Śrīmad Bhāgavatam |Canto 4 Chapter 27

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

VERSE 4.27.1

nārada uvāca

itthaṁ purañjanaṁ sadhryag
vaśamānīya vibhramaiḥ
purañjanī mahārāja
reme ramayatī patim

SYNONYMS

nāradaḥ uvāca — Nārada said; ittham — thus; purañjanam — King Purañjana; sadhryak — completely; vaśamānīya — bringing under her control; vibhramaiḥ — by her charms; purañjanī — the wife of King Purañjana; mahā-rāja — O King; reme — enjoyed; ramayatī — giving all satisfaction; patim — to her husband.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Nārada continued: My dear King, after bewildering her husband in different ways and bringing him under her control, the wife of King Purañjana gave him all satisfaction and enjoyed sex life with him.

VERSE 4.27.2

sa rājā mahiṣīṁ rājan
susnātāṁ rucirānanām
kṛta-svastyayanāṁ tṛptām
abhyanandad upāgatām

SYNONYMS

saḥ — he; rājā — the King; mahiṣīm — the Queen; rājan — O King; su-snātām — nicely bathed; rucira-ānanām — attractive face; kṛta-svasti-ayanām — dressed with auspicious garments and ornaments; tṛptām — satisfied; abhyanandat — he welcomed; upāgatām — approached.

TRANSLATION

The Queen took her bath and dressed herself nicely with all auspicious garments and ornaments. After taking food and becoming completely satisfied, she returned to the King. Upon seeing her beautifully decorated attractive face, the King welcomed her with all devotion.

VERSE 4.27.3

tayopagūḍhaḥ parirabdha-kandharo
raho ’numantrair apakṛṣṭa-cetanaḥ
na kāla-raṁho bubudhe duratyayaṁ
divā niśeti pramadā-parigrahaḥ

SYNONYMS

tayā — by the Queen; upagūḍhaḥ — was embraced; parirabdha — embraced; kandharaḥ — shoulders; rahaḥ — in a solitary place; anumantraiḥ — by joking words; apakṛṣṭa-cetanaḥ — having degraded consciousness; na — not; kāla-raṁhaḥ — the passing of time; bubudhe — was aware of; duratyayam — impossible to overcome; divā — day; niśā — night; iti — thus; pramadā — by the woman; parigrahaḥ — captivated.

TRANSLATION

Queen Purañjanī embraced the King, and the King also responded by embracing her shoulders. In this way, in a solitary place, they enjoyed joking words. Thus King Purañjana became very much captivated by his beautiful wife and deviated from his good sense. He forgot that the passing of days and nights meant that his span of life was being reduced without profit.

VERSE 4.27.4

śayāna unnaddha-mado mahā-manā
mahārha-talpe mahiṣī-bhujopadhiḥ
tām eva vīro manute paraṁ yatas
tamo-’bhibhūto na nijaṁ paraṁ ca yat

SYNONYMS

śayānaḥ — lying down; unnaddha-madaḥ — increasingly illusioned; mahā-manāḥ — advanced in consciousness; mahā-arha-talpe — on a valuable bedstead; mahiṣī — of the Queen; bhuja — arms; upadhiḥ — pillow; tām — her; eva — certainly; vīraḥ — the hero; manute — he considered; param — the goal of life; yataḥ — from which; tamaḥ — by ignorance; abhibhūtaḥ — overwhelmed; na — not; nijam — his actual self; param — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ca — and; yat — what.

