (the mind), a driver (the Paramatma, or intelligence), one sitting place (the heart), two poles onto which the harness was fixed (the dualities, or lamentation and illusion, which are two causes of bondage), and seven coverings (skin, muscle, fat, blood, marrow, bone and semen). The king placed two explosive arrows upon the chariot (the two attitudes of false ego, “I” and “mine”), which moved in five different styles (the activities of the five working senses), had five obstacles placed before it (the five airs within the body), and had golden decorations (indicating that Puranjana was highly influenced by the mode of passion).

This describes how the living entity is caged within the material body and is thus conducted by the three modes of material nature. Narada wanted to prove to King Prachinabarhishat that, although he was supposed to be a very religious man, he was actually under the influence of ignorance, especially in the matter of performing animal sacrifices.

Normally, it was almost impossible for King Puranjana to give up the association of his queen for even a moment, but when he became inspired to go hunting, he left for the forest without even caring for her (in other words, Puranjana went woman-hunting). Coming under the influence of demoniac propensities, due to excessive pride and passion, Puranjana’s heart became very hard and merciless, and thus, with his sharp arrows, he began killing many innocent animals without consideration.

Of course, kshatriyas are allowed to kill some animals and then eat their flesh, after offering it in sacrifice. However, it is understood that such regulation is actually meant to curb the extravagant violence of foolish men in the modes of passion and ignorance. When people who were merciful by nature saw how King Puranjana was causing unnecessary pain by killing animals unrestrictedly, they became very unhappy.

Finally, after killing innumerable rabbits, boar, buffalo, black deer, porcupines and other animals, King Puranjana became very fatigued, thirsty and hungry, and so he decided to return to his palace (when a person comes to his senses, and understands that he is engaging in sinful activities, he returns to his good conscience).

After coming home, Puranjana bathed, ate a nice dinner and then rested. (After becoming tired of sinful life, one should retire from it and purify himself by accepting a bona-fide spiritual master and hearing from him.) Thereafter, the king dressed very nicely and decorated himself with ornaments and garlands and smeared Sandalwood paste over his body (this represents adorning oneself with knowledge of religion and the self). Having become completely refreshed, Puranjana began to look for his queen (his original consciousness, Krishna consciousness).

Actually, after having eaten and rested, instead of becoming elevated to a higher consciousness, King Puranjana once again became captivated by Cupid. Thus, he searched for his wife, who had kept him satisfied in household life. (Sometimes an initiated devotee, in the name of prasada, eats voraciously and then falls down due to becoming attracted by Cupid.)

Becoming very anxious, the king inquired from the household ladies, “My dear beautiful women, are you and your mistress all very happy like before, or not? (After becoming refreshed by the association of devotees, one consults his mind as to how he can return to his original, steady consciousness.) I do not understand why all of my household paraphernalia does not attract me like before. It seems that if there is neither a mother nor a devoted wife at home, it becomes like a chariot without wheels. Where is the fool who would sit upon such a useless chariot? Please tell me where I can find that beautiful woman who always saved me when I was drowning in the ocean of danger by giving me good intelligence at every step (a good wife enables one to keep his good intelligence and thus avoid the dangerous conditions of material existence).”

The palace women replied,

“O master of the citizens, kindly look- your wife is lying down on the bare ground, and we cannot understand why.”

When Puranjana saw how his queen was lying upon the ground like a mendicant, he became very bewildered in mind (He repented for having neglected his good intelligence so that he could engage in sinful activities). Being very aggrieved, he tried his best to pacify her with pleasing words. Surprisingly, she did not display any symptoms of anger, which is the natural characteristic of a woman in love when she is neglected. Being very expert in flattery, however, King Puranjana remained undaunted, and continued to pacify his wife, step by step.

First of all he touched her feet, and then he embraced her warmly. Finally, after seating her upon his lap, he said, (After genuinely regretting one’s former sinful life, one must raise himself to the platform of Krishna consciousness by touching the feet of the guru and then pleasing him with the execution of devotional service.)

“My dear beautiful wife, when a master accepts a servant, but does not punish him for his offenses, that servant must be considered as most unfortunate. When chastised by his master, the servant should take it as great mercy, and therefore not become angry.” (An effeminate husband, being attracted by the external beauty of his wife, tries to become her most obedient servant.)

“My dear wife, kindly give up your anger and be merciful by smiling upon me with loving attachment. When I see your beautiful, smiling face and hear your sweet talk, I become very attracted and obliged to you. (Puranjana is trying to revive his wife’s original beauty, just as one tries to revive his original Krishna consciousness, which is very beautiful.) If someone has offended you, then I am prepared to punish him, provided that he is not a brahmana or a Vaishnava.”

