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naradah uvaca—Narada said; purusam—the living entity, the enjoyer; puranjanam—King Puranjana; vidyat—one should know; yat—inasmuch as; vyanakti—he produces; atmanah—of himself; puram—dwelling place; eka—one; dvi—two; tri—three; catuh-padam—with four legs; bahu-padam—with many legs; apadakam—without legs.

The great sage Narada Muni continued: You must understand that Puranjana, the living entity, transmigrates according to his own work into different types of bodies, which may be one-legged, two-legged, three-legged, four-legged, many-legged or simply legless. Transmigrating into these various types of bodies, the living entity, as the so-called enjoyer, is known as Puranjana.

How the spirit soul transmigrates from one type of body to another is nicely described here. The word eka-pada, “one-legged,” refers to ghosts, for it is said that ghosts walk on one leg. The word dvi-pada, meaning “biped,” refers to human beings. When he is old and invalid, the human being is supposed to be a triped, or three-legged, because he walks with the help of a stick or some kind of cane. Of course, the word catus-pada refers to quadrupeds, or animals. The word bahu-pada refers to those creatures who have more than four legs. There are many insects, such as the centipede, and also many aquatic animals that have many legs. The word apadaka, meaning “without legs,” refers to serpents. The name Puranjana indicates one who enjoys possessing different types of bodies. His mentality for enjoyment in the material world is accommodated by different types of bodies.

SB4.29.3

TEXT 3

yo ’vijnatahrtas tasya

purusasya sakhesvarah

yan na vijnayate pumbhir

namabhir va kriya-gunaih

yah—he who; avijnata—unknown; ahrtah—described; tasya—of him; purusasya—of the living entity; sakha—the eternal friend; isvarah—the master; yat—because; na—never; vijnayate—is understood; pumbhih—by the living entities; namabhih—by names; va—or; kriya-gunaih—by activities or qualities.

The person I have described as unknown is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master and eternal friend of the living entity. Since the living entities cannot realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead by material names, activities or qualities, He remains everlastingly unknown to the conditioned soul.

kartsnyena prakrter gunan

Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unknown to the conditioned soul, He is sometimes described in Vedic literatures as nirakara, avijnata or avan-manasa-gocara. Actually it is a fact that the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be perceived by material senses as far as His form, name, quality, pastimes or paraphernalia are concerned. However, when one is spiritually advanced, one can understand the name, form, qualities, pastimes and paraphernalia of the Supreme Lord. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (18.55). Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah: one can understand in truth the Supreme Personality of Godhead only when one is engaged in devotional service. Ordinary persons engaged in pious and impious activities cannot understand the form, name and activities of the Lord. The devotee, however, can know the Personality of Godhead in many respects. He can understand that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that His address is Goloka Vrndavana and that His activities are all spiritual. Because the Lord’s form and activities cannot be understood by materialistic people, He is described by the sastras as nirakara, that is, one whose form cannot be ascertained by a materialistic person. This does not mean that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no form; it means that it is not understood by the karmis, or fruitive actors. His form is described in Brahma-samhita as sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. As confirmed by the Padma Purana:

atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah

[BRS. 1.2.234]

“No one can understand Krsna as He is by utilizing the blunt material senses. However, the Lord reveals Himself to His devotees, being pleased with them because of their transcendental loving service rendered unto Him.”

Since the name, form, qualities and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, cannot be understood by the material senses, He is also called adhoksaja, meaning “beyond sense perception.” When the senses are purified by devotional activity, the devotee understands everything about the Lord by the Lord’s grace. In this verse the words pumbhir namabhir va kriya-gunaih are especially significant because God, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has many names, activities and qualities, although none of them are material. Despite the fact that all these names, activities and pastimes are mentioned in the sastras and understood by the devotees, the karmis (fruitive laborers) cannot understand them. Nor can the jnanis (mental speculators) understand them. Although there are thousands of names of Lord Visnu, the karmis and jnanis intermingle the names of the Supreme Godhead with the names of demigods and human beings. Because they cannot understand the actual name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they take for granted that any name can be accepted. They believe that since the Absolute Truth is impersonal, they can call Him by any name. Otherwise, they maintain, He has no name. This is not a fact. Here it is clearly stated: namabhir va kriya-gunaih. The Lord has specific names such as Rama, Krsna, Govinda, Narayana, Visnu and Adhoksaja. There are indeed many names, but the conditioned soul cannot understand them.