TRANSLATION

In this way, increasingly overwhelmed by illusion, King Purañjana, although advanced in consciousness, remained always lying down with his head on the pillow of his wife’s arms. In this way he considered woman to be his ultimate life and soul. Becoming thus overwhelmed by the mode of ignorance, he could not understand the meaning of self-realization, whether regarding his own self or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

VERSE 4.27.5

tayaivaṁ ramamāṇasya
kāma-kaśmala-cetasaḥ
kṣaṇārdham iva rājendra
vyatikrāntaṁ navaṁ vayaḥ

SYNONYMS

tayā — with her; evam — in this way; ramamāṇasya — enjoying; kāma — full of lust; kaśmala — sinful; cetasaḥ — his heart; kṣaṇa-ardham — in half a moment; iva — like; rāja-indra — O King; vyatikrāntam — expired; navam — new; vayaḥ — life.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Prācīnabarhiṣat, in this way King Purañjana, with his heart full of lust and sinful reactions, began to enjoy sex with his wife, and in this way his new life and youth expired in half a moment.

VERSE 4.27.6

tasyām ajanayat putrān
purañjanyāṁ purañjanaḥ
śatāny ekādaśa virāḍ
āyuṣo ’rdham athātyagāt

SYNONYMS

tasyām — within her; ajanayat — he begot; putrān — sons; purañjanyām — in Purañjanī; purañjanaḥ — King Purañjana; śatāni — hundreds; ekādaśa — eleven; virāṭ — O King; āyuṣaḥ — of life; ardham — half; atha — in this way; atyagāt — he passed.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Nārada then addressed King Prācīnabarhiṣat: O one whose life span is great [virāṭ], in this way King Purañjana begot 1,100 sons within the womb of his wife, Purañjanī. However, in this business he passed away half of his life span.

VERSE 4.27.7

duhitṝr daśottara-śataṁ
pitṛ-mātṛ-yaśaskarīḥ
śīlaudārya-guṇopetāḥ
paurañjanyaḥ prajā-pate

SYNONYMS

duhitṝḥ — daughters; daśa-uttara — ten more than; śatam — one hundred; pitṛ — like the father; mātṛ — and mother; yaśaskarīḥ — glorified; śīla — good behavior; audārya — magnanimity; guṇa — good qualities; upetāḥ — possessed of; paurañjanyaḥ — daughters of Purañjana; prajā-pate — O Prajāpati.

TRANSLATION

O Prajāpati, King Prācīnabarhiṣat, in this way King Purañjana also begot 110 daughters. All of these were equally glorified like the father and mother. Their behavior was gentle, and they possessed magnanimity and other good qualities.

VERSE 4.27.8

sa pañcāla-patiḥ putrān
pitṛ-vaṁśa-vivardhanān
dāraiḥ saṁyojayām āsa
duhitṝḥ sadṛśair varaiḥ

SYNONYMS

saḥ — he; pañcāla-patiḥ — the King of Pañcāla; putrān — sons; pitṛ-vaṁśa — paternal family; vivardhanān — increasing; dāraiḥ — with wives; saṁyojayām āsa — married; duhitṝḥ — daughters; sadṛśaiḥ — qualified; varaiḥ — with husbands.

TRANSLATION

After this, King Purañjana, King of the Pañcāla country, in order to increase the descendants of his paternal family, married his sons with qualified wives and married his daughters with qualified husbands.

VERSE 4.27.9

putrāṇāṁ cābhavan putrā
ekaikasya śataṁ śatam
yair vai paurañjano vaṁśaḥ
pañcāleṣu samedhitaḥ

SYNONYMS

putrāṇām — of the sons; ca — also; abhavan — were produced; putrāḥ — sons; eka-ekasya — of each one; śatam — hundred; śatam — hundred; yaiḥ — by whom; vai — certainly; paurañjanaḥ — of King Purañjana; vaṁśaḥ — family; pañcāleṣu — in the land of Pañcāla; samedhitaḥ — greatly increased.

TRANSLATION

Of these many sons, each produced hundreds and hundreds of grandsons. In this way the whole city of Pañcāla became overcrowded by these sons and grandsons of King Purañjana.

