Shloka 64
Nārada Explains the Allegory of King Purañjana
Deha–Indriya–Manaḥ Mapping and the Remedy of Bhakti
नानुभूतं क्व चानेन देहेनादृष्टमश्रुतम् । कदाचिदुपलभ्येत यद्रूपं यादृगात्मनि ॥ ६४ ॥
nānubhūtaṁ kva cānena dehenādṛṣṭam aśrutam kadācid upalabhyeta yad rūpaṁ yādṛg ātmani
At times we suddenly undergo something never seen or heard in this present body; and at times such things appear all at once within a dream.
In dreams we sometimes see things that we have never experienced in the present body. Sometimes in dreams we think that we are flying in the sky, although we have no experience of flying. This means that once in a previous life, either as a demigod or astronaut, we flew in the sky. The impression is there in the stockpile of the mind, and it suddenly expresses itself. It is like fermentation taking place in the depths of water, which sometimes manifests itself in bubbles on the water’s surface. Sometimes we dream of coming to a place we have never known or experienced in this lifetime, but this is proof that in a past life we experienced this. The impression is kept within the mind and sometimes becomes manifest either in dream or in thought. The conclusion is that the mind is the storehouse of various thoughts and experiences undergone during our past lives. Thus there is a chain of continuation from one life to another, from previous lives to this life, and from this life to future lives. This is also sometimes proved by saying that a man is a born poet, a born scientist or a born devotee. If, like Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, we think of Kṛṣṇa constantly in this life ( sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ ), we will certainly be transferred to the kingdom of God at the time of death. Even if our attempt to be Kṛṣṇa conscious is not complete, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness will continue in the next life. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (6.41) :
FAQs
This verse teaches that the body and its senses cannot grasp the soul’s true nature; self-realization is not a product of mere sensory perception but of inner spiritual awakening.
Narada was correcting the king’s excessive ritualistic, bodily-centered outlook and guiding him toward liberation by understanding the ātmā as distinct from the temporary body.
Reduce identity based on body, status, and consumption; cultivate daily sādhana (hearing, chanting, and reflection) to seek the inner self and the Lord beyond sense-driven living.