Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 59
The Fall of Purañjana and the Supersoul as the Eternal Friend
Purañjana-Upākhyāna Culmination
तस्मिंस्त्वं रामया स्पृष्टो रममाणोऽश्रुतस्मृति: । तत्सङ्गादीदृशीं प्राप्तो दशां पापीयसीं प्रभो ॥ ५९ ॥
tasmiṁs tvaṁ rāmayā spṛṣṭo ramamāṇo ’śruta-smṛtiḥ tat-saṅgād īdṛśīṁ prāpto daśāṁ pāpīyasīṁ prabho
Hỡi bạn hiền, khi ngươi bước vào thân xác ấy cùng “người nữ” của dục vọng vật chất, ngươi đắm chìm trong khoái lạc giác quan và quên mất śruti-smṛti, tức ký ức tâm linh. Do sự kết giao ấy, bởi quan niệm vật chất, ngươi bị đặt vào nhiều cảnh khổ đau.
When a person becomes materially engrossed, he has no capacity to hear about spiritual existence. Forgetfulness of spiritual existence entangles a man more and more in material existence. Such is the result of sinful life. Various bodies are developed with the material ingredients because of different types of sinful activities. King Purañjana assumed the body of a woman, Vaidarbhī, as a result of his sinful activities. Bhagavad-gītā clearly says ( striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ ) that such a body is lowborn. If one takes shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, he can be elevated to the highest perfection, even though he be lowborn. One acquires lower births when one’s spiritual intelligence is reduced.
FAQs
This verse says that by association with Rāmā (symbolizing sense pleasure), one becomes absorbed in enjoyment and forgets spiritual instruction, leading to a more degraded condition.
Nārada was reforming the king’s ritualistic, materially motivated mindset by narrating Purañjana’s allegory, showing how attachment and indulgence cause forgetfulness of dharma and spiritual decline.
Choose uplifting company and habits, reduce indulgence that weakens self-control, and keep daily remembrance (study, japa, prayer) so spiritual priorities are not lost to pleasure-seeking.