VERSE 4.27.10

teṣu tad-riktha-hāreṣu
gṛha-kośānujīviṣu
nirūḍhena mamatvena
viṣayeṣv anvabadhyata

SYNONYMS

teṣu — to them; tat-riktha-hāreṣu — the plunderers of his money; gṛha — home; kośa — treasury; anujīviṣu — to the followers; nirūḍhena — deep-rooted; mamatvena — by attachment; viṣayeṣu — to sense objects; anvabadhyata — became bound.

TRANSLATION

These sons and grandsons were virtually plunderers of King Purañjana’s riches, including his home, treasury, servants, secretaries and all other paraphernalia. Purañjana’s attachment for these things was very deep-rooted.

VERSE 4.27.11

īje ca kratubhir ghorair
dīkṣitaḥ paśu-mārakaiḥ
devān pitṝn bhūta-patīn
nānā-kāmo yathā bhavān

SYNONYMS

īje — he worshiped; ca — also; kratubhiḥ — by sacrifices; ghoraiḥ — ghastly; dīkṣitaḥ — inspired; paśu-mārakaiḥ — wherein poor animals are killed; devān — the demigods; pitṝn — forefathers; bhūta-patīn — great leaders of human society; nānā — various; kāmaḥ — having desires; yathā — like; bhavān — you.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Nārada continued: My dear King Prācīnabarhiṣat, like you King Purañjana also became implicated in so many desires. Thus he worshiped demigods, forefathers and social leaders with various sacrifices which were all very ghastly because they were inspired by the desire to kill animals.

VERSE 4.27.12

yukteṣv evaṁ pramattasya
kuṭumbāsakta-cetasaḥ
āsasāda sa vai kālo
yo ’priyaḥ priya-yoṣitām

SYNONYMS

yukteṣu — to beneficial activities; evam — thus; pramattasya — being inattentive; kuṭumba — to kith and kin; āsakta — attached; cetasaḥ — consciousness; āsasāda — arrived; saḥ — that; vai — certainly; kālaḥ — time; yaḥ — which; apriyaḥ — not very pleasing; priya-yoṣitām — for persons attached to women.

TRANSLATION

Thus King Purañjana, being attached to fruitive activities [karma-kāṇḍīya] as well as kith and kin, and being obsessed with polluted consciousness, eventually arrived at that point not very much liked by those who are overly attached to material things.

VERSE 4.27.13

caṇḍavega iti khyāto
gandharvādhipatir nṛpa
gandharvās tasya balinaḥ
ṣaṣṭy-uttara-śata-trayam

SYNONYMS

caṇḍavegaḥ — Caṇḍavega; iti — thus; khyātaḥ — celebrated; gandharva — belonging to the Gandharvaloka; adhipatiḥ — king; nṛpa — O King; gandharvāḥ — other Gandharvas; tasya — his; balinaḥ — very powerful soldiers; ṣaṣṭi — sixty; uttara — surpassing; śata — hundred; trayam — three.

TRANSLATION

O King! In Gandharvaloka there is a king named Caṇḍavega. Under him there are 360 very powerful Gandharva soldiers.

VERSE 4.27.14

gandharvyas tādṛśīr asya
maithunyaś ca sitāsitāḥ
parivṛttyā vilumpanti
sarva-kāma-vinirmitām

SYNONYMS

gandharvyaḥ — Gandharvīs; tādṛśīḥ — similarly; asya — of Caṇḍavega; maithunyaḥ — companions for sexual intercourse; ca — also; sita — white; asitāḥ — black; parivṛttyā — by surrounding; vilumpanti — they plundered; sarva-kāma — all kinds of desirable objects; vinirmitām — manufactured.

TRANSLATION

Along with Caṇḍavega were as many female Gandharvīs as there were soldiers, and all of them repetitively plundered all the paraphernalia for sense enjoyment.

VERSE 4.27.15

te caṇḍavegānucarāḥ
purañjana-puraṁ yadā
hartum ārebhire tatra
pratyaṣedhat prajāgaraḥ

SYNONYMS

te — all of them; caṇḍavega — of Caṇḍavega; anucarāḥ — followers; purañjana — of King Purañjana; puram — city; yadā — when; hartum — to plunder; ārebhire — began; tatra — there; pratyaṣedhat — defended; prajāgaraḥ — the big serpent.