SB4.29.4

TEXT 4

yada jighrksan purusah

nava-dvaram dvi-hastanghri

tatramanuta sadhv iti

yada—when; jighrksan—desiring to enjoy; purusah—the living entity; kartsnyena—in total; prakrteh—of material nature; gunan—the modes; nava-dvaram—having nine gates; dvi—two; hasta—hands; anghri—legs; tatra—there; amanuta—he thought; sadhu—very good; iti—thus.

When the living entity wants to enjoy the modes of material nature in their totality, he prefers, out of many bodily forms, to accept that body which has nine gates, two hands and two legs. Thus he prefers to become a human being or a demigod.

This is a very nice explanation of how the spiritual being, the part and parcel of Krsna, God, accepts a material body by virtue of his own desires. Accepting two hands, two legs, and so on, the living entity fully enjoys the modes of material nature. Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (7.27):

iccha-dvesa-samutthena
dvandva-mohena bharata
sarva-bhutani sammoham
sarge yanti parantapa

“O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.”

Originally the living entity is a spiritual being, but when he actually desires to enjoy this material world, he comes down. From this verse we can understand that the living entity first accepts a body that is human in form, but gradually, due to his degraded activities, he falls into lower forms of life—into the animal, plant and aquatic forms. By the gradual process of evolution, the living entity again attains the body of a human being and is given another chance to get out of the process of transmigration. If he again misses his chance in the human form to understand his position, he is again placed in the cycle of birth and death in various types of bodies.

The desire of the living entity to come into the material world is not very difficult to understand. Although one may be born in a family of Aryans, where there are restrictions against meat-eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex, still one may want to enjoy these forbidden things. There is always someone who wants to go to a prostitute for illicit sex or to a hotel to eat meat and drink wine. There is always someone who wants to gamble at nightclubs or enjoy so-called sports. All these propensities are already within the hearts of the living entities, but some living entities stop to enjoy these abominable activities and consequently fall down to a degraded platform. The more one desires a degraded life within his heart, the more he falls down to occupy different forms of abominable existence. This is the process of transmigration and evolution. A particular type of animal may have a strong tendency to enjoy one kind of sense enjoyment, but in the human form one can enjoy all the senses. The human form has the facility to utilize all the senses for gratification. Unless one is properly trained, he becomes a victim of the modes of material nature, as confirmed by Bhagavad-gita (3.27):

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by nature.” As soon as one desires to enjoy his senses, he puts himself under the control of material energy and automatically, or mechanically, is placed into the cycle of birth and death in various life-forms.

SB4.29.5

TEXT 5

buddhim tu pramadam vidyan

mamaham iti yat-krtam

yam adhisthaya dehe ’smin

puman bhunkte ’ksabhir gunan

buddhim—intelligence; tu—then; pramadam—the young woman (Puranjani); vidyat—one should know; mama—my; aham—I; iti—thus; yat-krtam—done by intelligence; yam—which intelligence; adhisthaya—taking shelter of; dehe—in the body; asmin—this; puman—the living entity; bhunkte—suffers and enjoys; aksabhih—by the senses; gunan—the modes of material nature.

The great sage Narada continued: The word pramada mentioned in this regard refers to material intelligence, or ignorance. It is to be understood as such. When one takes shelter of this kind of intelligence, he identifies himself with the material body. Influenced by the material consciousness of “I” and “mine,” he begins to enjoy and suffer through his senses. Thus the living entity is entrapped.

In material existence so-called intelligence is actually ignorance. When intelligence is cleared up, it is called buddhi-yoga. In other words, when intelligence is dovetailed with the desires of Krsna, it is called buddhi-yoga or bhakti-yoga. Therefore in Bhagavad-gita (10.10) Krsna says:

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te

“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”

Real intelligence means linking with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When this is done, the Supreme Personality of Godhead from within gives one the real intelligence by which one can return home, back to Godhead. Intelligence in the material world is described in this verse as pramada because in material existence the living entity falsely claims things to be his. He thinks, “I am the monarch of all I survey.” This is ignorance. Actually, nothing belongs to him. Even the body and the senses do not belong to him, for they are given to him by the grace of the Lord to satisfy his different propensities through the material energy. Nothing actually belongs to the living entity, but he becomes mad after everything, claiming, “This is mine. This is mine. This is mine.” Janasya moho ’yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This is called illusion. Nothing belongs to the living entity, but he claims that everything belongs to him. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that this false intelligence be purified (ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]). When the mirror of intelligence is polished, the real activities of the living entity begin. This means that when a person comes to the platform of Krsna consciousness, his real intelligence acts. At that time he knows that everything belongs to Krsna and nothing belongs to him. As long as one thinks that everything belongs to him, he is in material consciousness, and when he knows perfectly that everything belongs to Krsna, he is in Krsna consciousness.

