Shloka 10
The Fall of Purañjana and the Supersoul as the Eternal Friend
Purañjana-Upākhyāna Culmination
गन्धर्वयवनाक्रान्तां कालकन्योपमर्दिताम् । हातुं प्रचक्रमे राजा तां पुरीमनिकामत: ॥ १० ॥
gandharva-yavanākrāntāṁ kāla-kanyopamarditām hātuṁ pracakrame rājā tāṁ purīm anikāmataḥ
King Purañjana’s city was overrun by Gandharva and Yavana soldiers and crushed by Kālakanyā. Though he had no wish to leave, circumstances forced him to abandon that city.
The living entity, separated from the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, tries to enjoy this material world. He is given a chance to enjoy it in a particular type of body, beginning with the body of a Brahmā down to that of the microbe. From the Vedic history of creation we can understand that the first living creature was Lord Brahmā, who created the seven great sages and other Prajāpatis to increase the universal population. Thus every living entity, according to karma, his past desires and activities, gets a particular type of body, from that of Brahmā to that of a microbe or germ in stool. Due to long association with a particular type of material body and also due to the grace of Kālakanyā and her māyā, one becomes overly attached to a material body, although it is the abode of pain. Even if one tries to separate a worm from stool, the worm will be unwilling to leave. It will return to the stool. Similarly, a hog generally lives in a very filthy state, eating stool, but if one tries to separate it from its condition and give it a nice place, the hog will be unwilling. In this way if we study each and every living entity, we will find that he will defy offers of a more comfortable position. Although King Purañjana was attacked from all sides, he was unwilling to leave the city. In other words, the living entity — whatever his condition — does not want to give up the body. But he will be forced to give it up because, after all, this material body cannot exist forever.
FAQs
In this verse Kāla-kanyā is the personification of Time’s force—especially old age—which crushes the embodied being’s material arrangements and drives one toward inevitable departure.
Because the city (his material situation/body) had become overpowered by invading forces and weakened by Time; despite attachment, he was compelled by the laws of time and karma to leave.
Recognize that time will dismantle all material security; therefore cultivate devotion and inner detachment now, using life’s changes as a prompt to turn toward Bhagavān.