TRANSLATION

When King Gandharva-rāja [Caṇḍavega] and his followers began to plunder the city of Purañjana, a snake with five hoods began to defend the city.

VERSE 4.27.16

sa saptabhiḥ śatair eko
viṁśatyā ca śataṁ samāḥ
purañjana-purādhyakṣo
gandharvair yuyudhe balī

SYNONYMS

saḥ — he; saptabhiḥ — with seven; śataiḥ — hundred; ekaḥ — alone; viṁśatyā — with twenty; ca — also; śatam — hundred; samāḥ — years; purañjana — of King Purañjana; pura-adhyakṣaḥ — superintendent of the city; gandharvaiḥ — with the Gandharvas; yuyudhe — fought; balī — very valiant.

TRANSLATION

The five-hooded serpent, the superintendent and protector of the city of King Purañjana, fought with the Gandharvas for one hundred years. He fought alone, with all of them, although they numbered 720.

VERSE 4.27.17

kṣīyamāṇe sva-sambandhe
ekasmin bahubhir yudhā
cintāṁ parāṁ jagāmārtaḥ
sa-rāṣṭra-pura-bāndhavaḥ

SYNONYMS

kṣīyamāṇe — when he became weak; sva-sambandhe — his intimate friend; ekasmin — alone; bahubhiḥ — with many warriors; yudhā — by battle; cintām — anxiety; parām — very great; jagāma — obtained; ārtaḥ — being aggrieved; sa — along with; rāṣṭra — of the kingdom; pura — of the city; bāndhavaḥ — friends and relatives.

TRANSLATION

Because he had to fight alone with so many soldiers, all of whom were great warriors, the serpent with five hoods became very weak. Seeing that his most intimate friend was weakening, King Purañjana and his friends and citizens living within the city all became very anxious.

VERSE 4.27.18

sa eva puryāṁ madhu-bhuk
pañcāleṣu sva-pārṣadaiḥ
upanītaṁ baliṁ gṛhṇan
strī-jito nāvidad bhayam

SYNONYMS

saḥ — he; eva — certainly; puryām — within the city; madhu-bhuk — enjoying sex life; pañcāleṣu — in the kingdom of Pañcāla (five sense objects); sva-pārṣadaiḥ — along with his followers; upanītam — brought; balim — taxes; gṛhṇan — accepting; strī-jitaḥ — conquered by women; na — did not; avidat — understand; bhayam — fear of death.

TRANSLATION

King Purañjana collected taxes in the city known as Pañcāla and thus was able to engage in sexual indulgence. Being completely under the control of women, he could not understand that his life was passing away and that he was reaching the point of death.

VERSE 4.27.19

kālasya duhitā kācit
tri-lokīṁ varam icchatī
paryaṭantī na barhiṣman
pratyanandata kaścana

SYNONYMS

kālasya — of formidable Time; duhitā — the daughter; kācit — someone; tri-lokīm — within the three worlds; varam — husband; icchatī — desiring; paryaṭantī — traveling all over the universe; na — never; barhiṣman — O King Prācīnabarhiṣat; pratyanandata — accepted her proposal; kaścana — anyone.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Prācīnabarhiṣat, at this time the daughter of formidable Time was seeking her husband throughout the three worlds. Although no one agreed to accept her, she came.

VERSE 4.27.20

daurbhāgyenātmano loke
viśrutā durbhageti sā
yā tuṣṭā rājarṣaye tu
vṛtādāt pūrave varam

SYNONYMS

daurbhāgyena — on account of misfortune; ātmanaḥ — of herself; loke — in the world; viśrutā — celebrated; durbhagā — most unfortunate; iti — thus; — she; — who; tuṣṭā — being satisfied; rāja-ṛṣaye — unto the great king; tu — but; vṛtā — being accepted; adāt — delivered; pūrave — unto King Pūru; varam — benediction.