“My dear wife, I have never seen your face without tilak or cosmetics, nor have I seen you so morose and lusterless. (When one’s consciousness is not decorated with thoughts of Krishna, it becomes morose and without luster.) Due to my sinful desires, I went to the forest without your permission, and thus I have certainly offended you. Now, please consider me to be your most intimate subordinate, and become pleased with me. I am very much bereaved, and due to being pierced by Cupid’s arrows, I feel very lusty. Where is the beautiful woman who would give up her lusty husband and refuse to unite with him?”

After thus bewildering her husband and bringing him under control, the queen bathed, dressed herself very nicely, ate her meal, and then returned to him. Upon seeing her beautifully decorated face, King Puranjana very respectfully welcomed his queen, and in return, she fondly embraced him.

Thereafter, in a secluded place, the queen gave King Puranjana full satisfaction by enjoying sex-life with him to his heart’s content. (When one’s intelligence is properly utilized, the intellect and the intelligent person enjoy each other with great satisfaction.) Being captivated by his beautiful wife, Puranjana lost all good sense, and thus he forgot how the days and nights were passing in such a way that his duration of life was being reduced without profit. (After hunting in the forest, which represents sinful life, King Puranjana returned home to a religious household life, whereby one can advance towards Krishna consciousness. However, if in household life one simply becomes attracted by sex, then he sinks down deeper into material life.)

Becoming increasingly overwhelmed by illusion, Puranjana remained always lying down with his head on the pillow of his wife’s arms. Due to considering a woman to be his very life and soul, he could not understand the meaning of self-realization. (A woman is called pramada, which means “enlivening” as well as “maddening”. In other words, a beautiful wife can be enlivening, as well as the cause of degradation.)

His heart filled with lust, King Puranjana begot 1100 sons and 110 daughters in the womb of his wife, Puranjani, and in this way, his youthful life passed as if it had been just a moment. Then, to increase his dynasty, Puranjana got all of his children married, so that gradually the whole city of Panchala became overcrowded with his grandchildren. (The city represents Puranjana’s body, and his sons and grandsons represent the reactions of his pious and impious actions. In other words, when the living entity is inclined toward sexual activity, he becomes involved in hundreds and thousands of actions and reactions.) As they grew up, the sons and grandsons gradually became plunderers of King Puranjana’s wealth and possessions, to which he had become very attached.

Narada continued,

“My dear King Prachinabarhishat, like you, King Puranjana became implicated in so many material desires. As a result, he worshiped various demigods by the performance of sacrifices that were all ghastly due to the necessity of killing animals.”

Being a Vaishnava(follower of Lord Vishnu or Krishna), Narada wanted to stop the king’s animal killing in the name of performing sacrifices. Such rituals are in the mode of ignorance and not transcendental religion, and so by performing them, one forgets the goal of life.

Finally, while remaining attached to fruitive activities, as well as to his family, King Puranjana arrived at the stage of life that is not very much liked by those who are overly attached to material things. There is a Gandharva king named Chandavega, (chandavega means “very swiftly passing” and thus represents time) who employs 360 powerful soldiers (days) and as many Gandharvis (nights) to constantly plunder one’s duration of life and attendant facility for sense enjoyment.

When Chandavega and his followers began attacking Puranjana’s city, the five-hooded snake defended it. Being the superintendent and protector of the city, the serpent fought with the 720 Gandharvas single-handedly, and so gradually he became very weak. When King Puranjana and his friends and citizens (the bodily limbs) saw this, they became overwhelmed with anxiety.

Meanwhile, the daughter of time, named Jara, was searching for a husband throughout the three worlds. Although no one would agree to accept her, she was anxious to marry anyone.

Narada informed King Prachinabarhishat,

“Once, as I was coming to the earth from Brahmaloka, Jara happened to meet me. Knowing that I am an avowed brahmachari, she became very lusty and begged me to accept her. But, when I refused her request, Jara very angrily cursed me, saying, ‘You will never be able to stay in one place for a long time.’ Then, at my suggestion, she approached the Yavana king, Bhaya, and requested him to become her husband.”

After meeting Bhaya, Jara said,

“My dear hero, you are the best of the untouchables. I am in love with you and so I want you to accept me as your wife. One who does not give or accept charity according to the injunctions of shastra is certainly foolish and will have to lament later on. Here I am present before you and ready to serve you. Please be merciful and accept me, for it is the duty of a gentleman to be compassionate towards one who is distressed.”

The king of the Yavanas smiled, and after much consideration, he replied,

“On behalf of providence, I will engage you in imperceptively attacking all people, along with my soldiers. Here is my elder brother, Prajvara, (the 107 degree faranheit fever sent by Lord Vishnu) whom you may accept as your husband.”