SB4.29.6

TEXT 6

sakhaya indriya-gana

jnanam karma ca yat-krtam

sakhyas tad-vrttayah pranah

panca-vrttir yathoragah

sakhayah—the male friends; indriya-ganah—the senses; jnanam—knowledge; karma—activity; ca—also; yat-krtam—done by the senses; sakhyah—female friends; tat—of the senses; vrttayah—engagements; pranah—life air; panca-vrttih—having five processes; yatha—like; uragah—the serpent.

The five working senses and the five senses that acquire knowledge are all male friends of Puranjani. The living entity is assisted by these senses in acquiring knowledge and engaging in activity. The engagements of the senses are known as girl friends, and the serpent, which was described as having five heads, is the life air acting within the five circulatory processes.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga-vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

(Prema-vivarta)

Because of his desire to enjoy the material world, the living entity is dressed with the material gross and subtle bodies. Thus he is given a chance to enjoy the senses. The senses are therefore the instruments for enjoying the material world; consequently the senses have been described as friends. Sometimes, because of too much sinful activity, the living entity does not get a material gross body, but hovers on the subtle platform. This is called ghostly life. Because of his not possessing a gross body, he creates a great deal of trouble in his subtle body. Thus the presence of a ghost is horrible for those who are living in the gross body. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (15.10):

utkramantam sthitam vapi
bhunjanam va gunanvitam
vimudha nanupasyanti
pasyanti jnana-caksusah

“The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this.”

The living entities are merged into the air of life, which acts in different ways for circulation. There is prana, apana, udana, vyana and samana, and because the life air functions in this fivefold way, it is compared to the five-hooded serpent. The soul passes through the kundalini-cakra like a serpent crawling on the ground. The life air is compared to uraga, the serpent. Panca-vrtti is the desire to satisfy the senses, attracted by five sense objects—namely form, taste, sound, smell and touch.

SB4.29.7

TEXT 7

brhad-balam mano vidyad

ubhayendriya-nayakam

pancalah panca visaya

yan-madhye nava-kham puram

brhat-balam—very powerful; manah—the mind; vidyat—one should know; ubhaya-indriya—of both groups of senses; nayakam—the leader; pancalah—the kingdom named Pancala; panca—five; visayah—sense objects; yat—of which; madhye—in the midst; nava-kham—having nine apertures; puram—the city.

The eleventh attendant, who is the commander of the others, is known as the mind. He is the leader of the senses both in the acquisition of knowledge and in the performance of work. The Pancala kingdom is that atmosphere in which the five sense objects are enjoyed. Within that Pancala kingdom is the city of the body, which has nine gates.

The mind is the center of all activities and is described here as brhad-bala, very powerful. To get out of the clutches of maya, material existence, one has to control his mind. According to training, the mind is the friend and the enemy of the living entity. If one gets a good manager, his estate is very nicely managed, but if the manager is a thief, his estate is spoiled. Similarly, in his material, conditional existence, the living entity gives power of attorney to his mind. As such, he is liable to be misdirected by his mind into enjoying sense objects. Srila Ambarisa Maharaja therefore first engaged his mind upon the lotus feet of the Lord. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh. When the mind is engaged in meditation on the lotus feet of the Lord, the senses are controlled. This system of control is called yama, and this means “subduing the senses.” One who can subdue the senses is called a gosvami, but one who cannot control the mind is called go-dasa. The mind directs the activities of the senses, which are expressed through different outlets, as described in the next verse.