TRANSLATION

The daughter of Time [Jarā] was very unfortunate. Consequently she was known as Durbhagā [“ill-fated”]. However, she was once pleased with a great king, and because the king accepted her, she granted him a great benediction.

VERSE 4.27.21

kadācid aṭamānā sā
brahma-lokān mahīṁ gatam
vavre bṛhad-vrataṁ māṁ tu
jānatī kāma-mohitā

SYNONYMS

kadācit — once upon a time; aṭamānā — traveling; — she; brahma-lokāt — from Brahmaloka, the highest planet; mahīm — on the earth; gatam — having come; vavre — she proposed; bṛhat-vratam — avowed brahmacārī; mām — unto me; tu — then; jānatī — knowing; kāma-mohitā — being illusioned by lust.

TRANSLATION

When I once came to this earth from Brahmaloka, the highest planetary system, the daughter of Time, wandering over the universe, met me. Knowing me to be an avowed brahmacārī, she became lusty and proposed that I accept her.

VERSE 4.27.22

mayi saṁrabhya vipula-
madāc chāpaṁ suduḥsaham
sthātum arhasi naikatra
mad-yācñā-vimukho mune

SYNONYMS

mayi — unto me; saṁrabhya — having become angry; vipula — unlimited; madāt — out of illusion; śāpam — curse; su-duḥsaham — unbearable; sthātum arhasi — you may remain; na — never; ekatra — in one place; mat — my; yācñā — request; vimukhaḥ — having refused; mune — O great sage.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Nārada continued: When I refused to accept her request, she became very angry at me and cursed me severely. Because I refused her request, she said that I would not be able to stay in one place for a long time.

VERSE 4.27.23

tato vihata-saṅkalpā
kanyakā yavaneśvaram
mayopadiṣṭam āsādya
vavre nāmnā bhayaṁ patim

SYNONYMS

tataḥ — thereafter; vihata-saṅkalpā — being disappointed in her determination; kanyakā — the daughter of Time; yavana-īśvaram — unto the king of the untouchables; mayā upadiṣṭam — indicated by me; āsādya — having approached; vavre — accepted; nāmnā — of the name; bhayam — Fear; patim — as her husband.

TRANSLATION

After she was thus disappointed by me, with my permission she approached the King of the Yavanas, whose name was Bhaya, or Fear, and she accepted him as her husband.

VERSE 4.27.24

ṛṣabhaṁ yavanānāṁ tvāṁ
vṛṇe vīrepsitaṁ patim
saṅkalpas tvayi bhūtānāṁ
kṛtaḥ kila na riṣyati

SYNONYMS

ṛṣabham — the best; yavanānām — of the untouchables; tvām — you; vṛṇe — I accept; vīra — O great hero; īpsitam — desired; patim — husband; saṅkalpaḥ — the determination; tvayi — unto you; bhūtānām — of all living entities; kṛtaḥ — if done; kila — certainly; na — never; riṣyati — becomes baffled.

TRANSLATION

Approaching the King of the Yavanas, Kālakanyā addressed him as a great hero, saying: My dear sir, you are the best of the untouchables. I am in love with you, and I want you as my husband. I know that no one is baffled if he makes friends with you.

VERSE 4.27.25

dvāv imāv anuśocanti
bālāv asad-avagrahau
yal loka-śāstropanataṁ
na rāti na tad icchati

SYNONYMS

dvau — two kinds; imau — these; anuśocanti — they lament; bālau — ignorant; asat — the foolish; avagrahau — taking the path of; yat — that which; loka — by custom; śāstra — by scriptures; upanatam — presented; na — never; rāti — follows; na — neither; tat — that; icchati — desires.

