Shloka 56

The Fall of Purañjana and the Supersoul as the Eternal Friend

Purañjana-Upākhyāna Culmination

Devanagari script

पञ्चारामं नवद्वारमेकपालं त्रिकोष्ठकम् । षट्कुलं पञ्चविपणं पञ्चप्रकृति स्त्रीधवम् ॥ ५६ ॥

Transliteration

pañcārāmaṁ nava-dvāram eka-pālaṁ tri-koṣṭhakam ṣaṭ-kulaṁ pañca-vipaṇaṁ pañca-prakṛti strī-dhavam

Translation

In that city—the material body—there are five gardens, nine gates, one guardian, three chambers, six families, five marketplaces, the five material elements, and one woman who rules the household.

Synonyms

• pañca-ārāmam: the (city) having five gardens/pleasure-groves
• pañca-ārāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + ārāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (numerical compound)

• nava-dvāram: having nine gates
• nava-dvāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nava (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• eka-pālam: having one guardian
• eka-pālam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• tri-koṣṭhakam: having three chambers/compartments
• tri-koṣṭhakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + koṣṭhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• ṣaṭ-kulam: having six clans/families
• ṣaṭ-kulam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• pañca-vipaṇam: having five markets
• pañca-vipaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + vipaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• pañca-prakṛti: having five constituents/natures
• pañca-prakṛti: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• strī-dhavam: having a woman as husband/lord (i.e., ruled by a woman)
• strī-dhavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + dhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (striyāḥ dhavaḥ)

Characters & Entities

• Purañjana
• King Prācīnabarhi (Barhiṣmān)

FAQs

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

In this verse the “city” is the human body, described as having nine gates—two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, the mouth, the genital opening, and the anus—through which the living being interacts with the world.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe the body using symbols like gardens, markets, and gates?

He is explaining the Purañjana allegory to show how the soul identifies with the body: the sense-objects become ‘gardens’ of enjoyment, the senses become ‘markets’ of activity, and the bodily openings become ‘gates,’ revealing the mechanism of bondage.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life?

By recognizing the body as an instrument rather than the self, one can regulate sense enjoyment, reduce compulsive consumption, and redirect attention toward sādhana—especially hearing and chanting—so prakṛti no longer dominates one’s choices.