Shloka 31
Nārada Explains the Allegory of King Purañjana
Deha–Indriya–Manaḥ Mapping and the Remedy of Bhakti
क्षुत्परीतो यथा दीन: सारमेयो गृहं गृहम् । चरन्विन्दति यद्दिष्टं दण्डमोदनमेव वा ॥ ३० ॥ तथा कामाशयो जीव उच्चावचपथा भ्रमन् । उपर्यधो वा मध्ये वा याति दिष्टं प्रियाप्रियम् ॥ ३१ ॥
kṣut-parīto yathā dīnaḥ sārameyo gṛhaṁ gṛham caran vindati yad-diṣṭaṁ daṇḍam odanam eva vā
جیسے بھوک سے بےحال ایک مفلس کتا گھر گھر پھرتا ہے اور تقدیر کے مطابق کبھی سزا پاتا ہے اور کبھی تھوڑا سا کھانا، اسی طرح جیو بےشمار خواہشوں کے اثر سے اپنے مقدر کے مطابق مختلف یونیوں میں بھٹکتا ہے—کبھی اونچا، کبھی نیچا؛ کبھی سُورگ لوکوں میں، کبھی نرک میں، کبھی درمیانی لوکوں میں، اور پسند و ناپسند کے پھل بھگتتا ہے۔
The living entity’s position is herein likened to a dog’s. By chance a dog may have a very rich owner, and by chance he may become a street dog. As the dog of a rich man, he will live very opulently. Sometimes in Western countries we hear of a master leaving millions of dollars to a dog in his will. Of course, there are many dogs loitering in the street without food. Therefore, to liken the conditional existence of the living entity to that of a dog is very appropriate. An intelligent human being, however, can understand that if he has to live the life of a dog, he had best become Kṛṣṇa’s dog. In the material world a dog is sometimes elevated and is sometimes on the street, but in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa’s dog is perpetually, eternally happy. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has therefore sung, vaiṣṇava ṭhākura, tomāra kukura, baliyā jānaha more. In this way Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura offers to become a Vaiṣṇava’s dog. A dog always keeps himself at his master’s door and does not allow any person unfavorable to the master to enter. Similarly, one should engage in the service of a Vaiṣṇava and try to please him in every respect. Unless one does so, he does not make spiritual advancement. Apart from spiritual advancement, in the material world if one does not develop his qualities in goodness, he cannot be promoted to the higher planetary system. As confirmed by Bhagavad-gītā (14.18) :
FAQs
This verse explains that a conditioned soul meets pleasant and unpleasant experiences according to what is allotted by destiny (diṣṭa), much like a hungry dog receiving either food or a beating while wandering.
Nārada instructs the king—through the allegory of Purañjana—that life driven by kāma (material desire) forces the jīva to wander through higher and lower conditions, and that one should turn toward spiritual realization and devotion instead of fruitive ritualism.
Recognize that chasing desires leads to restless wandering for temporary gains; reduce kāma through discipline and sādhana, and focus on bhakti so that life is guided by devotion rather than by compulsive seeking and karmic reactions.