Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 60
Nārada Instructs Prācīnabarhiṣat: The Purañjana Narrative Begins
City of Nine Gates
क्वचित्पिबन्त्यां पिबति मदिरां मदविह्वल: । अश्नन्त्यां क्वचिदश्नाति जक्षत्यां सह जक्षिति ॥ ५७ ॥ क्वचिद्गायति गायन्त्यां रुदत्यां रुदति क्वचित् । क्वचिद्धसन्त्यां हसति जल्पन्त्यामनु जल्पति ॥ ५८ ॥ क्वचिद्धावति धावन्त्यां तिष्ठन्त्यामनु तिष्ठति । अनु शेते शयानायामन्वास्ते क्वचिदासतीम् ॥ ५९ ॥ क्वचिच्छृणोति शृण्वन्त्यां पश्यन्त्यामनु पश्यति । क्वचिज्जिघ्रति जिघ्रन्त्यां स्पृशन्त्यां स्पृशति क्वचित् ॥ ६० ॥ क्वचिच्च शोचतीं जायामनुशोचति दीनवत् । अनु हृष्यति हृष्यन्त्यां मुदितामनु मोदते ॥ ६१ ॥
kvacit pibantyāṁ pibati madirāṁ mada-vihvalaḥ aśnantyāṁ kvacid aśnāti jakṣatyāṁ saha jakṣiti
王妃が酒を飲み、食べ、噛み、歌い、泣き、笑い、軽々しく語り、走り、立ち止まり、横たわり、座り、聞き、見、嗅ぎ、触れる—その何事においても、プランジャナ王は常に従い、真似た。王妃が悲しめば王も悲しみ、王妃が喜べば王も喜び満ち足りた。
The mind is the place where the self is situated, and the mind is conducted by the intelligence. The living entity, situated within the heart, follows the intelligence. The intelligence is herein depicted as the Queen, and the soul, under mental control, follows the material intelligence just as the King follows his wife. The conclusion is that material intelligence is the cause of bondage for the living entity. The point is that one has to take to spiritual intelligence to come out of this entanglement.
FAQs
This verse shows Purañjana mirroring his queen’s actions—drinking and eating with her—illustrating how attachment pulls the soul into shared sense enjoyment and bondage.
In the allegory, his imitation signifies the conditioned soul’s dependence on material companionship and the senses, losing discrimination through infatuation.
Choose association that elevates consciousness; avoid habits that make one lose self-control, and replace imitation of indulgence with shared devotional practices.