SB4.29.8

TEXT 8

aksini nasike karnau

mukham sisna-gudav iti

dve dve dvarau bahir yati

yas tad-indriya-samyutah

aksini—two eyes; nasike—two nostrils; karnau—two ears; mukham—mouth; sisna—genitals; gudau—and rectum; iti—thus; dve—two; dve—two; dvarau—gates; bahih—outside; yati—goes; yah—one who; tat—through the gates; indriya—by the senses; samyutah—accompanied.

The eyes, nostrils and ears are pairs of gates situated in one place. The mouth, genital and rectum are also different gates. Being placed into a body having these nine gates, the living entity acts externally in the material world and enjoys sense objects like form and taste.

Not being aware of his spiritual position, the living entity, directed by the mind, goes out through the nine gates to enjoy material objects. Because of long association with material objects, he forgets his real spiritual activities and is thus misled. The entire world is going on being misled by so-called leaders like scientists and philosophers, who have no knowledge of the spirit soul. Thus the conditioned soul becomes more and more entangled.

SB4.29.9

TEXT 9

aksini nasike asyam

iti panca purah krtah

daksina daksinah karna

uttara cottarah smrtah

pascime ity adho dvarau

gudam sisnam ihocyate

aksini—two eyes; nasike—two nostrils; asyam—the mouth; iti—thus; panca—five; purah—on the front; krtah—made; daksina—southern gate; daksinah—right; karnah—ear; uttara—northern gate; ca—also; uttarah—left ear; smrtah—understood; pascime—on the west; iti—thus; adhah—downward; dvarau—two gates; gudam—rectum; sisnam—genital; iha—here; ucyate—is said.

Two eyes, two nostrils and a mouth—all together five—are situated in the front. The right ear is accepted as the southern gate, and the left ear is the northern gate. The two holes, or gates, situated in the west are known as the rectum and genital.

Of all sides, the eastern is considered most important, primarily because the sun rises from that direction. The gates on the eastern side—the eyes, nose and mouth—are thus very important gates in the body.

SB4.29.10

TEXT 10

khadyotavirmukhi catra

netre ekatra nirmite

rupam vibhrajitam tabhyam

vicaste caksusesvarah

khadyota—named Khadyota; avirmukhi—named Avirmukhi; ca—also; atra—here; netre—the two eyes; ekatra—in one place; nirmite—created; rupam—form; vibhrajitam—named Vibhrajita (brilliant); tabhyam—through the eyes; vicaste—perceive; caksusa—with the sense of sight; isvarah—the master.

The two gates named Khadyota and Avirmukhi, which have been spoken of, are the two eyes side by side in one place. The town named Vibhrajita should be understood as form. In this way the two eyes are always engaged in seeing different kinds of forms.

The two eyes are attracted by brilliant things like light. Sometimes we find that little insects are attracted by the brightness of fire and thus enter into it. Similarly, the two eyes of the living entity are attracted by bright and beautiful forms. They are entangled in these forms, exactly as the insect becomes attracted to fire.

SB4.29.11

TEXT 11

nalini nalini nase

gandhah saurabha ucyate

ghrano ’vadhuto mukhyasyam

vipano vag rasavid rasah

nalini—named Nalini; nalini—named Nalini; nase—the two nostrils; gandhah—aroma; saurabhah—Saurabha (fragrance); ucyate—is called; ghranah—the sense of smell; avadhutah—called Avadhuta; mukhya—called Mukhya (principal); asyam—the mouth; vipanah—named Vipana; vak—the faculty of speech; rasa-vit—named Rasajna (expert in tasting); rasah—the sense of taste.

The two doors named Nalini and Nalini should be known as the two nostrils, and the city named Saurabha represents aroma. The companion spoken of as Avadhuta is the sense of smell. The door called Mukhya is the mouth, and Vipana is the faculty of speech. Rasajna is the sense of taste.

The word avadhuta means “most free.” A person is not under the rules and regulations of any injunction when he has attained the stage of avadhuta. In other words, he can act as he likes. This avadhuta stage is exactly like air, which does not care for any obstruction. In Bhagavad-gita (6.34) it is said:

cancalam hi manah krsna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva suduskaram

“The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krsna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.”

Just as the air or wind cannot be checked by anyone, the two nostrils, situated in one place, enjoy the sense of smell without impediment. When the tongue is present, the mouth continually tastes all kinds of relishable foodstuffs.

