Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 9
Nārada Explains the Allegory of King Purañjana
Deha–Indriya–Manaḥ Mapping and the Remedy of Bhakti
अक्षिणी नासिके आस्यमिति पञ्चपुर: कृता: । दक्षिणा दक्षिण: कर्ण उत्तरा चोत्तर: स्मृत: । पश्चिमे इत्यधोद्वारौ गुदं शिश्नमिहोच्यते ॥ ९ ॥
akṣiṇī nāsike āsyam iti pañca puraḥ kṛtāḥ dakṣiṇā dakṣiṇaḥ karṇa uttarā cottaraḥ smṛtaḥ paścime ity adho dvārau gudaṁ śiśnam ihocyate
Deux yeux, deux narines et la bouche : ces cinq portes sont à l’avant. L’oreille droite est tenue pour la porte du sud, et l’oreille gauche pour la porte du nord. Les deux portes situées en bas, vers l’ouest, sont le rectum et l’organe génital.
Of all sides, the eastern is considered most important, primarily because the sun rises from that direction. The gates on the eastern side — the eyes, nose and mouth — are thus very important gates in the body.
FAQs
This verse maps the body to ‘cities’ and ‘gates’—eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, anus, and genitals—showing how the jīva interacts with the world through sense-openings and becomes conditioned by them.
Because the Purañjana narrative is an allegory: the ‘city’ represents the body, and listing its gates clarifies how the living being enters experience through the senses and thus becomes bound to material life.
Treat sense-gates as points of discipline: regulate what you see, hear, speak, and indulge in, and redirect them toward bhakti—hearing and chanting about Bhagavān—to reduce distraction and strengthen inner purity.