Shloka 37

Devanagari script

इमां त्वमधितिष्ठस्व पुरीं नवमुखीं विभो । मयोपनीतान् गृह्णान: कामभोगान् शतं समा: ॥ ३७ ॥

Transliteration

imāṁ tvam adhitiṣṭhasva purīṁ nava-mukhīṁ vibho mayopanītān gṛhṇānaḥ kāma-bhogān śataṁ samāḥ

Translation

My dear lord, I have just arranged this city of nine gates for you so that you can have all kinds of sense gratification. You may live here for one hundred years, and everything for your sense gratification will be supplied.

Synonyms

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अधितिष्ठस्व: rule/occupy
• अधितिष्ठस्व: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु; अधि+√स्था)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुरीम्: the city
• पुरीम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; apposition to ‘imām’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नवमुखीम्: having nine gates/faces
• नवमुखीम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; qualifier of ‘purīm’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव + मुखिन्/मुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numeral compound: ‘nine-faced’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: करण (Karaṇa/Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• उपनीतान्: brought/provided
• उपनीतान्: कर्म (Karma/Object; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपनीत (कृदन्त; √नी धातु, उप+√नी)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• गृह्णानः: taking/enjoying
• गृह्णानः: कर्ता (Kartā; participle agreeing with ‘tvam’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गृह्णत् (कृदन्त; √ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि

• कामभोगान्: sense-enjoyments
• कामभोगान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘pleasures of desire’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (measure)

• समाः: years
• समाः: कालाधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘समाः’ = years

Purport

Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣānāṁ dārāḥ samprāpti-hetavaḥ: the wife is the cause of all kinds of success in religion, economic development, sense gratification and ultimately salvation. When one accepts a wife, it is to be understood that he is being helped in his progressive march toward liberation. In the beginning of life a person is trained as a brahmacārī and is then allowed to marry a suitable girl and become a householder. If one is thoroughly trained in household life, he finds all facilities for human life — eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Everything is there if it is executed according to regulative principles.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada Muni
• Purañjana (allegorical king)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam mean by the “city of nine gates”?

In the Purañjana allegory, the “city of nine gates” refers to the human body with nine openings, through which the living being engages the world and becomes entangled in sense experience.

Why is sense enjoyment offered for “a hundred years” in this verse?

It symbolizes a full human lifespan devoted to kāma-bhoga—showing how one may spend life absorbed in enjoyment and thus remain bound to material existence.

Practical application: what is the lesson of this shloka for modern life?

Recognize how the body and its “gates” pull the mind outward; redirect the same senses toward devotion—hearing, chanting, and serving—so life is not wasted only in consumption and pleasure-seeking.