SB4.29.12

TEXT 12

apano vyavaharo ’tra

citram andho bahudanam

pitrhur daksinah karna

uttaro devahuh smrtah

apanah—named Apana; vyavaharah—business of the tongue; atra—here; citram—of all varieties; andhah—eatables; bahudanam—named Bahudana; pitr-huh—named Pitrhu; daksinah—right; karnah—ear; uttarah—left; deva-huh—Devahu; smrtah—is called.

The city called Apana represents engagement of the tongue in speech, and Bahudana is the variety of foodstuffs. The right ear is called the gate of Pitrhu, and the left ear is called the gate of Devahu.

SB4.29.13

TEXT 13

pravrttam ca nivrttam ca

sastram pancala-samjnitam

pitr-yanam deva-yanam

srotrac chruta-dharad vrajet

SYNONYMS

pravrttam—the process of sense enjoyment; ca—also; nivrttam—the process of detachment; ca—also; sastram—scripture; pancala—Pancala; samjnitam—is described as; pitr-yanam—going to Pitrloka; deva-yanam—going to Devaloka; srotrat—by hearing; sruta-dharat—by the companion named Srutadhara; vrajet—one can be elevated.

TRANSLATION

Narada Muni continued: The city spoken of as Daksina-pancala represents the scriptures meant for directing pravrtti, the process of sense enjoyment in fruitive activities. The other city, named Uttara-pancala, represents the scriptures meant for decreasing fruitive activities and increasing knowledge. The living entity receives different kinds of knowledge by means of two ears, and some living entities are promoted to Pitrloka and some to Devaloka. All this is made possible by the two ears.

PURPORT

The Vedas are known as sruti, and the knowledge received from them through aural reception is called sruta-dhara. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, one can be promoted to the planets of the demigods or to the planets of the Pitas (forefathers), or even to the Vaikuntha planets, simply through the process of hearing. These things have already been explained in previous chapters.

SB4.29.14

TEXT 14

asuri medhram arvag-dvar

vyavayo graminam ratih

upastho durmadah prokto

nirrtir guda ucyate

asuri—called Asuri; medhram—the genital; arvak—of the fools and rascals; dvah—gate; vyavayah—performing sexual affairs; graminam—of common men; ratih—attraction; upasthah—the faculty of procreation; durmadah—Durmada; proktah—is called; nirrtih—Nirrti; gudah—rectum; ucyate—is called.

The city called Gramaka, which is approached through the lower gate of Asuri [the genital], is meant for sex, which is very pleasing to common men who are simply fools and rascals. The faculty of procreation is called Durmada, and the rectum is called Nirrti.

When the world becomes degraded, civilization becomes demoniac, and for the common man the rectum and the genital are taken very seriously as the centers of all activity. Even in such a sacred place as Vrndavana, India, unintelligent men pass off this rectal and genital business as spiritual activity. Such people are called sahajiya. According to their philosophy, through sexual indulgence one can elevate oneself to the spiritual platform. From these verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam, however, we understand that the desires for sexual satisfaction are meant for the arvak, the lowest among men. To rectify these rascals and fools is very difficult. After all, the sex desires of the common man are condemned in these verses. The word durmada means “wrongly directed,” and nirrti means “sinful activity.” Although this clearly indicates that sex indulgence is abominable and misdirected even from the ordinary point of view, the sahajiyas nonetheless pass themselves off as devotees conducting spiritual activities. For this reason, Vrndavana is no longer visited by intelligent men. Sometimes we are often asked why we have made our center in Vrndavana. From the external point of view, it can be concluded that Vrndavana has become degenerate due to these sahajiya activities, yet from the spiritual point of view, Vrndavana is the only place where all these sinful persons can be rectified by means of taking birth in the forms of dogs, hogs and monkeys. By living in Vrndavana as a dog, hog or monkey, the living entity can be elevated to the spiritual platform in the next life.

SB4.29.15

TEXT 15

vaisasam narakam payur

lubdhako ’ndhau tu me srnu

hasta-padau pumams tabhyam

yukto yati karoti ca

vaisasam—named Vaisasa; narakam—hell; payuh—the working sense in the rectum; lubdhakah—named Lubdhaka (very greedy); andhau—blind; tu—then; me—to me; srnu—listen; hasta-padau—hands and legs; puman—the living entity; tabhyam—with them; yuktah—being engaged; yati—goes; karoti—works; ca—and.