Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 4 Chapter 28:49-65

Book 4: Chapter 28

Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 4: Chapter 28: Verses 49-65 Puranjana is reborn as a woman and attains liberation through the teaching of his friend, Avijnata Weeping and wailing thus, that young woman, who had followed her spouse to the forest, fell prostrate at her husband's feet and shed (profuse) tears. Piling up a pyre of fuel, she laid the body of her husband (thereon) and, setting fire to it, made up her mind (proceeded) to follow him to the other world, weeping (all the time). That very moment an old friend of hers, a Brahmana who had mastered his self (appeared there and), soothing her with sweet words of consolation, (thus) addressed theweeping woman, O king. The Brahmana said : Who are you and whose daughter may you be? And who is the man lying (on the funeral pile), whose death you mourn ? Do you know me, your friend, with whom indeed you moved about of yore ? Can you recall yourself as one who had a companion, Avijnata by name, 0 friend, leaving whom you went in search of an abode, addicted as you were to earthly enjoyments ? You and I, O noble one, were swans living on the bosom of the Manasa lake and remained there for thousands of years without any shelter. Leaving me, O friend, you came down to the earth with your mind set on carnal pleasures; and in the course of your excursions you saw an abode erected by some woman, with five pleasure-gardens, nine entrances, one porter, three surrounding walls, six families of merchants and five market-places. It was built with five materials and had a woman for its mistress. The objects of the five senses constituted its gardens and the nine appertures locating the Indriyas constituted its nine entrances, O king. Fire, water and earth served as its (three) surrounding walls; the mind and the five senses were its (six) merchant families. The (five) organs of action constituted its market-place ; the (five) elements served as its undecaying materials. Dominated by the intellect, the man who entered this abode ceased to be self-conscious. Overpowered there by (the wiles of) the woman (the mistress of the dwelling) and enjoying life with her, you forgot your divinity, heard of in the scriptures; and it is through her fellowship that you have been reduced to this most wretched state, O master of your self ! You are not the daughter of the king of Vidarbha nor is this hero your husband. Nor are you the spouse of Purarijani by whom you were held captive in the city of nine gates. It is (nothing but) a piece of illusion created by me, under which you thought yourself (formerly) as a man and (now) regard yourself as a virtuous lady; (really speaking) you are neither. You and I are a pair of swans; ( just) realize our true nature (going to be described hereafter). I am you and you are no other (than me); mark you, you are just the same as I. The wise never perceive the least difference between us. Just as a man sees himself (his image) differently in a mirror and in the pupil of another's eye, the difference between us two is of the same type. Admonished thus by the fellow-swan, the swan of the Manasa lake was (once more) established in his own self and regained his self-consciousness, which had been lost due to his having parted company with his friend. O Pracinabarhi, I have imparted this spiritual truth to you in an indirect manner; for the glorious Lord, the Maker of the universe, loves to remain incognito. Thus ends the twenty-eighth discourse forming part of the parable of Puranjana, in Book Four of the great and glorious Bhagavata-Purana, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa -Samhita.