Shloka 27

The Fall of Purañjana and the Supersoul as the Eternal Friend

Purañjana-Upākhyāna Culmination

Devanagari script

अनन्तपारे तमसि मग्नो नष्टस्मृति: समा: । शाश्वतीरनुभूयार्तिं प्रमदासङ्गदूषित: ॥ २७ ॥

Transliteration

ananta-pāre tamasi magno naṣṭa-smṛtiḥ samāḥ śāśvatīr anubhūyārtiṁ pramadā-saṅga-dūṣitaḥ

Translation

By contaminated association with women, a living being like King Purañjana sinks into boundless darkness, loses all remembrance, and for many years endures the unending pangs of material existence.

Synonyms

• अनन्त-पारे: in the boundless (having endless shore)
• अनन्त-पारे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + पार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य पारम् अनन्तम् तत्) — तमसि इति विशेषणम्

• तमसि: in darkness
• तमसि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मग्नः: immersed/sunk
• मग्नः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मग्न (प्रातिपदिक; √मज्ज्-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• नष्ट-स्मृतिः: whose memory was lost
• नष्ट-स्मृतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √नश्) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नष्टा स्मृतिः यस्य)

• समाः: years
• समाः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), बहुवचनम्; ‘समाः’ = years

• शाश्वतीः: eternal/very long
• शाश्वतीः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (समाः इति विशेष्य)

• अनुभूय: having experienced
• अनुभूय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु + भू (धातु) → अनुभूय (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययम् (gerund); पूर्वकाल-क्रिया

• आर्तिम्: distress
• आर्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रमदा-सङ्ग-दूषितः: tainted by attachment to women
• प्रमदा-सङ्ग-दूषितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमदा (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + दूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √दूष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (प्रमदासङ्गेन दूषितः)

Purport

This is a description of material existence. Material existence is experienced when one becomes attached to a woman and forgets his real identity as the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa ( naṣṭa-smṛtiḥ ). In this way, in one body after another, the living entity perpetually suffers the threefold miseries of material existence. To save human civilization from the darkness of ignorance, this movement was started. The main purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to enlighten the forgetful living entity and remind him of his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way the living entity can be saved from the catastrophe of ignorance as well as bodily transmigration. As Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung:

Characters & Entities

• Purañjana

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about attachment to sense pleasure causing suffering?

This verse says that attachment (pramadā-saṅga) pollutes one’s consciousness, plunging the soul into endless darkness (tamas) where spiritual remembrance is lost and recurring distress is experienced for years.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe Purañjana as ‘lost in darkness’?

In the Purañjana allegory, Śukadeva explains how identification with the body and indulgence in sense enjoyment covers self-knowledge, so the conditioned soul forgets his real identity and suffers within material existence.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Reduce habits and relationships that intensify uncontrolled sense pursuit, and replace them with sādhana—hearing Bhagavatam, chanting, and disciplined living—so remembrance and clarity return and suffering decreases.