TRANSLATION

One who does not give charity according to the customs or injunctions of the scriptures and one who does not accept charity in that way are considered to be in the mode of ignorance. Such persons follow the path of the foolish. Surely they must lament at the end.

VERSE 4.27.26

atho bhajasva māṁ bhadra
bhajantīṁ me dayāṁ kuru
etāvān pauruṣo dharmo
yad ārtān anukampate

SYNONYMS

atho — therefore; bhajasva — accept; mām — me; bhadra — O gentle one; bhajantīm — willing to serve; me — to me; dayām — mercy; kuru — do; etāvān — such a measure; pauruṣaḥ — for any gentleman; dharmaḥ — religious principle; yat — that; ārtān — to the distressed; anukampate — is compassionate.

TRANSLATION

Kālakanyā continued: O gentle one, I am now present before you to serve you. Please accept me and thus show me mercy. It is a gentleman’s greatest duty to be compassionate upon a person who is distressed.

VERSE 4.27.27

kāla-kanyodita-vaco
niśamya yavaneśvaraḥ
cikīrṣur deva-guhyaṁ sa
sasmitaṁ tām abhāṣata

SYNONYMS

kāla-kanyā — by the daughter of Time; udita — expressed; vacaḥ — words; niśamya — hearing; yavana-īśvaraḥ — the King of the Yavanas; cikīrṣuḥ — desiring to execute; deva — of providence; guhyam — confidential duty; saḥ — he; sa-smitam — smilingly; tām — her; abhāṣata — addressed.

TRANSLATION

After hearing the statement of Kālakanyā, daughter of Time, the King of the Yavanas began to smile and devise a means for executing his confidential duty on behalf of providence. He then addressed Kālakanyā as follows.

VERSE 4.27.28

mayā nirūpitas tubhyaṁ
patir ātma-samādhinā
nābhinandati loko ’yaṁ
tvām abhadrām asammatām

SYNONYMS

mayā — by me; nirūpitaḥ — settled; tubhyam — for you; patiḥ — husband; ātma — of the mind; samādhinā — by meditation; na — never; abhinandati — welcome; lokaḥ — the people; ayam — these; tvām — you; abhadrām — inauspicious; asammatām — unacceptable.

TRANSLATION

The King of the Yavanas replied: After much consideration, I have arrived at a husband for you. Actually, as far as everyone is concerned, you are inauspicious and mischievous. Since no one likes you, how can anyone accept you as his wife?

VERSE 4.27.29

tvam avyakta-gatir bhuṅkṣva
lokaṁ karma-vinirmitam
yā hi me pṛtanā-yuktā
prajā-nāśaṁ praṇeṣyasi

SYNONYMS

tvam — you; avyakta-gatiḥ — whose movement is imperceptible; bhuṅkṣva — enjoy; lokam — this world; karma-vinirmitam — manufactured by fruitive activities; — one who; hi — certainly; me — my; pṛtanā — soldiers; yuktā — helped by; prajā-nāśam — annihilation of the living entities; praṇeṣyasi — you shall carry out without any hindrance.

TRANSLATION

This world is a product of fruitive activities. Therefore you may imperceptibly attack people in general. Helped by my soldiers, you can kill them without opposition.

VERSE 4.27.30

prajvāro ’yaṁ mama bhrātā
tvaṁ ca me bhaginī bhava
carāmy ubhābhyāṁ loke ’sminn
avyakto bhīma-sainikaḥ

SYNONYMS

prajvāraḥ — named Prajvāra; ayam — this; mama — my; bhrātā — brother; tvam — you; ca — also; me — my; bhaginī — sister; bhava — become; carāmi — I shall go about; ubhābhyām — by both of you; loke — in the world; asmin — this; avyaktaḥ — without being manifest; bhīma — dangerous; sainikaḥ — with soldiers.

TRANSLATION

The King of the Yavanas continued: Here is my brother Prajvāra. I now accept you as my sister. I shall employ both of you, as well as my dangerous soldiers, to act imperceptibly within this world.