To make the best use of a bad bargain, the Yavana king wanted to serve Lord Krishna by introducing Jara (Kalakanya) everywhere. In old age, when one is attacked by invalidity, he becomes afraid of death, and thus Jara serves as an impetus for spiritual life.

Thereafter, Yavana-raja (Bhaya, or the lord of death, Yamaraja) began traveling all over the world along with Prajvara, Kalakanya, and his soldiers, and when they came to Puranjana’s city, they attacked it very forcefully. Due to Puranjana’s having lived a life of sense gratification, the old serpent that protected his city had become very weak. When Kalakanya attacked the city, she soon rendered the citizens useless for all purposes, (in old age, the bodily limbs become useless) and the soldiers of Yavana-raja, by entering the nine gates, gave her support (in old age, diseases manifest at the nine gates).

Due to being embraced by Kalakanya, King Puranjana gradually lost all of his beauty, intelligence, and opulence, and thus the Gandharvas and Yavanas easily conquered him. While observing how everything in his city was becoming scattered, Puranjana also found that his wife, sons, grandsons, servants and ministers had become cold and indifferent, so that they no longer hesitated to oppose him. (During old age, the senses and organs become weak, so that instead of being under a person’s control, they oppose him. We want to use our senses for sense gratification, and they must receive strength from the body. In the same way, one keeps family members for enjoyment, while they also demand enjoyment from the head of the family. When the old man cannot supply sufficient money, the family members turn against him.)

This certainly made King Puranjana very anxious, but still, he could not counteract the situation, being overwhelmed by Kalakanya. Due to her influence, the objects of sense enjoyment had become tasteless, although Puranjana’s lusty desires continued to bind him with affection for his wife and children. In this way, King Puranjana became very poor-hearted and completely devoid of an understanding of life’s real aim.

Finally, although he had no desire to do so, King Puranjana was forced to leave his city because it had been completely smashed by Kalakanya. (Even a worm in the stool does not want to give up its position. Especially if one has no information about the next life, or the kingdom of God, he will not want to give up his body, even after it has become old and useless)

At this time, Prajvara set fire to Puranjana’s city, to please his younger brother. (At the time of death, the temperature is raised to 107 degrees Faranheit.) When King Puranjana saw how all of his family members, servants, and citizens were being consumed in the conflagration, he became very morose. The city’s police superintendent, the serpent, (the subtle body and life-air) also became very aggrieved to see how his residence had been set ablaze, and due to the severe heat he wanted to leave the city, just as a snake living within the cavity of a tree hopes to escape when there is a forest fire. However, when the serpent attempted to leave the city, he was checked by the enemy, and so he began to cry out loudly in anguish. (At the time of death, the gates of the body become choked up and so one cannot clearly express his difficulties to others.)

King Puranjana was overly attached to his family, due to having the false conception of “I” and “mine”, so that at the time of separation, he became very sorry. In great anxiety he thought, “My poor wife is encumbered by so many children. After I leave this body, who will take care of her, and how will she maintain her dependents?”

Puranjana began thinking of his past dealings with his wife- how she would never eat nor bathe until he had done so, how much attached she had been to him, and how she used to pout when he would sometimes chastise her. He thought of how she used to give him good advice, and how she became very aggrieved when he was away from home. As part and parcel of Lord Krishna, Puranjana should have been thinking of Him. Instead, he was absorbed in thinking of a woman, and then, as he lamented over the fate of his wife and children, Yavana-raja came there to arrest him.

As the Yavanas were binding Puranjana like an animal, to take him away to the place of judgement, his followers became very aggrieved, and in that state, they were also forced to accompany their master. (When the Yamadutas take away a living entity, the life-air, senses, desires, and the reactions to his past activities all follow him.)

As soon as the king and his subjects were out of the city, it immediately became dismantled and smashed to dust. And yet, even as he was being dragged away by the Yavana king, due to ignorance, Puranjana could not remember his friend and well-wisher, the Supreme Soul. Taking advantage of the cruel Puranjana’s helpless condition, all of the animals that he had killed in sacrifice came and pierced him with their horns, and thus it felt to him as if he were being hacked to pieces with axes.

As a result of having quit his body while remembering his wife, Puranjana took his next birth as the very beautiful daughter of the king of Vidarbha (he was well-placed due to his past pious work). After coming of age, it was arranged that Vaidarbhi would marry King Malayadhvaja of the Pandu country. (The king’s name indicates that he was a great devotee who stood as firm as the Malaya Hill. With his devotional flag unfurled, he stood fast in order to conquer all other spiritual conceptions and thus convert others to become as fixed-up in devotional service as himself.)