Srimad Bhagavatam - Puranjana Upaakanya
Who is Puranjana? Why did Sage Narada narrate the journey of the Soul to Prachinabarhi?
Puranjana is an illusionary person created by Sage Narada to explain Prachinabarhi, the journey of the soul in a birth. This story is part of bhagavatha detailed in length in Chapter 4.
Prachinabarhi is descent of Dhruva, son of Uttanapada and grandson of Prajapathi Manu.
Prachinabarhi kept on performing yajna and converted entire earth into yagnashala. He was unaware of the pros and cons of it. Sage Narad decided to educate him and, in the process, narrates a story and later the concept of it.
The story, in gist, goes this way:
Puranjana, a king along with his friend, goes around the globe in search of a suitable place to establish his kingdom and finds a place near the Himalayas.
A beautiful and clever lady welcomes him just outside the kingdom and assures him all necessary support along with her contingent. King is impressed and proposes to marry her, for which she readily agrees. He forgets his dear friend altogether.
Puranjana meanwhile establishes his kingdom with the help of his wife, her 5 male companions, 5 female companions, a mighty warrior, and 5 hooded serpent. The kingdom has 9 gates and can give protection for 100 years. Family grows, so also responsibilities. Puranjana enjoyed every moment of it.
One day, he goes to hunting without informing anyone, including his wife. He kills innumerable animals and birds and returns home exhausted and without any remose. His wife is unhappy but never spoke a word. Puranjana realises his mistake and apologizes to his wife.
As years went, the kingdom got ignored. Utilizing this opportunity, Gandharvas enters through the gates and attacks him successfully. Finally, the kingdom is defeated.
What is the concept of Narada's story?
It is the journey of the soul in a birth. The soul goes around to find a suitable body to live in, expecting a period of 100 years.
'Body' is his wife who welcomes him and provides all sorts of sensuous comforts. Male companions are 5 internal sense of perception and 5 sense organs of action are female companions.
Nine gates are holes in the body (2 eyes, 2 nose, 2 ears, 1 mouth ,penis, and anus). Vital air is 5 hooded serpent, and a mighty warrior is the mind.
Puranjana hunting venture is acts done without thinking. As age grows, the body becomes weak and is attacked by diseases, fear of old age, and death (gates are not protected well).
Puranjana forgets his friend, Paramatma, the God. Both jeevathma and paramatma have to be together so that jeevathma doesn't get attached to the body. This realization 'I am not the body' is vital.
Narada, through this illusionary tale, illustrates that the soul is independent of the body and one can realize God through penance. He also tells yajnas and yagas yield few results, and too much of it is not good for humanity.
Prachinabarhi agrees to act upon but is not willing to do it immediately. He wanted to wait till his 10 sons (collectively called Pracetas, because they had similar looks, had similar views and did things together) return from tapas.
Narad again narrates an anecdote.
A deer lives in a forest, establishes its own territory, and lives with its family happily. It isn't aware that a wolf on one side is hiding to capture it, and on the other, a lion is watching to kill it.
Deer is unaware of this danger. Wolf represents old age and disease, and lion the death. Lion is waiting for the designated time.
Prachinabarhi understood that his time had almost arrived. He relinquished his kingdom and went to the forest for penance and reached his goal.
Take away: Truth is we represent deer. Ignorant.
Source: Bhagavatha Mahapurana
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