Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 57
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
Apabila permaisuri minum arak, Raja Purañjana pun minum dalam keadaan mabuk. Apabila baginda makan, dia turut makan; apabila baginda mengunyah, dia turut mengunyah. Apabila baginda menyanyi, dia turut menyanyi; apabila baginda menangis, dia turut menangis; apabila baginda ketawa, dia turut ketawa; apabila baginda bercakap sia-sia, dia turut bercakap demikian. Apabila baginda berlari, dia turut berlari; apabila baginda berhenti, dia turut berhenti; apabila baginda berbaring, dia turut berbaring; apabila baginda duduk, dia turut duduk. Apabila baginda mendengar, dia turut mendengar; apabila baginda melihat, dia turut melihat; apabila baginda menghidu, dia turut menghidu; apabila baginda menyentuh, dia turut menyentuh. Apabila permaisuri meratap, dia pun meratap dengan pilu; apabila baginda bersuka, dia turut bersuka; apabila baginda puas, dia turut merasa puas.
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
In the Purañjana allegory, the conditioned soul mirrors the partner’s actions—drinking, eating, chewing—showing how attachment and sense life pull one into shared bondage.
It illustrates mada (intoxication) as a symbol of delusion: the soul becomes ‘madavihvala’—mentally overpowered—when it follows sense impulses instead of higher dharma.
Be mindful of imitation and peer influence in relationships; cultivate sāttvika habits and devotional practices so companionship supports clarity rather than addiction and distraction.