Shloka 47
आत्मानं शोचती दीनमबन्धुं विक्लवाश्रुभि: । स्तनावासिच्य विपिने सुस्वरं प्ररुरोद सा ॥ ४७ ॥
ātmānaṁ śocatī dīnam abandhuṁ viklavāśrubhiḥ stanāv āsicya vipine susvaraṁ praruroda sā
Lamenting herself—wretched and without support—she shed helpless tears that soaked her breasts, and in that forest she cried out loudly in grief.
Figuratively the queen is supposed to be the disciple of the king; thus when the mortal body of the spiritual master expires, his disciples should cry exactly as the queen cries when the king leaves his body. However, the disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of vāṇī (words). Physical presence is called vapuḥ. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master.
FAQs
This verse portrays the conditioned soul’s deep sorrow and helplessness when deprived of support, illustrating how material identity leads to grief and insecurity.
In the allegory, Purañjanī (the queen) laments in the forest, representing the soul overwhelmed by distress and separation from protection, a symptom of entanglement in worldly life.
It reminds us that worldly supports are fragile; cultivating steady devotion and remembrance of the Lord provides inner shelter when external relationships or circumstances fail.