Shloka 53
Nārada Instructs Prācīnabarhiṣat: The Purañjana Narrative Begins
City of Nine Gates
निऋर्तिर्नाम पश्चाद् द्वास्तया याति पुरञ्जन: । वैशसं नाम विषयं लुब्धकेन समन्वित: ॥ ५३ ॥
nirṛtir nāma paścād dvās tayā yāti purañjanaḥ vaiśasaṁ nāma viṣayaṁ lubdhakena samanvitaḥ
Another gate on the western side was known as Nirṛti. Through it Purañjana would go to the place called Vaiśasa, accompanied by his friend Lubdhaka.
This is a reference to the rectum. The rectum is supposed to be situated on the western side of the eyes, nose and ears. This gate is especially meant for death. When an ordinary living entity abandons his present body, he passes through the rectum. It is therefore painful. When one is called by nature to evacuate, one also experiences pain. The friend of the living entity who accompanies him through this gate is named Lubdhaka, which means “greed.” Due to our greed, we eat unnecessarily, and such gluttony causes pain at the time of evacuation. The conclusion is that the living entity feels well if he evacuates properly. This gate is known as Nirṛti, or the painful gate.
FAQs
In this allegory, Nirṛti signifies ruin and misfortune—an inauspicious influence that guards the path toward degrading choices and the suffering that follows sinful sense enjoyment.
Śukadeva describes Purañjana’s movement toward a darker, more harmful sphere of experience; the ‘hunter’ represents cruel, destructive impulses that accompany the soul when it pursues enjoyment without dharma.
Be alert to environments and habits that increase cruelty, addiction, or moral decline; choose sādhana, good association, and disciplined senses to avoid the ‘Nirṛti’ pathway of misfortune.