Avijnāta said “In your previous birth you had a friend called Avijnāta. Do you remember? I am Avijnāta. Attracted by these worldly pleasures you deserted me and travelled in search of pleasures.
O supreme among men! Both of us used to stay in Manasa-sarovar. For 1000 years we both lived happily without ever worrying about accommodation. Thereafter O friend, you travelled across earth and you happened to see a city that was constructed by a woman. In that city there were 5 gardens, 9 doors, 3 enclosures, 5 shops, 1 guard and 6 traders. This city was made of 5 elements. One lady was the mistress here.
O friend, this city is nothing but the human body. The five subtle sensory perceptions of sound, touch, sight, taste and smell have been explained as the 5 gardens of sense enjoyment. The 9 holes in the body are the 9 gates. Fire, water and earth make the 3 enclosures.
The five sense organs coupled with the mind, which grasp the matter from the outer world, are described as the 6 traders who do business. The five organs of action are the 5 shops. The 5 elements used to construct this city are the 5 gross elements i.e. space, wind, fire, water and earth. These elements never deplete.
The Supreme Lord, who in reality is the Lord of illusion, enters into the city and gets caught by illusion. Thereby he forgets himself. O Lord of this city, here in the city you combined with intellect (buddhi) and forgot your real existence. As a result you were reduced to this heinous pitiable state.
You are not the Vidarbha princess. Malayadhwaja is not your husband. In your past birth your wife Puranjani bound you within the house that had 9 gates. In reality you are not Puranjani’s husband.
Māyā hy eṣā mayā sṛṣṭā yat pumāṁsaṁ striyaṁ satīm Manyase nobhayaṁ yad vai haṁsau paśyāvayor gatim
I am the creator of this illusion. Due to my illusion (māya) you falsely considered yourself to be a man by name Puranjana. In this birth you consider yourself to be the chaste wife. The truth however is that you are neither. We both are swans. Look at our forms.
Ahaṁ bhavān na cānyas tvaṁ tvam evāhaṁ vicakṣva bhoḥ Na nau paśyanti kavayaś chidraṁ jātu manāg api
O friend, I am You. You are me. We have a non-dual existence. Understand this ultimate truth. Learned scholars never differentiate between us. The man who sees his image in the mirror perceives it in a particular manner. Others perceive it differently. Likewise Parabrahma, in his collective form appears as God. The same Supreme Lord, when he is in the individual’s body, appears like a separate living being.
In this way, although we inherently are non-dual, due to the influence of illusion we appear to be different”. The swan known as the individual was thus awakened by the swan known as Avijnāta or Iśwara. With this the swan known as the individual realized its original form and was happy. Due to separation from the swan known as Avijnāta, this swan lost the knowledge of its original form.
Barhiṣmann etad adhyātmaṁ pārokṣyeṇa pradarśitam Yat parokṣa-priyo devo bhagavān viśva-bhāvanaḥ
O Emperor Barhiśat! What I have explained thus far was Self-knowledge which I explained indirectly in the form of a story. This is because the Supreme Lord Srihari, who is the cause for the universe, loves when such Self-knowledge is given indirectly.
With this the twenty-eighth chapter of the fourth canto comes to an end.
Fourth Canto Chapter Twenty-nine
In this chapter, the inner significance contained in Puranjana’s story, and how a man (who is re-born as a woman due to intense attachment towards her) obtains realization, is covered.
Emperor Prācina-barhi enquired, “O Maharishi Narada! O revered one, I am unable to comprehend the inner significance contained in your story. Only learned scholars can decipher the inner significance contained in your speech”.
Govindāya namah